The University of Queensland (UQ) has been awarded its third SAGE Cygnet Award, recognising sustained, evidence-based action to improve career progression for academic women and embed equity into promotion and leadership pathways.
The award recognises the University’s evidence-based work to strengthen equity in promotion and leadership pathways, and the measurable difference this work is making for staff. Through targeted initiatives focused on women academics at Levels C, D and E, UQ is working to enhance how promotion is understood, supported and experienced across the institution.
Impact that staff can feel
At the heart of UQ’s work is a focus on delivering clearer, more supportive and more equitable pathways.
Through renewed career development programs aligned with UQ’s Annual Performance and Development (APD) and promotions framework, women academics report increased confidence, clarity and readiness to pursue promotion.
Many participants report renewed energy, confidence and intent to apply for promotion in upcoming rounds: “It has boosted my confidence, extended my academic network and clarified my career goals. The promotion processes focused activities and insights have been very useful. I am seriously considering applying in 2025.”
Participant feedback consistently highlights the programs as transformative, not only in demystifying promotion processes but in helping staff articulate their value, plan their career trajectories, and feel supported to take the next step.
Changing experiences, not just policies
Survey data on staff attitudes towards promotion shows a significant shift over time, with 92% of female staff feeling supported by management in the promotion process in 2024.
This is reinforced by strong engagement with the refreshed Career Progression for Women (C to D) and Career Advancement for Senior Academic Women (D to E) programs, alongside the establishment of the ‘Women at E’ network, now connecting more than 200 women professors across the university.
Strengthening culture and leadership pathways
The outcomes extend beyond individual promotions. UQ’s work is contributing to a more inclusive academic culture, where leadership is visible, diverse and relational.
SAGE CEO, Dr Janin Bredehoeft, spoke to the value of this cultural change: “What stands out in this work is how clearly the cultural shift is being felt by staff. When promotion pathways become transparent, when mentors are visible, and when people feel supported to pursue leadership, that’s when equity moves from policy into everyday experience. UQ’s work shows how sustained action can reshape the culture of academic progression.”
Importantly, the data shows increased representation of women at senior academic levels across both STEMM and non-STEMM disciplines since 2017, narrowing long-standing gender gaps and strengthening the pipeline to senior levels.
A model of sustained action
This third Cygnet Award reflects UQ’s commitment to continuous improvement, using data, staff voice and evaluation to refine programs, address remaining barriers, and translate growing confidence into long-term structural change.
SAGE congratulates UQ on this significant milestone and recognises the leadership, persistence and collaboration required to deliver cultural change that staff can genuinely feel.
About the SAGE Cygnet Award
SAGE Cygnet Awards celebrate organisations that have demonstrated progress in making their workplaces more equitable by removing or reducing a barrier to inclusion. They must be able to show that these changes have had a real impact on staff and/or students.
This builds on the University of Queensland’s first Cygnet Award on career progression for academic women and LGBTQIA+ inclusion. You can read all about UQ’s actions, outcomes, and impact in their full Cygnet Award Application, or read an overview version in the Progress and Impact Summary.
About SAGE
Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) is Australasia’s leading advocate and accrediting body for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the education and research sector. It is the guide our region’s brightest minds turn to when they want a vibrant workplace where everyone can thrive.
Using an evidence-based and impact-focused framework, SAGE helps institutions build systemic, structural, and cultural change. Their world-respected Athena Swan accreditation program drives and measures institutions’ progress against international benchmarks.
