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Update your browserIn spirit of reconciliation, the WREN acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
As the WREN is partnered with Australian and Brazilian universities, we also pay respects to the Indigenous people of Brazil, who are the first knowledge holders of its land.
The LIFT program is designed to support and empower women and girls to pursue opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and entrepreneurship. Through tailored learning, industry collaboration, and community engagement, LIFT fosters growth, confidence, and leadership in women from diverse backgrounds.
The Women’s Research Engineers Network (WREN) champions international collaboration among women engineers and researchers, while advocating for policies that help women thrive in their academic and professional careers. The LIFT Project exemplifies interdisciplinarity, collaboration and the transformative power of investing in women in STEM and entrepreneurship. Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources, The LIFT Project brings together colleagues from across the University of Wollongong, in partnership with industry partners from around Australia, to develop a pipeline of innovators from primary school to PhD and beyond. WREN’s role spans network-building, showcasing role models, and convening community-facing events that connect women across research, industry, and entrepreneurship.
Learn focuses on building the pipeline of primary students considering STEM careers by upskilling their teachers to confidently deliver STEM education, with workshops for current teachers and an undergraduate subject for primary education students to learn hands-on STEM practices in the UOW Makerspace. Through the Makers+ program, tailored workshops have boosted teachers’ confidence with tools like CAD, 3D printing and laser cutting.
Ignite was designed to reduce the financial barrier to entry for women, particularly women from diverse backgrounds, wanting to test their business idea through our entrepreneurial pre-accelerator program at iAccelerate. Through ‘Ignite your Idea’ intro to entrepreneurship workshops and scholarships for female founders to take part in the Activate pre-accelerator program, iAccelerate remains a diverse ecosystem where anyone can be a founder.
Flourish delivers a portfolio of career skills for women in STEM HDRs, including upskilling through an industry internship, leading with their values, learning about research commercialisation through entrepreneurial training and communicating to different audiences through community outreach. By late 2025, 31 women in STEM had been placed into industry internships. The program is delivered with UOW’s Graduate Research School and 21 industry partners, aligning real-world experience with research impact and career progression.
TRANSFORM brings the pillars together through outreach, panels, networking, and public-facing programs that foreground authentic role models in STEM-E. 2024 activities included the LIFT Graduation Dinner (panel featuring representatives from LEARN, IGNITE, and FLOURISH), the “Coffee and Connections” industry mixer, school outreach with MCCI’s Lead the Way (women-in-STEM panel and recycled-plastics Makerspace workshop), and contributions to the EmpowerHER STEM Summit. These events strengthen pipelines for girls and women, deepen industry–research ties, and sustain a visible, supportive community.
About WREN Symposium 2025 The Women’s Research Engineers Network (WREN) proudly presents the WREN Symposium 2025, taking place online on May 20-21, 2025. This free, international, and multidisciplinary event brings together researchers, practitioners, and students to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and contribute to the global efforts towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). […]
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