MMS Harnessing AI Workshop Empowers Researchers with Practical Skills

The Melbourne Medical School Research Support Team recently hosted Harnessing AI for Research Success, a full-day, practical workshop led by Dr Jason Downes (workshop facilitator) and funded through an MDHS Graduate Researcher Development Grant.

Pictured: Workshop attendees at Harnessing AI for Research Success.

The workshop brought together over 130 graduate researchers and staff from across the Faculty, reflecting strong and growing interest in building AI capability in research practice.

The session was exceptionally well received, achieving an average rating of 9.0/10 and a Net Promoter Score of 68. Participants reported a clear shift in confidence, with many moving from being new to AI to actively applying tools to enhance writing, streamline workflows, and develop tailored research assistants.

Notably, attendees left with concrete plans for integrating AI into their work, alongside a strong emphasis on responsible and values-led use—highlighting an ongoing need for clarity around appropriate AI use in research contexts.