Professor Tracy Flenady is Deputy Dean (Research) in CQUniversity’s School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences and a registered nurse with an established program of research spanning research capacity building, regional, rural and remote health, patient safety, implementation science and health services research.

Tracy’s research is particularly focused on strengthening the capacity of clinicians and healthcare organisations to generate, lead and translate research that responds to locally identified priorities. Her work examines not only the development of individual clinicians’ research capability, but also the organisational conditions, partnerships, infrastructure and leadership required to embed and sustain research within health services.

Tracy established and leads the Research Ready Grant Program (RRGP), a long-standing clinical–academic partnership between CQUniversity and Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service. Since 2018, Research Ready has provided clinicians with structured research education, mentorship and supported opportunities to develop and undertake clinician-led research. This work has expanded into a broader program of research examining how research capability can be developed, embedded and sustained across regional, rural and remote healthcare settings.

As Deputy Dean (Research), Tracy provides strategic research leadership across the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences. Her role encompasses researcher and research-leader development, research performance and culture, major competitive grant development, industry and health-service partnerships, higher degree research, and the development of systems and opportunities that enable researchers across career stages to build sustainable programs of research.

Tracy also maintains an established program of patient safety research, particularly in clinical deterioration, early warning systems and the individual and organisational factors influencing implementation of evidence into clinical practice. Her methodological interests include Classic Grounded Theory and applied qualitative research, alongside a growing program of scholarship in higher degree research supervision and researcher development.

Her research is characterised by strong clinical–academic partnerships and a commitment to research that is relevant to clinicians, healthcare organisations and the communities they serve.