Research Facilities
Postgraduate Arts Research Centres
The Postgraduate Arts Research Centres (PGARCs) provide physical resources and a stimulating research environment for research students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney. In 2013 there will be four postgraduate centres associated with the Faculty: PGARC Fisher (re-opening in March), PGARC Old Teachers’ College, PGARC Woolley and PGARC Wallace. PGARC Fisher and PGARC OTC offer shared facilities to postgraduate research students in the early years of their candidature; PGARC Woolley and PGARC Wallace offer dedicated desks to students in the final stages of their research degrees. Information about the facilities and details of the eligibility requirements and the application process are below.
PGARC Fisher
PGARC Fisher is located on level 2 of the Fisher Library Stack. Access is gained via the door on the outside of the Fisher stack (behind the coffee cart). The Centre has 71 non-dedicated desks, lockers, a kitchen, a seminar room, a lounge space and access to printers and photocopiers. Each desk has a desktop computer than can run as either a Mac or PC. Entry to PGARC Fisher is gained via your student swipe card once you have applied for and been granted access. The card allows entry 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
PGARC Old Teachers' College
PGARC OTC was completed in December of 2011 and is on Level One of the Old Teachers’ College. This project was partially funded by a grant from the Federal Government’s Better Universities Renewal Funding (BURF) Scheme. This facility provides over 70 non-dedicated desks, lockers, kitchen, lounge space, and access to printers and photocopiers. Each desk has a desktop computer than can run as either a Mac or PC. Entry to PGARC OTC is gained via your student swipe card once you have applied for and been granted access. The card allows entry 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
PGARC Woolley and PGARC Wallace
Postgraduate research students in the final stages of writing their thesis are eligible to apply for a dedicated desk in PGARC Woolley or PGARC Wallace.
PGARC Woolley is located on the fourth floor of the John Woolley Building (A20). It provides 39 dedicated workstations, each with a lockable file drawer. There are also kitchen and toilet facilities, a telephone and a lounge area. Access is by security swipe-card, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
PGARC Wallace is a university initiative, developed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education), Campus Infrastructure Services (CIS) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). It is a campus-wide facility being used as a pilot for facilities for postgraduate research students. At present it has been reserved for the use of HDR students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, but some conditions of use vary slightly from the other Faculty-based PGARC facilities. PGARC Wallace is located on the ground floor of the Wallace Theatre (A21). It provides 23 dedicated workstations (3 of these are accessibility desks), with two lockers assigned to each. There are also kitchen and toilet facilities and a telephone. Access is by security swipe-card, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Eligibility and Application Procedure
All enrolled students may apply for access to the PGARC OTC and Fishers facilities from the beginning of their candidature.
Students undertaking an MPhil or MA (Res) in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences may apply for a dedicated desk when they are in their final 9 months of candidature; PhD or DArts students may apply when they are in their final 18 months. These periods are calculated using students’ latest completion dates as determined by the Faculty: this information is contained in students’ letters of enrolment. There is sometimes a short waiting list for dedicated desks.
Please note: dedicated desks in PGARC Woolley and Wallace are allocated automatically as they become vacant: students cannot choose where they will be allocated a desk.
Desks in PGARC are only available to enrolled students; this means desks are not available to students who have suspended their candidature.
Apply for PGARC access
PGARC Management
The Director of PGARC is .
There is also a student committee, consisting of elected representatives from each of the PGARCs. Student committee members, in collaboration with students who use the facility, do a number of things including:
- organise social and scholarly events
- welcome new students and give orientation tours of the PGARC facilities
- identify issues with students or use of the facility to the PGARC Director
- identify administration or infrastructure issues to the Faculty Secretariat
To get in touch with the Student Committee, email
It is strongly recommended that you join the PGARC Mailing list once you become a member of PGARC. To join the PGARC mailing list please click here to subscribe
Useful Contacts for PGARC Fisher, OTC and Woolley
- Security: +612 9351 3847 ( 24 hours )
- Emergencies: +612 9351 3333 ( 24 hours )
- Report computer problems: . For urgent matters, call 9351 6000.
- For all administrative queries about paper supplies, stationery, lockers etc as well as issues relating to faults with air conditioning, lighting or plumbing, please contact .
Useful Contacts for PGARC Wallace
- Report computer and printer (including paper) problems to . For urgent matters, call 9351 6000
- For locker allocation and problems with lockers, please contact: .
- For faults with air conditioning, lighting or plumbing log a request through Campus Assist (x17838) and note the reference number. If not resolved within a fortnight, please contact .
Occupational Health and Safety
It is important that you are aware of Occupational Health and Safety issues relating to your place in the PGARC facilities. Please consult the University’s Risk Management Office for comprehensive OH&S guidelines.
Information about Workplace Ergonomics and the best way to set up and use your workstation is also important and you are encouraged to review this information.