Research Strategy Options WorkshopFECM Strategic Review 2009

Research Issues Summary - 1Enhancing staff research quality

Recruitment: high quality and performance, both Research and T/L

• “Tenure track” - seek potential research leaders - mentor

• All academics to engage in both research and teaching (varying %)

Implication: need Faculty definition of “research active”

• Develop as high priority - inform policies (recruitment, promotion etc)

Implication: policy regarding research appointments

• ARC APDs always on 4 year option (25% teaching)

• ARC QEII/Future Fellows - continuing appointments on good Res, T/L

Implication: appropriate environment? e.g. mentoring program

• Support to maintain high quality Research – develop teaching expertise

Research Issues Summary - 2Enhancing NCG success / ECA careers

Grant writing encouraged by:

• Mentoring

• Recognition within workload calculations

• Successful senior researchers include juniors as CIs on grants

Special situation of ECAs (both Research and T&R staff)

• T&R: need time, space, research seed funding to establish research

• Res: integration into broader Faculty including teaching program

• Mentoring – grants, career directions

Research Issues Summary - 3Enhancing HDR supervision and research

Essential for sustained high performance – our future

• More local HDR students (recent sharp decreases)

• Maintain growth in international HDRs

• Explore strategies for more industry funding of HDRs

Consistent HDR policy across faculty

• Resources (such as conference travel support); encourage publications

• Role of postgraduate coordinators in Schools

• Encouragement of ECAs as co-supervisors

Enhance HDR student experience

• Nurture peer support and staff interactions (beyond supervisors)

• Active seminar series

Research Issues Summary - 4Integration of teaching and research

Cutler Review

• Full funding of research will focus funding towards concentrations of research excellence identified by ERA

Opportunity: Potential to sustain significant sized research centres

• Need to integrate within Faculty teaching program

• Requires true cost model of teaching

Challenge: Minimise competition between business units

• Revenue neutral who coordinates particular course units

• Seamless integration of all academic staff, however employed

Strong disciplined recruitment and a model thatencourages collaboration without boundaries

Research Options Part 1

Faculty Research Model based on research centres

• Research centres for collaboration/supportive environment

• Teaching streams for education – across centres

Establishment of a “Graduate Research School”

• Faculty co-ordinated activities and support for HDRs and their supervisors

A new building to co-locate staff and HDRs

• Shared common room facilities

• Facilitate and encourage interaction between research centres

Research Options Part 2

Staffing options:

Proactive recruitment through research fellowship schemes + mentoring program • ARC: Laureate, Future and QEII Fellowships

Individual workload assessments for each member of staff - drop distinction (T&L, Research)• Teaching, Research and Service divisions

Limit tenure/contract renewal

• Clear evidence of high quality research performance and longer term promise

Research Options Part 3

Student/Resource Options:

Integration of later year students into Faculty research

activities• Including honours students

Aim to increase the number of HDR students

• Target: twice the number of academic staff

Overview of Workshop

3 Rounds small group discussion – 20 mins each

Open discussion at the end – 20 mins

Table Distribution (tables of 4-6)

• Mix of Schools/Centres on each table

• Mix of levels on each table

Round 1: Faculty Research Model

What is the best Faculty Research Modelto promote existing and emerging researchstrengths and optimise researchperformance?

20 minutes of discussion

Record discussions on discussion sheet

Round 2: Faculty Graduate Research School

How could a Faculty Graduate ResearchSchool enhance postgraduate researchoutcomes and the postgraduate researchexperience in FECM?

20 minutes of discussion

Record discussions on discussion sheet

Round 3: Enabling high research performance

What mix of policies on recruitment,workload management, career support,and granting of tenure would best enableall academic staff to become/continue ashigh performers in research and teaching?

20 minutes of discussion

Record discussions on discussion sheet

Round 4: Open Discussion

20 minutes open discussion

Discussion on any aspect of the Research

Options Paper

Faculty Review: Next Steps• The Co-Chairs will consider the options paper in

light of today’s feedback

• The recommendations will be consolidated with the other review areas to produce a singe review document

• This consolidated document will be presented to the Faculty for further feedback

Thank you for participating