RESEARCH DIRECTIONS DRIVING CHANGE Gail Crossley Head of School Training 6 April 2009

Overview 1.Government priorities 2. ACU - where we are 3. ACU - where we want to be (priorities, targets and strategies) 4. ERA 2

Government priorities Full funding for research Collaborations between universities that build research strengths( funding mechanisms and compacts will drive these) ERA to measure quality and identify strengths and new opportunities Performance targets for research 3

Government priorities Increasing international collaboration in research by Australian universities Increasing collaboration between universities and industry (LPs, Enterprise Connect, Researchers in Business, CRCs, EIF, Innovation Councils involving industry, government and researchers, Innovation Investment Follow-on Fund) 4

Government priorities Future Fellowships and Laureate Fellowships Research workforce strategy to address expected shortfalls to 2020 Double APAs and increase funding 5

ACU where are we?

ACU 2008 Academic Staff Full-time and fractional – excludes casuals at 31 March 2008 LevelFTEPhDs% E % D % C % B % A % Total % 7

ACU 2007 HERDC Publications 7.5Books (unweighted) 40.59Book chapters 86.48Refereed journal articles 62.04Full refereed conference papers 8

ACU 2007 Research Income Australian Competitive Research Grants $1.2 million Other public sector research income $1.2 million Industry and other research income $0.4 million Total = $2.8 million 9

ACU –where do we want to be?

UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC PLAN

Research and Knowledge Transfer ACU has a specialised, growing and well- regarded research environment. Key Result Areas – Research focus Research culture and infrastructure Research productivity Research training Intellectual engagement 12

University Performance Targets By the end of 2011 ACU will be ranked in the third quartile of Australian Universities for: its research income per academic staff FTE. its scholarly research output per academic staff FTE. the number of its higher degree research course completions as a proportion of all completions 13

Research Block Grants IGSRIBG RTS APAs CTS Research income60%100% (Cat 1only) 40% Publications (HERDC only)10% HDR completions50% HDR load30% 14

DISCUSSION What are the current strengths and weaknesses of Faculties and Research Centres ? 15

RESEARCH FOCUS AREA Theology and Philosophy ….central to the elucidation, development and expression of Catholic intellectual thought. 16

Theology and Philosophy –Asia-Pacific Centre for Inter- Religious Dialogue –Centre for Early Christian Studies –Golding Centre for Women’s History, Theology and Spirituality –Institute for Catholic Identity and Mission –Plunkett Centre for Ethics 17

RESEARCH FOCUS AREA Health… with a particular emphasis on the value of care, especially of the weak and vulnerable. 18

Health –Centre of Physical Activity Across the Lifespan (CoPAAL) –National Centre for Clinical Outcomes Research (NaCCOR) 19

RESEARCH FOCUS AREA Education ….especially in …exercising an option for the poor and vulnerable. This focus includes religious education, Indigenous education, and learning and leadership in education, literacy and numeracy.. 20

Education –Creative and Authentic Leadership –Mathematics and Literacy Education 21

RESEARCH FOCUS AREA Common Good and Social Justice … comprising the heart of Catholic social thought. This multi ‐ disciplinary focus, notably in the liberal arts and social sciences, extends throughout the University’s teaching and research…. 22

Common Good and Social Justice –Institute of Child Protection Studies –Institute of Legal Studies –Quality of Life and Social Justice –Public Policy Institute 23

RESEARCH FOCUS Research concentration strategy implemented Research centre policy reviewed 24

RESEARCH CULTURE University research data management system – ResearchMaster - Grants and Publications - HDR and ERA Electronic research repository – ACU Research Bank ERA Action Plan 25

RESEARCH CULTURE Research is conducted and managed at the Faculty level Enhanced responsibilities for AD (Research) Faculty Research Managers Research Centres embedded in Faculties Honorary appointments associated with Centres and Schools New website New communication strategy 26

RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY Enhanced research budget Recruit researchers with track records University postdoctoral fellowship scheme Streaming of staff into research intensive and teaching and research roles Strategies to support staff completing PhDs New incentive strategies 27

RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY Increased professional support for grant applications Increased support for the development of research budgets Professional development program Researcher news Access to expert consultant advice program 28

RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY Early career researcher start up grants Mid career development program Research leadership program OSP program Workload policy Only reported outputs considered Promotion guidelines reflect ERA Restrict non-ACU outside teaching 29

RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY Forum of leaders of international Catholic Universities re research partnerships Research business development and relationship management ACU IRIS grants ACU grants for Catholic partner research projects (pre-LP) Distinguished International Fellows Scheme 30

TARGETS Proportion of academics with PhD Increase by 4% by 2011 – Increase by 10% by 2013 Postdoctoral fellows Increase by 8% by 2010 Research partnerships Increase by 6 by

RESEARCH TRAINING Increase Honours and ACU scholarships Supervisor training and register HDR induction program Electronic student manual Student progression Access to expert consultant program 32

RESEARCH TRAINING Evaluate Research Connect training modules by end of 2009 Profiling of HDR student projects and supervisors Review of MPhil and PhD ( including considering the option of PhD by publication) 33

TARGETS Honours enrolments Increase by 10% by 2011 PhD scholarships Increase by 15% by 2010 PhD enrolments Increase by 15% by

DISCUSSION What are the next steps ACU should take to address the Government’s agendas to increase collaboration with other Australian universities industry International researchers? 35

ERA Institution Submissions will be evaluated by Research Evaluation Committees based on performance within disciplines (not as individual researchers) using indicators of Research quality Research volume Recognition Application 36

ERA Trials 2009 PCE cluster due June HCA cluster due August In 2010 All eight clusters 37

ERA Eligible researchers – at census date 31 March Each researcher is defined by up to 3 FoR codes (4 digit). If any one of these FoR codes is within a cluster that researcher must particpate in that submission 38

ERA What counts for each cluster? Research outputs (6 years) Research income (3 years) Applied measures (3 years) 39

ERA Research outputs for HCA cluster A1,B1, C1, E1 publications original creative works, live performance of creative works, recorded creative works, curated exhibitions 40

ERA Research income for each cluster Cat 1- Australian Competitive Grants Cat 2 - Other public sector research income Cat 3 - Industry and other research income - Australian - International A (competitive, peer-reviewed) - International B Cat 4 - CRC research income 41

ERA What each eligible researcher must do As an individual nominate FoR codes and apportion % For the HCA cluster FoR codes must be allocated to each and every output for Identify best 20% of outputs which may be tagged for peer review 42

ERA Ranking of journals A*top 5% A next 15% B next 30% Cnext 50% 43

ERA A* examples in HCA list Journal of Mass Media Ethics (explores questions of media morality) Journal of Planning Education and Research Journal of Religious Ethics Modern Theology 44

ERA ACU research publications Early Christian Studies Early Christian Studies Monographs Prayer and Spirituality in the Early Church Byzantina Australiensia (for Australian Association) Institute of Child Protection Studies Communities, Children and Families 45

ERA Plunkett Centre Bioethics Outlook School of Philosophy Ethics EducationB in HCA list School of Religious Education Journal of Religious Education School of Theology Australian eJournal of Theology B in HCA list 46

ERA ERA ROAD SHOW from April ERA ACTION PLAN for Faculty Discussion 47

DISCUSSION The implications of ERA for ACU How well do our workload policy and definition of “research active” meet this new challenge? Should we -Recognise quality in publications? -Have different expectations for different academic levels? 48