Research and Research Training Plan 2009-2011
Context
USC is committed to undertaking high quality and high impact research, and thereby being competitive in the terms of the Excellence Research Australia regime and in contributing to Australia’s innovation system. This necessitates continuing rapid growth in quantifiable outputs and outcomes, such as ratings and rankings, external grants, quality publications, and verifiable impacts on the community.
To achieve this USC has developed a research strategy that involves three key moves. First, it is increasingly concentrating resources on strengthening its higher performing research programs through identification and support of designated research centres/groups. Second, it is purposefully investing resources in systematic support of researchers with established track records, and early career researchers. Third, it is developing strategic research partnerships and infrastructure.
This plan details how USC’s research strategy will be advanced over the next three years.
Overview of objectives
The objectives for the planning period are:
- to concentrate USC’s research effort while continuing to support other areas of high quality and high impact research.
- to develop strategic research partnerships and research infrastructure.
- to develop the quality of research training.
- to profile USC’s research effort through the annual University Research Conference.
- to meet the expressed professional development needs of researchers and supervisors.
- to enhance the management and administration of research and research training.
Objectives and strategies
Objective 1: To concentrate USC’s research effort while continuing to support other areas of high quality and high impact research
Strategies
1.1. Support the performance of designated Research Groups by providing annual funding, discretionary funding support, customised research management services, and upgrading research groups to research centres when they reach required performance levels.
1.2. Identify new areas of research concentration by assisting researchers with successful track records in strategic areas to strengthen their performance, and making a call for submissions for new research groups/centres during the life of this plan.
1.3. Support individual researchers undertaking high quality and high impact research by providing improved research management services, setting and reviewing annual PPR goals related to research, and providing current research performance data.
This will be measured by:
Strategic Plan Key Performance Indicator 3.1
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Research publications |
Annual HERDC publication points awarded per T&R staff member FTE |
Annual increase in HERDC publication points awarded per academic staff FTE |
Deans, HOS, Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Centres/Groups |
|
Annual total publication points awarded by DEEWR in the HERDC |
Annual increase in total publication points awarded by DEEWR in the HERDC |
|
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 1.1
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Research publications by area of designated research concentration |
Annual HERDC publication points awarded per academic staff member FTE in areas of designated research concentration |
Annual increase in HERDC publication points awarded per academic staff FTE in areas of designated research concentration |
Deans, HOS, Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Centres/Groups |
|
% annual total publication points awarded by DEEWR in the HERDC in A* and A outlets or equivalent |
Annual increase in % annual total publication points awarded by DEEWR in the HERDC in A * and A outlets or equivalent |
Deans, HOS, Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Centres/Groups |
Strategic Plan Key Performance Indicator 3.2
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Research income |
Annual research income (HERDC data) generated per T&R staff member FTE |
Annual increase in research income (HERDC data) generated per T&R staff FTE |
Deans, HOS, Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Centres/Groups |
|
Annual total research income (HERDC data) |
Annual increase in total research income (HERDC data) |
|
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 1.2
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Research income by area of designated research concentration |
Annual research income (HERDC data) generated per T&R staff member FTE in areas of designated research concentration |
Annual increase in research income (HERDC data) generated per T&R staff FTE in areas of designated research concentration |
Deans, HOS, Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Centres/Groups |
Strategic Plan Key Performance Indicator 3.3
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Number of completing higher degree by research (HDR) students |
Number of HDR students completing a HDR award in each year |
Increase the number of HDR students completing a HDR award each year |
Deans, HOS, Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Centres/Groups |
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 1.3
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Upgrading research groups |
Number of research groups that become research centres |
Two designated research groups become research centres by December 2009 |
Deans, HOS, Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Centres/Groups |
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 1.4
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| New research groups/centres |
Number of new designated research groups/centres |
One new research group/centre by December 2011 |
Deans, HOS, Research Coordinators |
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 1.5
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Individual research goals |
% of academic staff with PPR research goals |
100% of academic staff have PPR research goals by December 2009 |
Deans, HOS |
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 1.6
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Research information management |
Automated provision of current research performance data |
First phase of Research Master fully installed and operational by December 2009 |
DTARS, MOR |
|
|
Second phase completed by December 2011 |
|
Objective 2: To develop strategic research partnerships and research infrastructure.
Strategies
2.1 Develop USC’s existing strategic research partnerships (domestic and international) by making joint appointments of active research staff and developing joint research infrastructure.
2.2 Develop new and emerging strategic research partnerships (domestic and international) by developing collaborative/joint research projects and programs, and exploring opportunities for joint appointments of research active staff and joint research infrastructure.
2.3 Develop USC’s system for acquiring research infrastructure/equipment by making provision for acquisition of research infrastructure/equipment in faculty budgets.
This will be measured by:
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 2.1
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Joint appointments of research active staff with existing research partners |
Number of joint appointments of research active staff with existing research partners |
Annual increase in joint appointments with existing research partners |
DVC, Deans, HOS, Faculty Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Groups/Centres |
|
Number of joint appointments of research active staff with new research partners |
One joint appointment per year with new research partners |
DVC, Deans, HOS, Faculty Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Groups/Centres |
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 2.2
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Joint research infrastructure with existing research partners |
Number of instances of joint research infrastructure with existing research partners |
Annual increase in joint research infrastructure with existing research partners |
DVC, Deans, HOS, Faculty Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Groups/Centres |
|
Amount of joint research infrastructure with new research partners |
Annual increase in joint research infrastructure with new research partners |
DVC, Deans, HOS, Faculty Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Groups/Centres |
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 2.3
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Allocations for research equipment in faculty budgets |
Faculty budget allocations for research infrastructure/ equipment |
Faculty operating plans include strategies for increasing expenditure on research infrastructure/
equipment by December 2009 |
Deans, HOS, Faculty Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Groups/Centres |
Objective 3: To develop the quality of research training
Strategies
3.1 Support research supervisors through PPR processes, provision of effective professional development opportunities, and improvement of HDR management and administration.
3.2. Develop the quality of research training beyond supervision by providing developmental activities through the Graduate centre.
This will be measured by:
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 3.1
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Individual research supervision goals |
% of research supervisors with PPR supervision goals |
100% of research supervisors with PPR supervision goals by December 2009 |
Deans, HOS |
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 3.2a
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Professional development plan for supervisors |
Development and publication of professional development plan |
Annual publication of plan |
Chair RDC, DTARS, MOR |
|
Implementation of professional development plan |
Annual implementation of plan |
|
|
Evaluation of professional development plan |
Annual evaluation of plan |
|
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 3.2b
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Research training policy framework |
Development and implementation of research training policy framework |
Full development and implementation of research training policy framework by December 2009 |
DVC, Chair RDC, Deans, HOS, Faculty Research Coordinators, DTARS, MOR |
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 3.2c
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Communication about research training |
Comprehensive research training information through portal, web page and newsletters |
Comprehensive research training information through portal, web page and newsletters by December 2009 |
DTARS, MOR, Faculty Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Groups/Centres |
|
Comprehensive supervisor web pages |
Comprehensive supervisor web pages December 2009 |
|
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 3.2d
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Research training opportunities for candidates |
Provision of workshops and seminars through the Graduate Centre |
Full annual program of workshops and seminars |
Chair RDC, DTARS, MOR |
Objective 4: To profile USC’s research effort through the annual University Research Conference
Strategy
4.1. Conduct the annual University Research Conference.
This will be measured by:
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 4.1
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Staff and research student participation |
Number of staff and students participating |
At least 100 staff and students participating annually |
Deans, HOS, Faculty Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Groups/Centres, DTARS, MOR |
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 4.2
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Community participation |
Number of members of the community participating |
At least 20 members of the community participating annually |
Deans, HOS, Faculty Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Groups/Centres, DTARS, MOR |
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 4.3
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
|
Participant satisfaction |
% of participants satisfied or very satisfied according to feedback |
75% of participants satisfied or very satisfied according to feedback |
|
Objective 5: To meet the expressed professional development needs of researchers.
Strategy
5.1. Provision of effective professional opportunities.
This will be measured by:
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 5.1
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
|
Professional development plan for researchers |
Development and publication of professional development plan |
Annual publication of plan |
Chair, RMC, DTARS, MOR |
|
Implementation of professional development plan |
Annual implementation of plan |
|
|
Evaluation of professional development plan |
Annual evaluation of plan |
|
Objective 6: To enhance the management and administration of research.
Strategies
6.1. Develop fully the research and research training policy framework, i.e. all relevant policies, procedures and guidelines.
6.2. Enhance communication about research and research training.
This will be measured by:
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 6.1
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Research policy framework |
Development and implementation of research policy framework |
Full development and implementation of research policy framework by December 2009 |
DVC, Chair RMC, Deans, HOS, Faculty Research Coordinators, DTARS, MOR |
Research and Research Training Plan Key Performance Indicator 6.2
| Description |
Measure |
Target |
Responsibility |
| Communication about research |
Comprehensive research information through portal, web page and newsletters |
Comprehensive research information through portal, web page and newsletters by December 2009 |
DTARS, MOR, Faculty Research Coordinators, Directors of Research Groups/Centres |
|
Comprehensive researcher webpages |
Comprehensive researcher webpages December 2009 |
|
END
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