STRATEGIC RESEARCH DIRECTIONS GUIDELINES

October 2007 – October 2010

 (Based on the University’s Faculty Research Strengths guidelines)

The following are proposed as guiding principles for determination of Faculty Strategic Research Directions:

1. Faculty Strategic Research Directions will be underpinned by sustained and excellent performance that has achieved external recognition. Consideration will be given to discipline-specific measures of research quality and excellence in addition to the more global ones of research income, publications and student completions.
2. Without being too prescriptive about the size of a Faculty Strategic Research Direction, a minimum of 4 academic staff in continuing positions or funded via senior external fellowships (ARC or NHMRC) will generally be members.
3. Faculty Strategic Research Directions will demonstrate that they can remain viable in the event that any one member leaves the University.
4. Faculty Strategic Research Directions will involve collaborations between researchers that have resulted in quality outcomes over an extended period. Rigorous, performance-based criteria for membership that take into account the potential of early career researchers will be set out for each Direction. Aggregations of researchers simply to achieve critical mass rather than real collaborations will be actively discouraged.
5. Faculty Strategic Research Directions will be on an upward trajectory with collaborations and ongoing research initiatives, underpinned by sustained research planning by the Director/Coordinator and other senior staff involved.
6. Faculty Strategic Research Directions will have explicit plans for the provision and/or maintenance of a high quality environment for higher degree research students. Further, a good record of completions and other measures of research student success (awards, positions upon graduation etc.) is required. As a guide, a minimum of 5 full-time equivalent HDR students will be expected to be associated with the FSDR.

Full Guidelines for Applicants (PDF download 180 KB)

 Application Form (Word document)