Research Changes Emerging Since The Election - an

Overview

Research Drinks and Discussion – June 2nd, 2008

Research Drinks and Discussion June 2, 2008 Slide 2

Some New Initiatives

• 1000 Future Fellows

• Double the number of APAs (ie + ca 5000 by 2012)

• Additional (and immediate) Infrastucture Funding

• Internationalisation of (eg) ARC Fellowship programs

• Different approach to the ‘independent researcher voice’

• Proposed ‘Institutional Compacts’

Research Drinks and Discussion June 2, 2008 Slide 3

Some New (and Not So New) Reviews and Challenges

•Research Assessment/Rankings - ERA = metrics ?

•National Innovation Review – integration/co-ordination/removing

barriers ?

•Research Training/Careers Review – declining funding/numbers ?

•Review of Co-operative Research Centres – public good dimension ?

•Low overall funding - further concentration – the diversity debate ?

•The Education Endowment Fund – a real opportunity ?

•………………………..

Research Drinks and Discussion June 2, 2008 Slide 4

RMIT-Wide Researcher Support

Initiatives ?

* Research Investment Fund – Research Institutes

* RMIT PhD Scholarships/APA Top-Ups

* Innovation Professors/Tenure Track Post Docs

* Emerging Researcher Grants * Research Leave Program

* Career Interruption Fellowships * PhD ‘Finishing’ Grants

* Grant ‘Readers/Mentors’ Program

* International Scholarship opportunities - Vietnam, China, India

Research Drinks and Discussion June 2, 2008 Slide 5

Research Partnerships - Vietnam/Australia

“…To undertake research and innovation for the benefit of our communities, our research partners, our research staff and students….”

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Research Drinks and Discussion June 2, 2008 Slide 6

Research Partnerships in Vietnam – Headline 1An innovative research student program

has been established with Vietnamese research students* researching in Vietnam and Australia, and a series of research workshops (2002 through 2006) leading to project partnerships, involving a number of Institutions in Vietnam, in the areas of Environment/Water, Biotechnology, Food Safety and Technology, ICT Aerospace/Aviation and Globalisation/Climate Change

Research Drinks and Discussion June 2, 2008 Slide 7

A collaborative scholarship funding package has been formally agreed with the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and our Vietnamese partner universities involving tuition, living stipend and english language training with support from both RMIT Australia and Vietnam supplementing that provided by MOET.

Expect that these agreements will support a group of ca 40 research students by the end of 2008

Research Partnerships in Vietnam – Headline 2

Research Drinks and Discussion June 2, 2008 Slide 8

RMIT actively working towards the establishment of a Research Node at RMIT South Saigon. A research co-ordinator was recruited in 2006/7. This Node will provide a base for research activities aligned to RMIT’s new Research Institutes, initially ‘Global Cities’ – with its research foci on Globalization and Climate Change

Research Partnerships in Vietnam – Headline 3

Research Drinks and Discussion June 2, 2008 Slide 9

Some Other Developments Of Interest

Intellectual Property

The Federal Court, in a case involving the University of Western Australia, has ruled that it is unlikely that Australian universities have the right in law to ownership of intellectual property arising from the research of their staff. This ruling appears based in part on whether there is a clear expectation (via a contract of employment) that a staff member has a ‘duty to invent’ in addition to a ‘duty to conduct research’. A diversity of HE sector and legal opinion has since emerged concerning the validity of this ruling. It seems likely the University of Western Australia will appeal the ruling. RMIT is keeping a close watching brief with a view to any necessary changes to the RMIT policy around our IP Policy.

Research Drinks and Discussion June 2, 2008 Slide 10

University ‘Partnerships’ – A Way Forward ?

Eg The WA Mergers ?

Melbourne and Monash

Uni SA and Australian National University

………………………

Research Drinks and Discussion June 2, 2008 Slide 11

The Research Assessment Future

The Publish or Perish Addendum

Research Drinks and Discussion June 2, 2008 Slide 12

0

20

40

60

80

100

ConferencesJournalsChaptersBooks

Mix of Unweighted Publications (2005 data – from 2006 DEST/HE Data Collection)

%

Source : DEST Data

Research Drinks and Discussion June 2, 2008 Slide 13

Publish As Often As You Can But

Always Publish Wisely

Parting Message

“Get Cited’