Policy on research activity

The Faculty's workload policy was established in 2000 accompanied by the use of a teaching load formula to try to balance teaching loads across the Faculty. At that time a ‘Research Active’ Policy was also established. This was partly with the intention of ensuring that staff pursuing a substantial research agenda were not disadvantaged in comparison with staff that concentrate more on teaching and/or administration. But it was also intended to remind us all that research and teaching are equally the roles of universities and that the Faculty's income, and hence our capacity to pay our salaries and other costs, is directly related to research productivity and quantum and well as to teaching productivity and student load.

While academics at Levels D and E were expected to be research active immediately, academics at Levels A, B and C were given 2000-3 to establish their level of research activity. The policy will be fully activated at all levels for 2004 based on output for the past three years.

Some members of Faculty have elected to be considered as ‘mostly teaching’ and have therefore formally taken on somewhat higher teaching and/or HDR supervision loads than typical; others have undertaken significant administrative roles for the Faculty above their teaching load. The following comments do not apply to them.

Other members of Faculty have been with us for fewer than three years and, if they are at level A, B or C, they will be given their three probationary years to establish their level of research activity although there must be clear targets and progress towards this each year.

For all other academic staff with conventional ‘teaching and research’ contracts, your level of research activity over the period from 2001 to 2003 will become part the process for determining your target teaching load for 2004.

To be considered Faculty Research Active for 2004, you will have met certain output requirements between 2001 and 2003 as follows:

Levels A, B and C: For the triennium 2001-3

At least 5 papers/articles/presentations/materials or grants/consultancies. All the outputs need not have been blind refereed or attracted DEST points but all must have been externally and independently validated (evidence will be required) and the presentations have been research oriented rather than, for example, the provision of PD.

Also, from 2003, the 5 acceptable outputs/grants over three years should include on average the equivalent of at least one DEST point per year. (An equivalence may be estimated between papers and grants that attract research quantum.)

Staff members enrolled in a doctorate must have a letter from their supervisor clearly indicating the significant nature of progress made AND evidence of having given or published at least 1 paper that relates to their doctoral research in 2003.

Levels D and E: For the triennium 2001-3:

1. an average of 2 papers/articles/presentations/materials, All the outputs need not have been blind refereed or attracted DEST points but all must have been externally and independently validated (evidence will be required) and the presentations have been research oriented rather than the provision of PD. At least an average of one DEST point per year must have been earned.
   AND
2. at least 2 EFTSU research degree supervision per year
   AND
3. at least 1 external grant/tender/consultancy that attracts research quantum OR 2 additional EFTSU research degree supervision per year OR 1 additional DEST point per year.

For the DEST points you will have had to register your DEST publications with Ros Winter 2000-2002 and had her endorse them as attracting DEST points. (We do not earn the income if they are not registered.) However, Ros will not have complete information for 2003. Your supervisor will therefore have to get information from you directly about existing, in press or under review papers for 2003. Ros Winter will need to verify their DEST status.

Similarly, for those who were enrolled in 2003 in a research degree, your supervisor will ask for confirmation of your paper and of your demonstrated progress.