1 / 12

Getting Your Research Career Going at UQ

Getting Your Research Career Going at UQ. Cindy Gallois Acting Executive Dean SBS Faculty September, 2008. The UQ context and the ERA context. UQ mission: research, RHD, teaching Six research institutes, many research centres – ISSR started 2007

Mercy
Download Presentation

Getting Your Research Career Going at UQ

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Getting Your Research Career Going at UQ Cindy Gallois Acting Executive Dean SBS Faculty September, 2008

  2. The UQ context and the ERA context • UQ mission: research, RHD, teaching • Six research institutes, many research centres – ISSR started 2007 • Research strengths in all humanities and social sciences, science • High priority on basic, applied, translational research • Go8 university – implications for • Workload: teaching, service must leave time for research (T&R, RO) • Promotion – strong evidence base for quality and quantity • Need to publish high-quality work, win external funding, supervise RHD students to successful completion • UQ is a large and complex organisation • Research/ research training activities generate > 25% of our income • BUT largest single source of income is still teaching-related activities • Australian context: larger projects, high-quality, high-impact research – scale and focus in research

  3. Early Career Researchers: Who are you (in social, behavioural, and economic sciences)? • Five key evidence areas that describe ECRs: • Time from PhD – anywhere up to 10 years (usually <3 or <5), depending on the context • Funding – have you achieved an independent external grant as a lead CI? • Publication – do you have a track record (quality and quantity) that will attract independent funding? • Teaching and research supervision – can you supervise HDR students to successful completion? • Independence and experience – can you operate within UQ independently?

  4. Expectations of an ECR • Applying for and getting funding • Internal – NSG, ECR, fellowships, UQFREA • External – contract, NCG, ARC/NHMRC, international • How much is enough? • Publishing your work • Journal articles, chapters, books, other? • Quantity per year? • What tier or mix of tiers? • Commercialisation? • Supervision – associate or primary? • Independence – where do you go for help?

  5. The research-teaching nexus • Your research informs your teaching • Theory and approach • Methodology and techniques • Make your curriculum your own • Your teaching informs your research • Raises interesting questions • Students and your future research team

  6. What is the right teaching and research balance? • Find the teaching–research balance that suits you at present, considering • Your own preferences • Building and maintaining your reputation • Confirmation and promotion • School/Centre demands • You don’t have to stay (there) forever

  7. Managing teaching and research • UQ has workload guidelines (including for ResTeach) – follow them • Use annual appraisal to present and confirm your research plan • If and when you teach, teach smart • Teach in your strengths • Preparation and assessment – consider numbers and resources • Use term times – that’s why we have them • Administration and service – be strategic

  8. Where does supervision fit? • Supervision is part of research • UG and honours projects and theses are research – start your team here • Honours and postgraduate coursework – small but publishable projects • Students who want to do their own thing • PhD – capacity and scope of supervision – learn to say no • Postdocs and colleagues – learn to manage your team

  9. What if you are an RHD student? • Formulate a clear thesis plan • Timely submission – scope • Publish along the way • Take opportunities to network • Formulate a career plan • T&R, RO – get guidance, mentor • Timing, references, etc. • Get the skills and knowledge you will need • Participate in other research teams • Network, network, network

  10. What do you need to do now? • Formulate a clear research plan • Build your own niche area NOW – check against national priorities – all have social-science goals • BUT – resist temptation (very strong in the social sciences) to start your own cottage industry • Set goals, short- (12 months) and longer-term • Have a regular time for research, team meetings • Network, use all available resources: informal meetings, seminars; conferences, workshops • Find good mentors in and out of your team • Act – don’t react to others

  11. What does UQ do for ECRs? • New staff start-up grants • ECR competitive grants • UQ FREA and Faculty awards • RRTD (ORPS) and Faculty workshops • Travel grants for RHD students • School guidelines and resources for ECRs

  12. Sources of Further Information • Web-sites: • UQ, RRTD, CA&P, Faculty (BEL, SBS), Institute (ISSR), School, or Centre • RRTD research email bulletin, faculty bulletins • External sites like ARC, NHMRC • Policy and guidelines - HUPP • Seminars and workshops • People: • Faculty Research Director, MICD, staff • School/Centre staff – Research Chair, RHD Chair • RRTD and UQ Graduate School staff

More Related