Dear colleagues Many thanks to Retreat participants for your active and deep participation. It was uplifting to be part of the conversation. We certainly achieved objectives 1, 2 and 4 of the Retreat. First, gain greater clarity over the University's 2030 Research Strategy and:
- where we are now
- what we are trying to achieve
- how we are going to do it
- what is expected from you
- how you will be supported Second, foster better understanding of Faculty and Research Institute research aspirations and principles and avenues for collaboration and establish joint working arrangements. Third, complete the co-design of new Research Service missions and charters. And, fourth, celebrated the winners of the 2022 Vice Chancellor's Research Excellence Awards. A more detailed report will follow but we agreed to the following principles to inform Institute-Faculty-School relations: - Research and teaching excellence are reinforcing features of a high quality academic community.
- Parity of esteem and mutualism.
- Active and quality collaboration.
- Everybody should contribute to teaching (e.g. research training).
- Everybody should contribute to research/scholarship (e.g. project based research).
- Equity principle to inform distribution of resources to enhance research excellence.
- Alignment of research/teaching focus.
- Rights and obligations for different types of Institute membership.
- Shared accountability for research outcomes.
- Active and intentional communication.
The 10 principles triggered a detailed conversation on the actions viewed as necessary to inform a strong Research Institute-Faculty-School collaborative culture. These actions are largely about identifying enabling structures for collaboration including: 1 - Internal recruitment of an Inter-Institute-Faculty Dean and co-design of coordination machinery (e.g.
2 - Establishment of co-governance mechanisms (via Institute executive membership, program convenorships)
3 - Institute membership of various types through Faculty-Institute Fellowships, Institute Associates and Adjuncts
4 - Joint appointments between Institutes and Faculties and other Institutes (for interdisciplinary concerns).
5 - Joined-up research communication strategy Then there are recommendations for a range of joint programs: 6 - Joint research programmes
* Conferencing, seminar and workshop activity
* Project based seed core funding
* Research team to research team 7 - Joint education programmes
* HDR development and support including research training programs particular mixed methods
* Co-production of postgraduate/micro-credential programmes. 8 - Researcher support and development strategies
* Incentivised research leadership - via for example, sabbaticals
* ECR support programme
* Research mentoring And then, 9 - We recognized the need for strategic joint working on:
* FoR/FoE alignment and guidance
* Research-teaching focus alignment
* Shared KPIs and performance expectations
* Strategic joint hiring
* Embedded local administrative support
* Campus strategies
* Identification of appropriate institutional benchmarks - e.g. Wollongong The general take-home message is that we are all committed to change and willing and able to engage in quality collaboration. It is envisaged that this year's Retreat will be held in Orange in the last quarter and will focus on the First Nation's Research Strategy. In the meantime, we will need your help and support to complete the co-design of the new Research Service missions and charters. Best wishes
Mark
DVCR | 
