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Research Office Newsletter

11 August  2009

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News

RO 2009 Calendar

From the Director of the Research Office

2009 Research Development Forum Dates

From the Research Office

2009 Research Office

Lunchtime Seminar Dates

From the Office of Sponsored Research

From the Director of the Research Office

 

From the Acting- Director of the Research Office

 

It is time that I expressed my deep appreciation for the work done by the Office of Research Management Data within the Research Office.   This time of the year the demands on personnel within that section are considerable, although things are busy year round, and in  May and June pressure is really on our Publications staff, culminating in an end of June  submission of the HERDC Publications Return for ANU with extra input of co-opted members of the RO shortly before data submission. 

 

Following on from the end of the financial year our data analysts have very high demands for production of data internally for budget purposes, grant support data, strategic planning, annual reports, ABS data requirements and various Go8 requests for data.  There is a need to prioritise these various requests as almost every day produces a new enquiry.  Currently short staffed, the data analysts are never the less contributing significantly in the face of this seemingly ever increased demand.

 

The Business Solutions Group within ORMD are responsible for the optimal use of IT as it applies to research management, including the ongoing function of the various modules of the ARIES Research Information Enterprise System Database which are used to manage the research activities and outputs across the university.  Given the importance of ARIES to ANU research management, this is a very valuable service. Ensuring the security and data integrity of research management information and systems is another important function. Other BSG functions include web publishing and maintenance and, importantly, access to ARC, NH&MRC and overseas funding providers electronic databases.

 

There is also a team of people within ORMD that have been responsible for pilots relative to ERA (Excellence Research Australia). The ERA team and ANU Humanities and the Creative Arts (HCA) Panels are currently working on the submission of data to the ARC for the ERA Pilot. The submission must be finalised by 21 August 2009. HCA includes Law, Studies in Creative Arts and Writing, Language, Communication and Culture, History and Archaeology and Philosophy and Religious Studies. Data for the Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences (PCE) pilot was submitted in July. The analysis by the ARC of PCE data is primarily focused on bibliometrics. In contrast, the analysis of HCA data will include peer review, so it’s been necessary to select publications for peer review and make copies accessible for reviewers, with this project also involving commitment from a variety of areas of the campus.  The workload imposed on the ERA team has been considerable and they have responded particularly well to the challenge.

 

I have discussed functions by group activity but in truth the margins are often blurred and it commonplace for ORMD personnel to work across a variety of these functions in contributing to quality of delivery of service to the ANU.

 

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From the Research Office

 

Future Leaders Program

 

The next Future Research Leaders Program, Financial Resource and Risk Management, will be held from 1:30 – 5.00 pm, Tuesday 25 August, in the McDonald Room, Menzies Library.

 

This Module aims to equip you with the financial skills to properly cost, manage and report on research projects for which you are responsible, including skill building in;

·         Understand, read and interpret financial information and reports in respect of research projects.

·         Fully and accurately cost research proposals and understand how costs can be controlled.

·         Prepare and monitor project budgets

·         Proactively analyse and manage the risks and resources associated with research projects.

·         Prepare required financial reports and understand audit requirements.

 

For registration details please go to: http://www.anu.edu.au/ro/Director_RO/DRO_FRLPpg10.php

 

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From the Office of Sponsored Research

 

ARC Rejoinders

 

Linkage Projects
Rejoinders for LP Proposals will open in RMS Tuesday 4 August at 12 pm (midday) (AEST).

The closing date will be Thursday 13 August 2009 at 6pm (AEST).

 

Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development Scheme
Rejoinders for DIRD Proposals are now open in the ARC Research Management System (RMS). (4 August 2009)

The closing date will be Monday 17 August at 6pm (AEST).

 

Please contact your College RO for internal deadlines.

 

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CSIRO Flagship Collaboration Fund: Round 5 cluster proposals sought

 

This fifth round of CSIRO Flagship Clusters offers collaboration opportunities in six key research areas of national interest.

 

1)      Biological Solutions for energy and greenhouse gas challenges (Energy Transformed Flagship)

2)      Sex ratio and sterility for commercial animal production (Food Futures Flagship)

3)      Healthy complex cereal carbohydrates  (Food Futures Flagship)

4)      Innovation: accelerating the path to impact (Future Manufacturing Flagship)

5)      National Distributed Urban Water Systems: Performance Verification (Water for a Healthy Country Flagship)

6)      Environmental water (Water for a Healthy Country Flagship)

 

Flagship clusters fund a large scale of activity with an emphasis on people and partnerships working on a collection of projects relevant to a Flagship's goals. Flagship clusters foster collaboration between CSIRO, universities and other publicly-funded research agencies.

 

Applications for clusters will be accepted from:

·         eligible Australian and overseas higher education institutions

·         Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs)

·         Other Australian and overseas publicly funded research agencies.

 

Each cluster must include at least one Australian university.

 

Flagship clusters will be funded for about three years at approximately A$1 million per annum from the Flagship Collaboration Fund. Co-investment from partner organisations is expected, at least matching the contribution from the Flagship Collaboration Fund.

 

Flagship clusters have been accepted for inclusion on the Australian Competitive Grants Register.

 

Further details including cluster specifications and application process are at http://www.csiro.au/org/Flagship-Cluster-Applications.html

 

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ANDS releases first issue of 'Share: the newsletter of the Australian National Data Service'

 

The Australian National Data Service (ANDS) is pleased to announce the release of the first issue of 'Share: the newsletter of the Australian National Data Service'. This quarterly newsletter will feature stories about ANDS engagements, project updates, latest findings, conference reports and forthcoming events. ANDS hopes that members of the research community will find the newsletter both interesting and informative. 

 

An electronic version (pdf) of each issue is available from the ANDS website

http://ands.org.au/newsletters/index.html

 

To be notified about our forthcoming newsletters, please use the ANDS Newsletter

RSS feed, or, subscribe to the ANDS General Google Group

http://groups.google.com.au/group/ands-general/subscribe

 

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NHMRC Call for Abstracts – Water and Health in a Time of Climate Change

 

The ‘Water and Health in a Time of Climate Change’ workshop will be held at the NHMRC Offices on Tuesday 6th of October, 2009. The outcomes of this workshop will help guide NHMRC’s research and advisory functions in relation to water quality.

 

Please see the NHMRC website for details on how to register for this workshop and/or submit an abstract for consideration. Eight or ten abstracts will be selected for presentation at the workshop.

 

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AusAID Australian Development Research Awards – Opening of 2009 Funding Round

 

AusAID is currently advertising the 2009 Funding Round for the Australian Development Research Awards.

 

The aim of the Australian Development Research Awards (ADRA) is to attract high quality research that informs policy development and increases the general stock of knowledge around development issues.

 

The 2009 ADRA Funding Round is open to all Australian and international not-for-profit institutions or organisations where research is a core component of the organisation’s mandate.

 

Proposals should address pertinent and cutting edge questions in development research in the following areas of high priority:

 

1)      Disability-inclusive development

2)      Economics

3)      Gender

4)      Performance-linked aid  

 

Applicants can apply for funding for projects up to three years in duration, with successful proposals eligible to receive between A$100,000 and A$300,000 per year.

 

The Funding Round consists of one stage only. Applicants are invited to submit Online Applications to AusAID by 5pm AEST Friday 18 September 2009. 

 

Guidelines and an Application Form for the completion of research applications are available on the AusAID website. For all further information please see the research section of the AusAID website http://www.ausaid.gov.au/research/default.cfm or email any enquiries to research@ausaid.gov.au or by fax (02) 6206 4570.

 

Application Deadline; AusAID invites applicants to submit Applications by 5pm AEST Friday 18 September 2009.

 

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Other Announcements and Opportunities

 

Announcement from the ARC – 3 August 2009:

 

Distinguished researchers to evaluate research excellence

 

ARC Chief Executive Officer Professor Margaret Sheil announced the appointment of seventeen distinguished researchers to the Cluster One Research Evaluation Committee for the 2009 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) trial.

 

“These distinguished and internationally-recognised researchers have great expertise in research evaluation,” Professor Sheil said.

 

“They form a vital part of the ERA evaluation process as they will undertake expert review of the data submitted for the ERA trial by Australia’s higher education institutions.

 

“The 17 members of the Research Evaluation Committee broadly represent the Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences disciplines covered in Cluster One.

 

“Esteemed academic Professor Mark von Itzstein from Griffith University has been appointed as Chair of the Cluster One Committee.

 

“He is a world-leading medicinal chemist whose background and experience puts him in a very good position to lead the Committee and ensure their evaluations contribute effectively to ERA.”

 

Membership of the Cluster Two Research Evaluation Committee for the 2009 ERA trial will be announced at the close of the submission period for Cluster Two in August. The Cluster Two Committee will similarly comprise distinguished researchers broadly representing the Humanities and Creative Arts disciplines.

 

For the full ERA in 2010, the ARC will establish eight Research Evaluation Committee —one for each ERA discipline cluster.

 

For more information on the Cluster One Research Evaluation Committee for the ERA trial in 2009 and its membership visit http://www.arc.gov.au/era/recs.htm.

 

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Please contact Research Office  (ext 50099) for further information.