Date of establishment: 23 July 2008 (Academic Board Resolution 63/2008)
Meeting frequency: 4 times per year or as deemed necessary by the Committee Chair.
Responsible Officer: Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise)
Membership:
- Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) – Chair
- Chair of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Committee – Deputy Chair
- Vice-President (or nominee)
- Provost
- Chair, Academic Board
- Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Impact)
- Dean, Innovation and Industry Engagement
- Dean, Graduate Research
- Executive Dean from each Faculty
- Associate Dean Research from each Faculty
- Director, Office of Research Services
- Two Higher Degree by Research students (nominated by the Dean of Graduate Research)
- One elected teaching/research, research focus, or research only academic staff member (level A, B, C)
- One elected teaching/research, research focus, or research only academic staff member (level D, E)
- Two researchers, appointed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise)
- A nominee of the Libraries directorate
- A nominee of Marketing and External Relations
- Academic Registrar and Director, Student Administration
- Candidature Services Representative, appointed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise)
Membership should include at least one Early Career Researcher among elected or appointed members.
Elected members should be from different disciplines. Where possible, researchers appointed by the Chair should be from disciplines other than those of the elected members.
Appointed members will be selected to ensure representation from both research institutes and schools.
Where a suitable elected member is not identified via the election process, the Chair will nominate a member.
Term of service for elected and nominated members is 2 years with a two-term maximum excepting where a suitable replacement cannot be identified.
Where necessary, the Chair can nominate another member of the Committee to act as Chair.
Members unable to attend a meeting may nominate a designated alternate to attend as proxy.
All committee members, including the Chair, have voting rights.
Half the members of the Committee plus one shall constitute a quorum.
Terms of Reference
- In accordance with the Higher Education Standards Framework, URC will monitor the quality of research and research training, including the development and oversight of policy that ensures:
- clarification of ownership and management of intellectual property;
- clarification of requirements for publication and authorship;
- ethical conduct of research, research training, and responsible research practice;
- induction and orientation of higher degree research students and supervisors to their roles;
- resolution of allegations of misconduct in research and research training;
- successful management of research partnerships; and
- successful progress and timely completion of candidature/HDR candidates.
- As a monitoring body for quality, URC will conduct analysis, benchmark and make recommendations on:
- research activities that support the University Strategic Plan and related KPIs;
- ACU’s cultural capability strategy for research, in collaboration with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Committee;
- higher degree research, including coursework components, examination of research degree theses, appointment of examiners and the results of examination, and nominations for university research prizes;
- reports from Faculty research committees; and
- reports on research ethics and integrity.
Review(s): The Committee reviews its procedures and membership as it deems necessary and recommends accordingly to Academic Board.
The Board reviewed the Terms of Reference in November 2020.
