Research subcommittees and advisory groups
- ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Research Committee (URC)
- Graduate Research Committee (GRC)
- Research Information Technology and Systems (RITAS) Committee
- Research Infrastructure Advisory Group (RIAG)
- Research Integrity Committee (RIC)
The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Research Committee (URC) oversees research and research training via strategic policy and management decisions taken within the URC and through the activities of its subcommittees; by ensuring appropriate interaction on research issues; and through the dissemination of information and advice to the Academic Senate.
The Chair of the URC is the Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Sustainable Futures), Senior Professor Eileen McLaughlin.
Terms of Reference
The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Research Committee (URC) is a formally constituted committee of Academic Senate. The Committee is responsible, within the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s governance framework, for providing leadership in academic governance through oversight and quality assurance of all matters related to research and research training, research integrity and risk.
The academic governance framework of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ is consistent with the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards)
The URC will support the UOW Strategic Plan, in working toward a position in the top 1% of world universities, by building an outstanding research community that values emerging researchers and supports research-active staff to achieve the highest quality results and disseminate their benefits to user communities.
Responsibilities
- The URC shall:
In accordance with the HESF (Threshold Standards), provide assurance and advice to Academic Senate and the Vice-Chancellor as to whether and how: - research and research training activities are conducted in accordance with a research policy framework that is designed to achieve:
- ethical conduct of research and responsible research practice;
- clarification of ownership and management of intellectual property;
- successful management of research partnerships;
- clarification of requirements for publication and authorship, and
- resolution of allegations of misconduct in research.
- research is conducted, or overseen, by staff with qualifications, research experience and skills relevant to the type of research undertaken and their role.
- a system for accurate and up-to-date recording of the research outputs of staff and research students is maintained.
- research training is guided by and undertaken in accordance with the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s approved policy framework and occurs in an environment of research/scholarly/creative activity with adequate resources and with competent continuing supervisory arrangements.
- Develop, monitor and review policies within the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s research policy framework relating to the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s research activities, including research and research training and internationalisation, and ensure their compliance with State and Commonwealth legislation, and other relevant codes and standards.
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Provide effective oversight, through monitoring, reviewing and endorsing the activities of its sub-committees.
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Guide the development of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s strategic research priorities and objectives and provide oversight of research performance within the framework of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s Strategic Planning process.
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Review guidelines for the formation and/or continuation of ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Research Institutes and Faculty Research Centres.
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Review and monitor the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s Global Challenges Program and other mechanisms that encourage interdisciplinary research within the ¾«¶«´«Ã½.
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Provide leadership and advice on mechanisms to improve monitoring, benchmarking and reporting of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s research performance.
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Facilitate the effective exchange and dissemination of information concerning research and research training issues to the broader research community through robust communication processes.
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Inform and advise the Academic Senate and the Vice-Chancellor on research and research training matters as they arise.
The URC and its sub-committees complement and support the following roles and functions responsible for managing or running the various research activities of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½:
- The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Sustainable Futures)
- The Dean of Graduate Research
- Research & Sustainable Futures Division (RSF)
- Faculty Research Committees
- ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Research Institutes
- UOW Global Challenges
Membership
The URC shall consist of:
- The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Sustainable Futures) (DVC(RSF)) (Chair)
- The Dean of Graduate Research (Deputy Chair)
- The Chair, Academic Senate (or delegate)
- All Associate Deans (Research)
- The Dean of Research Knowledge Exchange and Translation
- The Dean(s) of Researcher Development and Integrity
- An Associate Dean (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion)
- The Executive Directors of AIIM, Early Start and SMART (or delegate)
- Up to six Research Leaders invited by the DVC(RSF)
- Up to three additional members, including an Early Career Researcher, invited by the DVC(RSF)
- UOW Global Enterprises representative invited by the DVC(RSF)
- A Higher Degree Research (HDR) student representative (invited by the DVC(RSF))
- Director, Research Services Office
- Director, iAccelerate Research
- Senior Manager, Innovation and Commercial Research
- Director, Graduate Research School
- UOW Dubai Representative as invited by the DVC(RSF)
¾«¶«´«Ã½ Research Committee Membership
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Sustainable Futures) Chair
Professor Eileen McLaughlin (Interim)
Dean of Graduate Research Deputy Chair
Professor Simon Moss
Chair, Academic Senate (or Delegate)
Professor Nina Reynolds
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Engagement)
Dr Paul Di Pietro
Deans (Research)
Dean, Researcher Development, Distinguished Professor Sharon Robinson
Dean, Research Integrity Development and Ethics, Professor Susan Thomas
Associate Deans (Research)
Faculty of Engineering & Information Sciences (EIS) - Michael Lerch
Faculty of Business and Law (BAL) - Professor Shahriar Akter
Faculty of Science, Medicine & Health (SMAH) - Professor Helen McGregor
Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (ASSH) - Associate Professor Catherine MacPhail
Associate Dean (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion)
Associate Professor Yasmine Probst
Executive Directors (or Delegate)
Research Platforms - Associate Professor Germanas Peleckis
Early Start Research Institute - Professor Lisa Kervin
Up to six Research Leaders (or Delegate) as invited by the DVC(RSF)
ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity & Heritage (CABAH) - Distinguished Professor Richard Roberts
National Institute for Applied Statistical Research Australia (NIASRA) - Professor Marijka Batterham
Australian Centre for Culture, Environment, Society and Space (ACCESS) - Senior Professor Pauline McGuirk
Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) - Distinguished Professor Stuart Kaye
Up to three Additional Invited Members (including an ECR)
School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Professor Kathleen Clapham
School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Distinguished Professor Aidan Sims
Early Career Researcher Representative - Dr Amanda Gigliotti
Higher Degree Research Student Representative as invited by the DVC(RSF)
PhD Candidate (ASSH) - Ms Jasmyn Connell
RaID Representatives
Director, Research Services Office - Ms Sharon Martin
Senior Manager, Innovation & Commercial Research - Mr George Tomka
Director, iAccelerate - Dr Tamantha Stutchbury
Director, Graduate Research School - Mr Matthew Perry
UOW Global Enterprises Representative as invited by the DVC(RSF)
Dean, Global Academic Affairs - Professor Christian Ritz
UOW Dubai Representative as invited by the DVC(RSF)
Director Research, School of Engineering, UOW Dubai - Dr Stephen Wilkinson
UOW Hong Kong Representative as invited by the DVC(RSF)
Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, UOW Hong Kong - Professor Geoffrey Blowers
UOW Malaysia Representative as invited by the DCV(RSF)
UOW Malaysia College – Principal - Professor Dr Hon Wei Min
The DVC(R&I) will appoint members to the URC for a term of two years and will consider disciplinary balance and spread, when inviting additional members.
Both genders are to be represented on the URC and all URC sub-committees, and if necessary additional members will be co-opted to meet this requirement.
Executive Secretary, Director, Research Services Office
Minutes Secretary, Executive Assistant to the Director, Research Services Office
Quorum
The Committee shall have a quorum which is equal to one half or, where one half is not a whole number, the whole number next higher than one half of the total number of members of the Committee.
Meeting Frequency
The URC will meet up to four times per year.
URC Sub-committees
The following sub-committees support the URC:
- Graduate Research Committee
- Research Integrity Committee
- Research IT & Systems Committee
- Research Infrastructure Advisory Group
- Faculty Research Committees
2024 meetings
Meeting date |
Time |
Venue |
Agenda deadline |
Meeting 01/2024 Wednesday 21 February |
3.00pm – 4.30pm |
Zoom |
Wednesday 7 February |
Meeting 02/2024 Wednesday 15 May |
2.00pm – 3.30pm |
Zoom |
Wednesday 22 May |
Meeting 03/2024 Wednesday 31 July |
2.00pm – 3.30pm |
Zoom |
Wednesday 17 July |
Meeting 04/2024 Tuesday 24 September |
2.00pm – 3.00pm |
Zoom |
Special Meeting for Research Entities Framework (REF) |
Meeting 05/2024 Wednesday 23 October |
3.00pm – 4.30pm |
Zoom |
Wednesday 9 October |
Meeting 06/2024 Wednesday 11 December |
3.00pm – 4.30pm |
Zoom |
Wednesday 27 November |
Meeting minutes
2024:
2023:
2022:
2021:
2020:
Terms of Reference
The Graduate Research Committee (GRC), chaired by the Dean of Graduate Research, reports to the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Research Committee. The GRC oversees the trends, regulations, policies, procedures, guidelines and quality assurance relating to Higher Degree Research (HDR) programs, candidates and supervisors.
Responsibilities
The Graduate Research Committee (GRC) shall:
- inform and approve strategic and operational plans on how to enhance graduate research—as well as develop, monitor, and review policy documents to achieve these plans,
- ensure that graduate research and research training activities comply with the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s policy framework and national standards around graduate research,
- collate and respond to feedback from HDR candidates, supervisors, and the broader research community about HDR matters—as well as communicate changes to this community,
- consider advice from other UOW research committees, including the Research Integrity
Specific activities:
- oversee the allocation of graduate research scholarships including, but not limited to, Research Training Program and ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Postgraduate Award scholarships,
- optimise the supervision of graduate researchers and confirm these supervisors have acquired the relevant experience, skills, and qualifications,
- oversee the work and quality of the Thesis Examination Committee,
- establish other working parties or sub-committees to optimise specific activities around graduate research, such as internships and joint PhD degrees.
Evaluation:
- establish benchmarks and criteria to monitor the admission, orientation, experience, training, progress, support, performance, and careers of graduate researchers and supervisors—and report these outcomes to the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Research Committee—with reference to specific cohorts, such as First Nations candidates, international students, and students who report a disability,
- suggest changes to address shortfalls on these benchmarks and criteria,
- oversee the development and reviews of HDR courses, including eligibility criteria, in line with ¾«¶«´«Ã½ policies,
- consider matters of concern around graduate research and research training, such as instances of research misconduct, grievances, complaints and appeals, as well as initiate actions to address systemic concerns at least once a year,
- inform and advise the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Sustainable Futures) and the Academic Senate on matters or concerns around graduate research and research training,
- annually review the performance of this committee against the TOR and suggest
Membership
The Graduate Research Committee (GRC) shall consist of:
- Dean of Graduate Research (Chair)
- Deputy Dean of Researcher Development (Deputy Chair)
- Associate Deans (Higher Degree Research)
- Director, Graduate Research School
- Chair of Thesis Examination Committee (TEC)
- Representatives of the Head of Postgraduate Studies (one per Faculty)
- One international and one domestic HDR candidate representatives
- One representative of First Nations communities
- One representative from the Division of Student
The Secretary to the GRC will be the Executive Assistant to the Dean of Graduate Research. Members may nominate a standing nominee to attend on their behalf.
The Chair will appoint members to the GRC for a term of two years and will consider disciplinary balance when inviting additional members. The Chair may co-opt individuals with relevant expertise, with consideration of balance in gender, research experience, and other relevant characteristics.
Meetings
The Committee will meet at least 6 times a year excluding working parties and sub-committees
Quorum
The quorum for the GRC is half the number of committee members plus one.
The RITAS Committee is responsible for the development and execution of research IT strategy and initiatives to continuously improve UOW research IT support.
RITAS subcommittees
HPC Steering Committee
The HPC Steering Committee addresses key strategic issues surrounding the governance, support and utilisation of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s High Performance Computing resources.
Research Data Management (RDM) Working Group
The RDM Working Group is responsible for addressing strategic issues in relation to the governance, organisational support, skills development, and technology implications surrounding the maintenance and management of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s research data assets and management processes.
Terms of Reference
The Research Infrastructure Advisory Group (RIAG) provides advice and recommendations to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) for the provision of physical and digital resources to support ¾«¶«´«Ã½ research, in alignment with the 2020-2025 Research and Innovation Strategy.
An intentional approach to the planning, acquisition, management, development, sustainability, and disposal of such infrastructure investments will boost the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s research capability. RIAG will assist by focussing on current and emerging infrastructure needs aligned with UOW’s strengths and future opportunities.
An initial objective of RIAG will be to develop a Research Infrastructure Management (RIM) plan and conduct an audit of current major equipment and infrastructure (with input from relevant Faculties, Research Centres and Institutes). The RIM plan will outline priorities for new or replacement equipment and infrastructure over the next five years. It is expected that major equipment and infrastructure applications will refer to and align with the RIM plan, which will be updated annually ahead of equipment and infrastructure funding requests.
Responsibilities
RIAG will monitor the utilisation, capacity, maintenance and planning of shared major research equipment and infrastructure (including):
OPERATIONAL
- Location, access arrangements and space requirements;
- Technology requirements, including hardware, software, High Performance Computing (HPC), network infrastructure and cloud computing resources.
STRATEGIC
- Assessing existing and future research infrastructure needs at UOW;
- Overseeing UOW’s high-level infrastructure and asset management plans, including relevant information technology infrastructure and assets;
- Reviewing the business cases and risk management documentation relating to major research infrastructure; and
- Reviewing research infrastructure funding applications to ensure they align with the RIM plan and UOW’s overarching infrastructure This includes (but is not limited to):
a. UOW Major Equipment Grants (MEG),
b. ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) grants; and
c. National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) submissions.
RIAG will also oversee identification and coordination of:
- Opportunities for enhanced sharing of significant existing resources (including external collaborative and commercial access);
- Opportunities to access external funding to develop ¾«¶«´«Ã½ research infrastructure (including in partnership with external organisations);
- Emerging plans and future needs for the acquisition of research infrastructure (whilst minimising duplication); and
- Opportunities to maximise research collaboration through the use of research infrastructure.
GOVERNANCE
- RIAG is a sub-committee of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Research Committee (URC), and will provide regular reports to both the URC and the People and Culture, Finance and Infrastructure Committee (PaCFIC).
- There is no formal requirement for a quorum.
- RIAG will meet quarterly at a minimum. Additional meetings may be scheduled as necessary.
Membership
Members of RIAG represent key decision makers and stakeholders in research infrastructure at UOW and include:
- Dean of Research Knowledge Exchange and Translation (Chair)
- Dean of Graduate Research or delegate
- Director of the Research Services Office or delegate
- Executive Directors / Directors of Research Centres and Institutes with major infrastructure requirements
- Associate Deans of Research
- Information Management and Technology Services (IMTS) Representative
- Finance Representative
- Facilities Management Division (FMD) Representative
- Library Representative
- A representative from the Finance and Infrastructure Committee (FIC)
- Other UOW staff (by invitation) with relevant expertise and experience
Additional members may be co-opted to the Group in an advisory capacity based on their expertise in relevant areas.
Executive support will be provided by the Office of the Dean RKET.
Membership of RIAG will be reviewed annually.
Current RIAG Members
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Industry & Engagement)
Dr Paul Di Pietro (Chair)
Dean of Graduate Research or delegate
Simon Moss
Director of the Research Services Office or delegate
Sharon Martin
Executive Directors/Directors of Research Centres and Institutes with major infrastructure requirements
iAccelerate - Tamantha Stutchbury
Faculty of Engineering & Information Sciences (EIS) - Christian Ritz
Australian Institute for Innovative Materials (AIIM) - Germanas Peleckis
Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (EIS) - Duane Robinson
Associate Deans of Research
ANFF Materials Node (AIIM) - Peter Innis
Faculty of Business and Law (BAL) - Shahriar Akter
Faculty of Engineering & Information Sciences (EIS) - Michael Lerch
Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (ASSH) - Catherine MacPhail
Faculty of Science, Medicine & Health (SMAH) - Heath Ecroyd
Information Management and Technology Services (IMTS) Representative
Richard O’Connor
Finance Representative
Emillie Lokys
Facilities Management Division (FMD) Representative
Kathleen Packer
Library Representative
Leanne Webster
Finance and Infrastructure Committee (FIC) Representative
Kathleen Packer
By invitation
Faculty of Science, Medicine & Health (SMAH) - Martina Sanderson-Smith
Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (ASSH) - Lisa Kervin
Information Management and Technology Services (IMTS) - Jennifer Brodie
Information Management and Technology Services (IMTS) - Rongbo Du
Facilities Management Division (FMD) - Craig Dow
Strategic Planning - Ellenie Petrou
Research Services Office (RSO) - Lisa Simmons
Terms of Reference
The Research Integrity Committee (RIC) is a formally constituted Sub-Committee of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Research Committee (URC). The Committee is responsible, within the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s governance framework, for the promotion of research excellence by and driving the principles developed for responsible research conduct that provides a foundation for high-quality research, credibility and community trust in the research profession as required by the (the “Code”). The guideline lists other legislation and codes that apply.
Responsibilities
The RIC will drive a culture of responsible conduct of research as an integral part of all research behaviours, to promote research excellence at UOW.
The RIC will:
Actively promote the responsible conduct of research and ensure that UOW has the policies and processes in place to meet the requirements of the Code. The RIC will assist in the development and review of key research policies and provide advice to the URC.
Actively promote and monitor compliance with appropriate legislation and codes governing research integrity, including monitoring UOW policies, procedures and guidelines in response to new or changed legislation and implementing appropriate compliance programs.
Actively engage in the planning, implementation and monitoring of educational and training programs as well as other resources to ensure ¾«¶«´«Ã½ staff, students and affiliated researchers are aware of compliance and accountability requirements related to the Code and other legislation impacting on the responsible conduct of research.
Actively provide advice and guidance on all UOW research integrity related processes such as ethics and research misconduct, including identifying ways to streamline processes and forms between systems, continuous improvement of legislative compliance programs and reviewing anonymised allegations or aggregated data on research misconduct in order to identify common issues and develop mechanisms to prevent reoccurrence.
This RIC will provide coherence to research integrity activities and effectively create links between relevant areas within the ¾«¶«´«Ã½. The Committee will therefore also serve as an advisory body on research-related integrity matters to other UOW operational committees(See ).
Membership
The RIC shall consist of:
- Dean of Researcher Development and Integrity, or a senior academic appointed by the DVC (Research and Sustainable Futures) (Chair)
- Dean of Graduate Research (or nominee)
- Associate Dean, Research (or nominee) from each Faculty
- Research Integrity Advisor Network representative *
- Director, Research Services Office (or nominee)
- Director, Governance Unit (or nominee)
- Associate Director, Research Integrity and Ethics (or nominee)
- HDR Student representative *
- Chair, UOW Human Research Ethics Committee (Health & Medical)
- Chair, UOW Human Research Ethics Committee (Social Sciences)
- Chair, Animal Ethics Committee
- Chair, Institutional Biosafety Committee
- Up to three (3) additional academic staff members * may be appointed by the Chair
* Positions not filled ex officio have a term of two (2) years and will be appointed by the Chair.
Deputy Chair: A deputy chair shall be appointed by the Dean of Research Integrity Development and Ethics to receive delegation of all chair duties in the absence of the chair. The deputy chair must be a voting member and a staff member of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ who possesses the skills to management to business of the Research Integrity Committee.
Executive Officer: Research Integrity Officer, Research Integrity and Ethics.
* Positions not filled ex officio have a term of two (2) years and will be appointed by the Chair
The Chair may choose to invite experts to the meeting to provide advice to the Committee.
The RIC aims to be an equitable and diverse committee and if necessary additional members will be co-opted to meet this requirement.
Current RIC members
Dean of Researcher Development and Integrity, or a senior academic appointed by the DVC(RSF) (Chair)
Professor Susan Thomas
Dean of Graduate Research (or nominee)
Professor Simon Moss
Associate Deans (Research) (or nominee)
- Dr Glen Wheeler, Faculty of Engineering & Information Sciences (EIS)
- Dr Nadia Zainuddin, Faculty of Business and Law (BAL)
- Professor Helen McGregor, Faculty of Science, Medicine & Health (SMAH)
- Associate Professor Catherine MacPhail, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (ASSH)
Research Integrity Advisor Network Representative *
Vacant
Director, Research Services Office (or nominee)
Ms Sharon Martin
Director, Governance Unit (or nominee)
Ms Sunny Skipp
Associate Director, Research Integrity and Ethics
Ms Aimee Wall (interim)
Higher Degree Research (HDR) Student Representative *
Ms Lisa Kilgariff
Chair, UOW Human Research Ethics Committee (Health & Medical)
Professor Mirella Dottori
Chair, UOW Human Research Ethics Committee (Social Sciences)
Associate Professor Natalia Hanley
Chair, Animal Ethics Committee
Dr Malcolm France
Chair, Institutional Biosafety Committee
Ms Katie Cicero (nominee)
Up to three (3) additional academic staff members * may be appointed by the DVC(RSF)
- Professor Attila Mozer
- Vacant
- Vacant
In Attendance
- Research Integrity Officer: Mrs Ryah Perkiss
- Research Integrity Compliance Officer: Rhia Bennett
- Executive Assistant and Minutes Secretary: Ms Lil Miller
Quorum
The Committee shall have a quorum which is equal to one half or, where one half is not a whole number, the whole number next higher to one half of the total number of members of the Committee.
The total number of members, for the purposes of the quorum, shall exclude the Chairs of the Ethics (Human and Animal) and Institutional Biosafety Committee.
Meeting Frequency
The RIC will meet at least four (4) times per year.
The Committee may also establish working parties for specific projects. Expert advisors and appointees to working parties do not need to be permanent members of the Committee. Working parties shall report to the Committee.
Committees overseen by the RIC
The following committees have their operations overseen by the RIC:
- Human Research Ethics Committee (Health and Medical);
- Human Research Ethics Committee (Social Sciences);
- Animal Ethics Committee;
- Institutional Biosafety Committee.
2025 meetings
Agenda Deadline | Meeting Date |
---|---|
Friday, 31 January, 2025 | Tuesday, 11 February, 2025, 3:30pm - 5:00pm |
Friday, 18 April, 2025 | Wednesday, 7 May, 2025, 3:00pm - 4:30pm |
Friday, 1 August, 2025 | Tuesday, 19 August, 2025, 3:00pm - 4:30pm |
Friday, 10 October, 2025 | Wednesday, 22 October, 2025, 10:30am - 12:00pm |
Agenda deadlines are the dates by which items and papers must be received by the uow-researchintegrity@uow.edu.au.