Research Committee and Management Reporting

Role of the Committee

The Research Committee is an advisory committee reporting to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innnovation). The role of the Committee is to advise the Pro Vice-Chancellor on research policy, strategies and initiatives that promote the research interests of the University and that foster the conduct of research and research training that is of the highest quality.

• JCU's Research and Research Training Management Reports and Strategic Plans can be accessed here;

• Minutes and selected reports and plans of the Research Committee are also available for JCU staff.

Terms of Reference

The powers, duties, functions and responsibilities of the Research Committee are to:

• Promote research, research training and scholarship within the University;
• Advise, make recommendations and provide information to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innnovation) on research policy, guidelines and procedures;
• Advise and make recommendations to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innnovation) on the allocation and use of recurrent funds for research and research training activities, in particular the allocation of funding for internal research and research training grants schemes;
• Advise on planning and strategic issues related to research including regular monitoring and review of the Research Strategic Plan and the development and monitoring of criteria used to measure institutional research performance and research initiatives;
• Advise and make recommendations to Faculty Research Committees on Faculty research strategic plans and other research issues;
• Advise and make recommendations on quality assurance and enhancement procedures in relation to research;
• Oversee, monitor and provide recommendations on Areas of Research Strength including the establishment of new areas, review of annual reports and strategic plans, and regular reviews of the areas;
• Consult as appropriate with relevant stakeholders and interested parties on matters before the Committee;
• Consider, advise and report on such other matters as Academic Board, the Vice-Chancellor or Council may wish to refer to it;
• Inform the Academic Board on issues of research policy and other research matters via regular reports from the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innnovation); and
• Inform the University community on research issues through the dissemination of minutes of its meetings and/or by reports or other appropriate methods.

Members

• Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation), (Chair)
• Dean, Postgraduate Studies
• The Associate Dean (Research) from each of the four Faculties
• Three Professorial staff nominated by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation)

The Chair may invite additional participants to particular meetings or for particular agenda items as required. Participants under this provision have rights of audience and debate but not voting rights.

Faculties may send alternates for their Associate Deans (Research), and are encouraged to do so in the event that their Associate Dean cannot attend a meeting.

Members should not act as representatives (of a Faculty or other body) but rather to use their specialist or disciplinary knowledge to inform discussion and to contribute to wise decision-making that best serves the research interests of the University as a whole. Members are expected to exercise their duties with professionalism, integrity and collegiality.

In Attendance: Secretary – Director, Research Services

Meetings

The Committee meets at least three times a year. At any meeting of the Committee, a quorum will consist of one fourth of its members. The Committee will elect a Deputy Chair to chair meetings in the absence of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innnovation).

The 2007 meeting dates are:

• 16 April;
• 16 July; and
• 15 October.

Working Parties and Sub-committees

The Research Committee may establish working parties or sub-committees to consider or make recommendations on such matters that the Committee deems appropriate. Members of the working parties or sub-committees may be drawn from the Research Committee or through co-opted members including members external to the University.

Dissemination of Minutes and Committee Information

Minutes of the Committee are disseminated by the intranet. Faculty representatives have an obligation to report to the Faculty on Research Committee issues.

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innnovation) provides the Academic Board with a quarterly Research & Innnovation Division report, which incorporates information from Committee meetings.