Advisor of the Year Awards Procedure

Intent

The Advisor of the Year Awards aim to encourage and reward staff who excel in the supervision of research degree candidates at the Doctoral, Masters or Honours levels. Each year awards of $1,000 will be offered. Up to five awards will be made annually.

Scope

This procedure applies to research staff who supervise research degree candidates at the Doctoral, Masters or Honours levels.

Definitions

Research Supervision includes the range of support activities involved in assisting Research Higher Degree candidates to undertake successful original research and to complete a thesis, dissertation or other research products.

Procedure

1. Nominations will be made on the Advisor of the Year Award Nomination Form.
2. Nominations will be solicited as follows:
   • The awards will be discussed at induction days for research higher degree candidates;
   • Each year the Dean, Graduate Research will write to all research higher degree candidates to ask if they wish to nominate their Advisor or their Advisory Panel;
   • The Dean, Graduate Research will write to all graduating research higher degree candidates in the letter congratulating them on the award of the degree to ask if they wish to nominate their Advisor or Advisory Panel for an award;
   • Each year the Dean, Graduate Research will write to the College Deans to ask if they wish to nominate a staff member.
3. The Dean, Graduate Research will refer nominations from research higher degree candidates to the Associate Dean Research Education for endorsement
4. Nominations supported by the College Dean must be accompanied by a statement from the College Dean, stating the reasons why the nomination is supported.
5. On request, the Graduate Research School will provide data on Advisors to supplement applications supported by the College Dean/Associate Deans for Research Training.
6. Prior to the list of nominees being presented to the Selection Panel for consideration, the Graduate Research School will send the list of nominees to the Chief of Staff for any advice that may be appropriate.
7. The Selection Panel will consider all relevant material (including relevant University records as required) and present its decision and the associated rationale to the Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor for approval. The Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor will present successful nominees with their awards and report their names to the University Council.
8. The Selection Panel will consist of:
   • Dean, Graduate Research (Chair)
   • Associate Deans for Research Education
   • Deputy Dean, Graduate Research
   • Representative from Postgraduate Student Association

   Not all members of the Panel are to be of the same gender. Where the gender criterion is not met or if there are conflicts of interest, the Chair of the Panel may nominate another staff member to serve on the panel.

9. In considering nominations, the Panel will:

• Look for outstanding performance
• Assess information such as submissions and JCU records
• Reserve the right to consult or interview the nominators and/or nominees as appropriate, and refer to up to two research higher degree candidates from a list of up to five research higher degree candidates or recent graduates who have a good knowledge of the nominee's research supervision activities in the two years prior to nomination
• Disregard any previous unsuccessful nominations
• Take no account of the frequency distribution of Awards to particular Divisions
• Consider the quality of nominations, rather than number of nominations received for any individual or Advisory panel.

10. Selection Panel reserves the right not to grant any or all of the awards should it judge the selection criteria not to have been met to a sufficiently high standard. The Selection Panel will evaluate a variety of factors and seek evidence of the nominee’s sustained performance in research supervision.
11. The number and category of awards will be at the discretion of the Selection Committee in consultation with the Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor.
12. Recipients may elect to receive the award personally, or have the funds directed to a University account, or any combination of the above. Where money is taken personally, taxation is payable on the amount and will be deducted by the University before payment.
13. Previous recipients of any of these awards will be ineligible for these awards for the following two rounds of the award.
14. The minimum amount of research for supervision to be included must be at least 12 credit points.

Administration

NOTE: Printed copies of this procedure are uncontrolled, and currency can only be assured at the time of printing.

Revision History

Approval date - the date the Policy Sponsor approved the establishment, minor or major amendment or disestablishment

Implementation Date - the date the procedure was published in the Policy Library and is the date the procedure takes effect