Vice-Chancellor S Award for Excellence in Research Higher Degree Supervision

Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Higher Degree Supervision

Application and Guidelines

Recognising excellence in the supervision

of research higher degree candidates

The Flinders University Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Higher Degree Supervision will commence in 2016 for award in 2017.

The award recipient is acknowledged for their outstanding achievements across the various dimensions of excellence in supervision: the extent and range of their supervision activities; the positive outcomes for their candidates; their respect and support for candidates as individuals; their support for candidates’ career development; and their broader contribution to the development of supervisory practice within their faculties or across the University.

The Vice-Chancellor confers the Award for Excellence in Research Higher Degree Supervision annually to coincide with the awarding of the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Doctoral Thesis Excellence.

The recipient will receive a $5,000 award and a certificate will be presented at this ceremony.

The prize money may be used to support any project related to the recipient’s career development or academic work, including conference attendance, research supervision, or research. (While the grant may be used to support research, a ‘buy-out’ of teaching or supervision responsibility is not considered appropriate.) The prize money is paid directly to the relevant University consulting account for use by the winner.

This award might facilitate application for a national supervisory award.

Closing Date: Wednesday 25 January 2017

Eligibility

· All Flinders University academic staff, whether full-time, part-time or sessional, are eligible to apply if they are research active and on the Register of Research Higher Degree Supervisors. Check with Faculty RHD Administrator if unsure.

· Applicants must have supervised at least two research higher degree candidates (PhD; professional doctorate; and/or Masters by Research) to timely completion (4 years FTE for PhD and 2 years FTE for Masters by Research) at Principal level at the University in the previous five-year cycle.

· Applicants need to have completed University supervisor training within the previous five years (if required), as recorded on the Register of Research Higher Degree Supervisors.

· Previously unsuccessful applicants are eligible and encouraged to re-apply.

· Award winners will not be eligible for re-nomination.

Application process

All applications will be forwarded to the Office of Graduate Research and will require endorsement from the relevant Dean of School. Multiple applications from Schools are encouraged, in which case Deans of Schools are invited to rank a maximum of three. The Office of Graduate Research will provide Deans of Schools with individual Flinders Business Analytics RHD Supervision Reports on each applicant. The Faculty Executive Dean then nominates three applications, which are forwarded to the University Selection Committee. It chooses a winner from the twelve faculty applications.

Selection criteria

Applications will be assessed on the extent to which applicants’ claims for excellence are supported by formal and informal evaluations as well as evidence that addresses the three criteria below. Suggested examples are provided.

Applicants need to make the case by emphasising their particular accomplishments.

Criteria

In assessing applications, the Selection Committee will take into account evidence of claims against the nominated criteria (including candidate feedback, academic peer feedback and other forms of recognition).

1. An outstanding track record in Research Higher Degree supervision

This may include some of the following:

· supervision practices that lead to theses judged of outstanding quality and/or candidate publications, prizes and awards, and/or invitations for candidates to give presentations and/or to present at prestigious conferences

· evidence of supervision practices that lead to timely and successful completions

· researcher's track record and academic profile to be taken into account according to discipline and relative to opportunity that attract local and/or international candidates

· number of RHD candidates supervised to timely completion as Principal Supervisor in the previous five-year cycle. If a candidate has been overtime for good reason but has had excellent outcomes, please add a brief justification for including him or her in your application.

· number of candidates supervised to timely completion who have been nominated or awarded the Vice-Chancellor's Prize for Doctoral Thesis Excellence (relative to opportunity).

2. Support for candidates' research and career development

This may include some of the following:

· engagement of research candidates in the broader intellectual life of the department, school, faculty, university and the profession

· support and encouragement for candidates to develop as independent researchers

· induction of candidates into the national and international research communities in their fields, including facilitating service to the profession

· mentoring of candidates in their career development following completion of their research higher degrees

· encouragement to candidates to participate in appropriate professional activities, including conference presentations and publication.

3. Contribution to the development of excellent supervisory practices by others within departments, schools, faculties, centres, research groups, the University as a whole or nationally or internationally.

This may include some of the following:

· mentoring of staff new to supervision

· involvement in and contribution to supervisor workshops and training

· evidence of publications or presentations (in any media or on any platform) on supervision

· evidence of a national and/or international profile as a supervisor demonstrated by invitations to give presentations and/or to present at prestigious conferences and/or to contribute to relevant publications

· evidence of a commitment to evaluating and improving training and supervision

· evidence of developing department, school and/or faculty policies and programs to enhance the RHD research environment.

Essential information for applicants about the portfolio

Applicants prepare a portfolio consisting of the following:

· A signed application form (attached).

· An applicant’s statement making their case. It must include:

Ø responses to the three selection criteria (maximum five pages) with supporting evidence

Ø a one-page synopsis of an applicant’s philosophy of supervision

Ø completion of the attached Record of RHD Candidates.

Applicants provide the following on Referees:

· A minimum of two and up to four academic peers, in order of preference, with whom the applicant has shared supervision or who have detailed knowledge of their performance. The Office of Graduate Research will ask them to provide a one-page testimonial.

· A minimum of two and up to four graduands (or candidates who have submitted) in order of preference. The Office of Graduate Research will ask them to provide a one-page testimonial, answering some or all of the following:

Ø Has your supervisor enriched your postgraduate experience?

Ø Did your research supervisor help you to be enthusiastic about your research?

Ø Did your supervisor assist you to acquire generic and transferable skills as well as disciplinary knowledge relevant to your field?

Ø Did your supervisor include you in the academic life of the department/school/faculty or at national and international level?

Ø Was your supervisor responsive to your particular needs (e.g. if you were working, a part-time candidate, had carer responsibilities, different cultural background), including frequency of meetings?

Ø Was your supervisor supportive at all times (the good and the bad days along the rocky road of research)?

Ø Did your supervisor encourage you to publish and/or otherwise disseminate your research before or after RHD completion?

Ø Did your supervisor help you to understand the professional research standards in your field?

Ø Was your supervisor familiar with current literature, research and methodology in your discipline?

Submission of the application

Applications including all supporting material must be forwarded to the Office of Graduate Research () by Wednesday 25 January 2017.

All applications received will be acknowledged via reply email. All submissions are confidential.

Please contact for all enquiries, whether from potential applicants, Deans of Schools, Executive Deans or referees about dates and how to apply for an award.

Selection process

Stage 1: Call for Applications

Stage 2: Applicant to submit to the Office of Graduate Research .

Stage 3: Office of Graduate Research confirms receipt, verifies registration, supervisor training and publications and seeks testimonials.

Stage 4: Office of Graduate Research forwards applications, testimonials, evidence of research outputs and supervision record and blank Dean of School’s Report form to Deans of Schools.

Stage 5: Each Dean of School completes a report covering a maximum of three ranked applicants. The Dean of School returns the final three applications to the Office of Graduate Research via .

Stage 6: Office of Graduate Research forwards applications, testimonials, evidence of research outputs and supervision record and blank Faculty Executive Dean’s Report form to the Faculty Executive Dean, who ranks three applications. The Executive Dean returns the final three applications to the Office of Graduate Research with a completed report for each application via .

Stage 7: The University Selection Committee for the awards will consist of the following members:

· Vice-Chancellor or nominee (Chair)

· Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)

· Dean of Graduate Research

· Chairs of Faculty RHD Committees

· RHD candidate representative

The University Selection Committee will select one winner from the twelve applications, within two weeks of receiving the Faculty Executive Deans’ ranked applications. In other words, the University Selection Committee meets ten weeks after the closing date for submissions.

Stage 8: All applicants are contacted individually and notified of the outcome.

Stage 9: A certificate and the prize money will be presented alongside the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Doctoral Thesis Excellence ceremony.

Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Higher Degree Supervision

Application cover sheet

Applicant Details
Family Name: / Given Names:
Title: (Dr/AProf/Prof) / Classification: (Lecturer C, D, E)
Year of appointment at Flinders: / Staff Number:
Appointment Level (e.g. Research only, Professorial Fellow, Teaching/Research)
School/Dept: / /
Leadership in Supervision / Research Training
Appointments relevant to supervision (e.g. Postgraduate Coordinator, Assoc Dean, School / Faculty Committees):
Invitations to speak about supervision (e.g. Workshops, Seminars, Keynotes on Supervision at School/Faculty/University/National/International level):
Publications/outputs relating to supervision (e.g. Journal or conference papers, discipline-specific resource material for colleagues in School/Faculty or generic material for University):
List attendance at Flinders research higher degree supervisor training in previous five years (if relevant):

pplicants may make a case for outstanding supervision based on

Provide a minimum of two and up to four academic peers, in order of preference, with whom the applicant has shared supervision or who have detailed knowledge of their performance and/or supervisory expertise. The Office of Graduate Research will ask them to provide a one-page testimonial.

Name 1: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………