Policies and procedures
POLICY NO: RES-18.0
DATE OF APPROVAL: 25 June 2010
AMENDMENTS:
REFERENCE AUTHORITY: Deputy Vice Chancellor and Vice President (Research & Innovation)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
Higher Degrees by Research Policy
(RES 10.3) and
Academic Regulations
(for Higher Degrees by Research) (for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
by portfolio of publications)
Postgraduate Coursework Degrees with a significant
research component (A 49.2)
Quality Assurance and Improvement in Higher Degrees
by Research (RES 15.1)
Responsible Practice in Research Policy
(RES 1.1)
Human Research Ethics Policy
(RES 2.2)
Animal Experimentation Policy
(RES 3.2)
Biological Hazards and Genetically Modified Organisms
(RES 4.3)
Ionising Radiation Policy
(HR 29.1)
University activities
(C 20.2)
Authorship Policy (RES
12.0)
Equal Opportunity Policy
(C 2.4)
Occupational Health, Safety, Welfare and Injury
Management Policy (C 6.3)
Code of good practice: research degrees management
and supervision
A
code of good practice: Relationships between staff and students
Student Grievances Resolution
(C 17.3)
Graduate Qualities
Honorary Academic Titles Policy
(C 16.3)
Research Training Scheme guidelines
The University requires high quality Higher Degree by Research (HDR) supervision to achieve good outcomes: high quality, high integrity and satisfying research education and training for HDR students; high completion rates and low completion times; good research results and research outcomes for the University; development of graduates who are well-trained and well-skilled, responsible independent researchers who demonstrate the highest levels of competency in relation to the University's research degree graduate qualities.
As part of the University's research education quality assurance framework in line with the policy Quality Assurance and Improvement in Higher Degrees by Research (RES 15.1), to ensure a high quality of research supervision the University operates a Register of university staff (including Adjuncts Honorary Academic Titles) who are currently Principal, Co- and Associate Supervisors of HDR students.
1. The University will maintain a Register of current Higher Degree Research (HDR) Supervisors (known as the 'Register').
2. The Register of Current HDR Supervisors has two sections:
3. A staff member may be registered in both Sections of the Register of Current HDR Supervisors if they are currently an active Associate Supervisor and an active Principal/ Co-Supervisor.
4. Each HDR student will have at least two supervisors appointed, one of whom shall be nominated as a Principal Supervisor and one as an Associate Supervisor unless co- supervision is required.
5. To be appointed as supervisor of an HDR student in the University a person must qualify for admission to the Register of Current HDR Supervisors.
6. Supervisors shall carry out the duties and responsibilities in accordance with relevant University policies, Academic Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research and the Code of good practice: research degrees management and supervision.
7. The University will provide specified supervisor induction programs for supervisors new to supervision and new to the University, and compulsory continuing professional development programs and resources for all supervisors.
8. Schools, Divisions and Institutes will provide appropriate resources to support postgraduate research and will give proper recognition of the workload required for Principal/ Co- and Associate Supervisors to carry out their duties, in accordance with Academic Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research and the Code of good practice: research degrees management and supervision.
9. Registration in the Associate Supervisor Section is on the basis that the applicant:
a. is a staff member with a minimum 12 month contract; and
b. holds a higher degree by research, or has an equivalent record of scholarly achievement; and
c. has undertaken the University's supervisor induction program or does so within 12 months of becoming an active Associate Supervisor OR has a record of supervising at least one HDR student to successful completion of their degree at UniSA or elsewhere as either an Associate or Principal/Co-Supervisor within the past 5 years and has read and understands University policies, regulations and codes relevant to postgraduate research supervision.
10. Registration in the Principal/ Co-Supervisor Section is on the basis that the applicant has fulfilled all the requirements for membership of the Associate Supervisor Section as outlined above and:
d. has a record of supervising at least one HDR student to successful completion of their degree at UniSA or elsewhere as either an Associate or Principal/Co-Supervisor, within the past 5 years; and
e. has achieved 1.5 'research activity' points in the previous three calendar years at UniSA or at previous place of employment.
11. Exemptions may be granted in the following cases and Deans, Research will maintain a register of the granted exemptions and provide it to Research Degrees Committee on an annual basis:
a. Early Career Researcher (ECR): Deans, Research may grant an exemption where the ECR has not met all of the registration criteria (e.g. a record of prior HDR supervision) for joining the Register as a Principal or Co- Supervisor but where there is clear evidence of the research capacity of the ECR (e.g. through the holding of a competitive Research Fellowship, a track record of publications or other research outputs which would be eligible for inclusion in a national research assessment exercise etc).
b. Other cases: Deans, Research may present a special case to the Dean of Graduate Studies if particular registration criteria are not met for nominees other than ECRs who wish to supervise an HDR student as either Associate or Principal/ Co-Supervisor. The final decision on registration in such cases resides with the Dean of Graduate Studies.
12. When a prospective, new or current HDR student nominates a supervisor, the Dean, Research will determine whether the nominee meets the criteria to supervise according to the membership criteria for the relevant section of the Register. If/ when the nominee meets the criteria they can be admitted to the relevant section of the Register.
13. A supervisor who no longer meets one or more criteria for registration will remain listed in the Register section where they commenced supervision of the HDR student/s only for the duration of candidature. They will only be able to supervise a new HDR student when they meet the criteria for the relevant section of the Register.
14. Members of the Register are required to undertake supervisor professional development on an annual basis. Divisions and Institutes will monitor participation in supervisor professional development activities annually. Non-participation in supervisor professional development activities may lead to removal from the Register.
15. A person who wishes to appeal against a decision not to approve their registration or against their deregistration on the basis of not meeting membership criteria should submit an appeal in writing to the Dean of Graduate Studies. The appeal will be determined by Research Degrees Committee, whose decision will be final. If the appeal is not upheld, a staff member may re-apply for registration at any time that they consider that the conditions for membership have been met.
16. Research and Innovation Services (RIS) maintains a database containing information for each membership requirement of each section of the Register. The database is updated with information at least annually by 1 August of each year.
17. Relevant data are made routinely available to the Deans, Research and to each supervisor on the Register to facilitate the process of assigning staff to Associate or Principal/ Co-Supervisors roles of new HDR students enrolling on or after 1 August in that year.
18. The Deans, Research are responsible for ensuring that staff members in their area are aware of the criteria for admission to each section of the Register and the type of supervision they may undertake for new HDR student/s enrolling on or after 1 August in any calendar year.
19. When a prospective, new or current HDR student nominates a supervisor, the Dean, Research will determine whether the nominee meets the Register membership criteria to supervise in the relevant role.
20. Divisions/ Institutes/ Schools will determine whether the nominated supervision arrangement is appropriate in accordance with this policy and the relevant Academic Regulations (particularly sections 3.2 and 7), paying due consideration to workload implications.
21. An HDR Supervisor will only be appointed when there is a reasonable expectation that they will continue to satisfy the criteria for membership of the Register and will be available to supervise the HDR student for the normal duration of the degree.
22. Normally, a Principal/ Co- Supervisor of a research doctoral student should themselves hold a doctoral degree by research, preferably in a relevant or methodologically similar discipline.
23. A Principal/ Co- Supervisor of a research masters student should have expertise in the discipline.
24. To be appointed as an Associate Supervisor of an HDR student in the University, a person must have appropriate expertise in the discipline.
Research activity points are calculated as follows. A score of 1.0 is awarded for:
Weighted publication scores will be scored in the publication categories collected via the Higher Education Research Data Collection and the categories collected via the Internal Publications Collection.
These criteria may be varied from time to time by the Research Policy Committee.
A staff member with appropriate expertise who provides support to the Principal Supervisor in guiding the postgraduate research undertaken by the HDR student.
A staff member who shares the Principal Supervisor role of an HDR student with another staff member.
A student enrolled in one of the University's higher degree by research programs.
Also refers to their equivalents in Divisions, Institutes and CRE.
Also refers to the Centre for Regional Engagement.
PhD, Masters by Research and Professional Doctorate by Research.
The research that is conducted as part of the requirements for HDR. It does not include research projects conducted as part of Honours, Graduate Diploma, Professional Doctorate by coursework or and Masters by coursework degrees.
Refers to the Ian Wark Research Institute and to the Institute for Telecommunications Research.
A staff member who has prime responsibility for guiding the postgraduate research undertaken by a designated HDR student and for overseeing the progress of that student towards completion of their research degree. Normally, a Principal supervisor works in the Division or Institute where the student is enrolled.
Professional Development (see Supervisor professional development)
The Register of current HDR supervisors ('the Register') identifies persons who are currently supervising HDR students at the University of South Australia.
A member of staff or adjunct of the University.
Supervising @ UniSA or other relevant online induction, as required.
Refers to a range of face-to-face or on-line pedagogical activities that might include:
