Flinders Research NewsCall for Nominations for ERA & EI 2018 panel members

ERA & EI 2018 logo

Do you want to play a key role in evaluating Australia's research quality, engagement, and impact?

The Australian Research Council (ARC) has called for nominations from Institutions for Chairs and Members of the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) Research Evaluation Committees (RECs) and the Engagement and Impact (EI) Assessment panels.

ERA has been developed by the ARC to assess research quality within Australia’s higher education institutions and evaluations in ERA are undertaken by RECs comprised of experienced, internationally-recognised experts informed by a suite of discipline-specific indicators.

The ERA 2018 assessment will use eight RECs, and each REC consists of a Chair and 15-20 expert reviewers who are the REC Members. REC Chairs and Members will be selected by the ARC from the pool of nominations and from other sources as appropriate. Nominees who are not selected as REC Chairs or REC Members may be approached to participate in ERA as a Peer Reviewer in specified peer review disciplines.

The selection criteria for ERA REC Chairs and ERA REC Membership are:

  1. Research excellence — nationally and internationally recognised research expertise, including attracting and assessing research funding from competitive granting bodies; nominees should be at the forefront of research in their area as well as have a sound understanding of the importance of research.
  2. Broad discipline expertise — broad knowledge and expertise in relevant research area(s); interdisciplinary experience is desirable.
  3. Professional and academic standing — a high level of involvement in institutional/organisational life and engagement with relevant professional association(s).
  4. Interpersonal and team skills and experience — committee/team skills such as forward planning skills, advocacy skills and skills in the management of research; personal qualities of fairness, impartiality, integrity and the ability to work effectively under tight time frames; experience working in panel environments (e.g. grant assessment panels, national or international evaluation panels)

If you wish to be considered for nomination by Flinders for the ERA 2018 REC, EI 2018 Assessment Panel (see below), or both, please send an expression of interest via email to research.data@flinders.edu.au by close of business 18 August 2017. Following an expression of interest, the Research Services Office will request and collate responses to the selection criteria and forward to Professor Robert Saint, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), who will select the nominees from Flinders to be forwarded to the ARC.

The EI 2018 assessment will use five Assessment Panels, and each will consist of a Chair and 15 to 20 expert reviewers.

The selection criteria for Panel Chairs and Researcher Membership are:

  1. Research excellence —nationally and internationally recognised research expertise, including attracting and assessing research funding from competitive granting bodies; nominees should be at the forefront of research in their area as well as have a sound understanding of the importance of research.
  2. Broad discipline expertise—broad knowledge and expertise in relevant research area(s); interdisciplinary experience is desirable.
  3. Professional and academic standing—a high level of involvement in institutional/organisational life and engagement with relevant professional association(s).
  4. Experience coordinating research activity including an understanding the needs of end-user communities.
  5. Interpersonal and team skills and experience—committee/team skills such as forward planning skills, advocacy skills and skills in the management of research; personal qualities of fairness, impartiality, integrity and the ability to work effectively under tight time frames; experience working in panel environments (e.g. grant assessment panels, national or international evaluation panels).

Institutions are also able to nominate end-users of research whose expertise would be relevant to any of the EI 2018 Assessment Panels. If you are aware of any end-users of research that would be suitable and are interested in nominating, encourage them to contact research.data@flinders.edu.au or phoning Ben Jacobs, Manager, Research Data and Reporting, on 8201 3866.

The selection criteria for Panel End-user/Beneficiary Membership are:

  1. Demonstrated leadership experience in private, public or third-sector setting.
  2. Senior-level experience of commissioning, benefitting from, applying or making use of research.
  3. Recognised standing with a relevant end-user community (e.g. board member for a peak body, advisory role to government/industry).
  4. Interpersonal and team skills and experience—committee/team skills such as forward planning skills, advocacy skills and skills in the management of research; personal qualities of fairness, impartiality, integrity and the ability to work effectively under tight time frames; experience working in panel environments (e.g. national or international evaluation panels).

Further information on the process is available by contacting research.data@flinders.edu.au or phoning Ben on 8201 3866.