• Section 1 - Establishment
• Background
• Purpose
• Authority
• Section 2 - Membership
• Section 3 - Functions and Responsibilities
• Section 4 - Meetings
• Section 5 - Variations
• Section 6 - Definitions

Section 1 - Establishment

Background

(1) The Academic Senate has established the Academic Senate Research Committee (the Committee). These Terms of Reference set out the Committee’s purpose, authority, membership, functions and responsibilities.

(2) The procedures for the Committee are set out in the Academic Senate and Academic Senate Committees Procedure.

Purpose

(3) The purpose of the Committee is to consider and provide advice to Academic Senate on the University’s strategies, priorities, policies and quality assurance processes for research and graduate research to promote a research and research training culture of excellence and to ensure positive graduate research student outcomes and success. The Committee will support Academic Senate in the academic governance of these goals, including the oversight of research integrity and the monitoring of potential risks.

Authority

(4) Any authorisations provided by Academic Senate to this Committee are documented in Section 3, Functions and Responsibilities.

Section 2 - Membership

(5) The Committee will have:

1. a Chair of the Committee, appointed by the Chair, Academic Senate; and
2. a Deputy Chair of the Committee, appointed by the Chair of the Committee from the membership of the Committee for a term commensurate with their membership of the Committee.

(6) In accordance with clause 32 of the Academic Senate and Academic Senate Committees Procedure, the Committee will comprise the following ex-officio members:

1. the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research);
2. the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research Performance and Development;
3. the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Research;
4. the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research Services;
5. the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Enterprise;
6. the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous);
7. the Executive Dean of each Faculty; and
8. the Deputy Dean, Research and Innovation of each Faculty.

(7) The Committee will also comprise non ex-officio members appointed by the Chair, Academic Senate, including:

1. two (2) elected members of Academic Senate who are research active;
2. two (2) Early Career Researchers, nominated by the Chair of the Committee; and
3. two (2) student members, including the Graduate Research student member on Academic Senate and one additional student member considered by the Chair, Academic Senate, following consultation with the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Research.

(8) The Chair of the Committee may recommend the co-option of up to two (2) appropriately skilled persons to the Committee for a specified term, to be approved by the Chair, Academic Senate. The Chair of the Committee may also invite individuals with specialist knowledge and expertise to attend Committee meetings as required.

(9) The term of office for members in clauses 7 and 8 is two years, unless otherwise specified.

(10) The Chair, Academic Senate may attend meetings of the Committee and will have all rights and duties of a member.

(11) The Chair, Academic Senate may renew any non ex-officio member’s term of appointment (excluding members co-opted by the Chair of the Committee).

Section 3 - Functions and Responsibilities

(12) The Committee is directly responsible and accountable to the Academic Senate for the exercise of its responsibilities.

(13) The Committee will receive reports, monitor, provide advice and make recommendations (as appropriate) on research and graduate research (research training) matters, including:

1. new or revised University policy and procedures relating to research and graduate research (research training), including policies and frameworks governing research collectives, activities, support and graduate research degree programs (such as establishment, review, revision, or termination of programs, including cotutelle/joint PhD programs), as well as considerations for policies on admission, supervision, academic progress, and assessment;
2. the quality of research and research training, including performance against national and institutional benchmarks across the University, and associated risks and measures to effectively control those risks;
3. quality enhancement in research and research training, including providing input into the University's Research Strategy, research initiatives and research training programs, and emerging research challenges (both internal and external);
4. regulatory reporting and legislative responsibilities with respect to research and related matters, including the implementation and monitoring of the Macquarie University Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, the Macquarie University Research Code Complaints, Breaches and Investigation Procedure, and related external legislation, codes and standards; and
5. national and international trends with the potential to impact on research or research training performance.

(14) The Committee will receive and consider matters referred to it by Academic Senate, and consider and report on any other matters referred as required.

(15) Operational and budgetary matters are outside the role and responsibilities of the Committee. This includes the business case of any proposal which must be approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).

(16) Academic Senate has granted the Committee the following authorisations:

1. determine that the requirements for a Graduate Research degree have been met on the advice provided by the Research Degree Subcommittee; and
2. approve the award of Vice-Chancellor Commendation for Graduate Research degree theses on the advice provided by the Research Degree Subcommittee.

Section 4 - Meetings

(17) The quorum shall be at least half the membership of the Committee plus one.

(18) Vacant positions on the Committee do not count toward the calculation of the number required for a quorum.

(19) Refer to the Academic Senate and Academic Senate Committees Procedure for meeting requirements and protocols.

Section 5 - Variations

(20) Variations to this Terms of Reference must be approved by Academic Senate.

Section 6 - Definitions

(21) For the purpose of this document:

1. Committee – means the Academic Senate Research Committee of Academic Senate.