Professor Edwina CornishSenior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)March 2011

Research at Monash

Monash at a glance

• Established in 1958 with first student intake in 1961

• Group of Eight University• Annual turnover of $1.4 billion• 6 Australian campuses• International footprint: Malaysia, South

Africa, Italy and India• 7,597 FTE employees• 62,565 students from over 100 countries

10 Faculties

• Art & Design• Arts• Business and Economics• Education• Engineering• Information Technology• Law• Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences• Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences• Science

Research Performance - RevenueTotal Research Income

224219233

186

143

121

110100

8373

636458585756

0

50

100

150

200

250

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Mill

ion

s ($

)

246

2010

Monash Research Strategy (2011-2015)

Goal To make a difference, that is generate impact through excellent and relevant research

Six enabling strategies

Outcome Research that is more responsive, and outwardly focused, and to focus on areas of current emerging strength

Building leading interdisciplinary teams

Achieving Monash’s Research Objectives

TALENT

Active translation of research

Attraction of Government, Industry and Community

partners

Enablers to attract and

retain talent

Enablers to support talent to

deliver impact

Talent enhancement

strategy

Research training

World-class infrastructure

Professionalising research

management

IMPACT

1. Talent Enhancement StrategyThe TES provides support to attract, recognise, reward and retain researchers that are both excellent quality and focused on delivering high external impact , e.g.

For more information visit - http://intranet.monash.edu.au/research/talentenhancement.html

Prof Nigel Bunnett

• Australia Fellowship holder from USA

• Major engagements with pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Astra-Zeneca.

Prof Xinhua Wu

• Fellow of IoM3 from UK

• Major engagements with Rolls Royce, Airbus and BAE Systems.

Prof Emanuele Viterbo

• ISI Highly Cited researcher from Italy

• Major engagements with Nokia and Thyia Technologies (which he co-founded).

2. Building interdisciplinary teamsResearch that addresses society’s big questions will be multi-disciplinary – the challenge for universities is to provide the structures that will enable this.

Monash has had some recent notable successes in bringing together impact oriented IDR teams – e.g.

• Centre for Water Sensitive Cities

3. Research training

Two major initiatives are being pursued to improve the quality and relevance of Monash research training

– Monash Institute of Graduate Studies

– The modern Monash PhD

Research Training white paper: http://intranet.monash.edu.au/monashfutures/themes/research-strategy/

4. World class infrastructure

Research infrastructure enables cutting edge research across disciplines:

MASSIVE: a High Performance Computing supporting Imaging and Visualisation facility with $8M of investment over 3 years, establishing high tech imaging and visualisation capabilities to support biomedical research & digital manufacturing

To deliver impact, world class researchers must be supported by world class infrastructure.

Major strategic research problems can only be tackled by cross-linking cutting edge skills and research platforms.

For more information visit - Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Research Infrastructure) Ian.Smith@monash.edu

4. World class infrastructure cont…..Monash has invested, and will continue to invest, heavily in establishing & maintaining major research platforms to facilitate cutting edge research across discipline boundaries. Recent investments include:• Synchrotron• Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy • Biomedical research platforms• e-Research platform• Nanofabrication Centre• Monash Biomedical Imaging• Green Chemistry Futures• New Horizons building

Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy

Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication

5. Translating research to deliver impact

Outward-facing research structures are critical in delivering impact – e.g.

• MUARC• Institute for Safety Compensation Recovery Research

(ISCRR)• Monash Sustainability Institute/ClimateWorks

Industry Engagement and Commercialisation Group

5. Translating research to deliver impact

• Cross-discipline and/or cross-organisational relationships

• Multi-pronged collaborations - government, industry, university

• Strong governance arrangements that include partners as decision makers in the process not just as end-users

• Cutting edge research occurring at the nexus between different disciplines

• Draws on university level resources not just faculties – platforms are an enormous advantage

• Long-term research programmes rather than projects

• Translation of research to impact

Experience at Monash shows that the characteristics of outward-facing research models that successfully deliver impact include:

6. Professionalising research management• Ensuring that research management services provide the best support

to researchers will enable Monash talent to perform at its best

• This theme aligns with the Monash Futures Improved Services agenda

• ‘Research professionalisation’ requires

– up-skilling of research administrators & managers

– improved communication processes

– better knowledge sharing

• To be launched at the 2011 Research Administrators Conference – held biennially for all research training & administration staff

Office of the DVC (Research)

• Governance

– Monash Research Committee

– Strategies for improving research performance

– Major grant/fellowships and proposal development support

• Policy

– Compliance with external legislation including the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research

– Research policies and procedures http://www.intranet.monash.edu.au/research/policies.html

• Co-investment in major research funding initiatives

Networks and Developmental Programs

• Welcome to Monash program• Future Research Leaders Program (in-depth half day

workshops)– http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/human-resources/leadership-

development/future-research-leaders.html

• ECR Network and ECR Portal– http://intranet.monash.edu.au/research/ecr/index.html

• Research Seminars and Information Programs– http://intranet.monash.edu.au/research/seminars/info-sessions.html

• University-wide Mentoring Scheme for Women– http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/sss/equity-diversity/wlas/mentoring-for-

women.html

Note: Faculties offer specific orientation / induction programs in addition to today’s program

Research Awards and Recognition

• Vice-Chancellor’s Award for:– Research Excellence by Early Career

Researchers– Excellence in Innovation and External

Collaboration– Excellence in Postgraduate Supervision

• Research Prizes and Awardshttp://www.monash.edu.au/researchoffice/calendar-int/index.html