Executive Director's Report

Year-End Close-Down Period

The official University closedown is from 5pm on Monday 24 December, reopening on Wednesday 2 January. Many areas of the School including many professional staff support teams will be understaffed, as staff begin their leave ahead of the official close-down period. Managers and supervisors will speak to staff in more detail this week about closedown arrangements.

For staff who must attend work over the break, please note that the Service Centre (834 x40888) and Security (834 x46666) will remain available for important maintenance or security concerns. If contact cannot be made to these numbers, Colin Reiter (0401 148 510) then Byron Collins (0466 463 903) are available for urgent matters.

On behalf of the MGSE Professional Staff team, have a pleasant break ahead of another stimulating year in 2019.

MGSE Research Update

The summer period is always busy for research, between Graduate Researcher applications (34 offers made of 105 applicants), and the ARC application cycle in full swing. If you have not yet advised MERI of your intention to apply for an ARC grant in the coming grant rounds please do so urgently – a healthy pipeline of 11 Discovery and 6 DECRA applications is already known.

Another key development is the release of the Research Data Dashboard to MGSE staff, per advice from Manager of MERI Matt Smith to MGSE academic staff last week. The dashboard will enable staff to view research grants, publications and supervisions recorded in University systems, and staff are requested to validate this data by the end of January 2019. Please contact Matt Smith at matt.smith@unimelb.edu.au for further details.

Performance Development Review Cycle

The year-end period is also aligned to the University’s performance review cycle, with performance reviews for professional staff due by end February, and information soon to be released on the academic performance review cycle. Please contact the HR team at mgse-hr@unimelb.edu.au with any queries.

Roland