Research News

Academic resilience in times of adversity

Closing Date: Friday 30 April 

You are invited to participate in a short online survey to identify one strategy that has helped you manage your academic work during COVID-19.

Contact Marian Mahat for any queries.

Researcher practices and needs for sensitive research data management

The University is seeking your help regarding research data management practices and needs. Survey results will guide the ongoing development of digital research infrastructure, services and resources. Your assistance will help researchers across the University manage sensitive research data more easily and securely.

The survey takes approximately 15 minutes.

Contact Kim D'Costa for any queries.

More information and registration can be found on the Survey Webpage.

Associate Professor Martin Davies has been invited to be a member of the External Evaluation and Quality Board, Crithinkedu, for an EU-funded, Erasmus+ project entitled: “Critical Thinking for Successful Jobs-Think4You".

The Infonetica Ethics Review Manager (ERM) is now fully operational for researchers to apply to conduct studies involving humans.

Ethics support contacts

Infonetica technical support

• ServiceNow webform (staff-only)
• Research helpline: (03) 8344 0999

General human ethics support

• General information can be found on the Human Ethics website.
• General queries can be emailed to the Human Ethics Enquiries team.

Human Research Ethics Committees (HREC)

• General information, including meeting dates and committee membership, can be found on the HREC page.
• For information regarding a specific HREC, please contact the Research Ethics Officer assigned to that committee, found under the Committee Membership of the HREC website.
• HREC queries can be emailed to the Human Ethics Enquiries team.

Apply for ethics approval

• To apply for ethics approval, please visit the step-by-step guide.

Complaints or concerns

• Any complaints or concerns about the conduct of a research project should be emailed to the Research Integrity Administrator. You can also call on (03) 8344 1376.

All research and evaluation activity involving these sites requires approval through the Department of Education and Training’s (DET’s) Research in Schools and Early Childhood settings (RISEC) process.

In February 2021, research activity involving education settings resumed or commenced for research commissioned, partnered, or supported by DET or other Victorian government departments, on the condition that data were provided about the anticipated time burden on education settings.

Under the next phase of resumption, research activity involving education settings may resume in Term 2, 2021 for remaining RISEC approval holders. Researchers with RISEC approvals may now contact schools or early childhood sites to arrange their Term 2 activities. Researchers must meet the following condition:

• that data have been provided to DET in 2021 about the anticipated time burden on education settings (a survey link has previously been emailed to existing RISEC approval holders).

In addition, the following researchers are invited to contact the Strategic Research Team at research@education.vic.gov.au to discuss their circumstances, including the possibility of commencing or recommencing their research prior to Term 2:

• university students who will not meet their course requirements if they delay their fieldwork
• RISEC approval holders with expiring funding, where that funding cannot be extended.

DET is accepting RISEC applications, or requests to amend existing RISEC approvals, meeting the above requirements only.

The RISEC webpage will be updated once further information becomes available.

Any queries may be directed to the Strategic Research Team at research@education.vic.gov.au

For more information visit the Conduct research page on the Education and Training website.

CEM is still accepting applications to conduct research in CEM schools and these applications will be subjected to the usual review process. However, even if approved, researchers are not yet permitted to approach schools until they are given written permission by CEM. All approvals at the moment are ‘conditional’. Some projects have been exempt from this current ban on approaching schools (e.g. research that has been instigated by a school not an external researcher, or research that had already begun pre-COVID), but this is considered by CEM.

Submissions close Monday 12 April.

This year the Teaching and Learning Conference (1-2 June, online) will explore the theme "Transitioning to COVID-normal: Developing a new ecosystem for teaching, learning and assessment". Abstracts are invited from both academic and professional staff.

Contact Melbourne CSHE for queries.

More information is available on the Teaching and Learning Conference webpage.

Nominations are invited for the annual Chancellor's Prize for Excellence in the PhD Thesis for 2021. Students who completed a PhD degree in 2020 are eligible for nomination and supervisors are encouraged to consult with their Head of Department/School. Nominations must be submitted to Faculty Deans by Heads of Departments/Schools by Friday 14 May.

Contact Xian-Zhi Lai for any queries.

More information is available on the Chancellor's Prize webpage.

NHMRC Biennial Awards

Closes Thursday 1 April 5.00pm

Nominations for outstanding leadership, innovation and sector contribution of individuals and groups from our health and medical research sector are now open.

• NHMRC Research Quality Award
• NHMRC Consumer Engagement Award
• NHMRC Ethics Award
• NHMRC Science to Art Award

Please coordinate with your local Research Office. Contact Fiona MacPhail for any queries.

More information can be found on the NHMRC Awards webpage.

The University of Melbourne has a central Staff Travel and Off Campus Work page which is continuously updated with advice to be considered by anyone travelling on University business. Please see the following page (access requires a UoM username and password).