Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education (RIPPLE) Membership Policy1
(for phase-in2 during 2015)
The RIPPLE community offers a stimulating, scholarly and supportive environment for researchers across the career span working in RIPPLE’s key
research areas. There is a strong emphasis on collegiality, collaboration and collective achievements that contribute to the goals of Charles Sturt
University and to the public good. Working respectively and productively to promote and achieve high quality research through synergies arising
from difference (e.g., disciplinary, conceptual, methodological, cultural) is a key feature of RIPPLE.
1.
Categories of membership and affiliation
a)
Members—meet RIPPLE’s criteria for membership.
b)
Affiliates—may include, for example: early career researchers on promising trajectories and research productive, mid career researchers who do not
yet meet criteria for full membership, and whose work fits closely with programs of research led by senior researchers, and who are keen to
contribute to these programs of research; and advisers and experts in specific areas of relevance to RIPPLE’s research program who are not seeking,
or are not yet eligible for, full membership.
c)
RIPPLE Higher Degree Research (HDR) candidates—enrolled at CSU, supervised by a RIPPLE member, and whose research is primarily within Field of
Research (FoR) code 1300 and contributes to RIPPLE’s research program.
d)
Honorary, Visiting or Adjunct appointments to RIPPLE—have associations with RIPPLE members under the terms and conditions defined in CSU’s
Honorary, Visiting and Adjunct Appointments Policy.
Please note that a person can only belong to one membership category at any one time.
2.
1
Criteria for membership of RIPPLE
a)
Only people with a formal relationship with CSU (namely, staff members or HDR candidates, or as Adjunct, Visiting or Honorary staff members) are
eligible to be members or affiliates of RIPPLE in any category of membership or affiliation.
b)
The key requirements for full membership of RIPPLE relate to:
i)
research intensity, as outlined in Appendix 1; and
ii)
contribution to RIPPLE’s research program.
This policy is consistent with the intent of the following policy documents/consultation papers: The CSU Research Narrative; Defining “Research Active for the Purpose of HDR
Supervision” at CSU; and the Faculty of Education Definition of Research Active and Research Productive.
2
Research activity criteria will apply to new members from the beginning of 2015, and be phased in for existing members by the end of 2015.
c)
3.
4.
A RIPPLE member may not be a full member of another CSU research centre. This restriction does not apply to RIPPLE
Affiliates/Adjuncts/Honorary/Visiting Scholars.
Membership Enquiries and Decisions
a)
Membership enquiries are welcome. Please email ripple@csu.edu.au.
b)
Decisions about membership will be made by the Director, who may consult members of the RIPPLE Advisory Committee.
Support
In addition to providing researchers with a scholarly and collegial environment that supports and promotes high quality research in RIPPLE’s key research
areas, RIPPLE offers a range of supports. A separate document that includes the RIPPLE Administration Levy and Services Matrix, which outlines the
nature and level of specific support RIPPLE can provide, is due for release soon.
5.
Responsibilities is due for release soon
RIPPLE members and affiliates are expected to:
a)
contribute to RIPPLE achieving its performance goals;
b)
contribute to the RIPPLE community, for example, by supporting RIPPLE colleagues, with a special focus on the mentoring of early career researchers
and HDR candidates; and participating in RIPPLE events;
c)
submit research grant applications through RIPPLE and ensure that the Director and Business Manager are aware of all impending applications;
d)
include their RIPPLE affiliation on publications, correspondence and in media coverage, including emails and CSU web profiles;
e)
ensure that their web profile remains up to date;
f)
register all relevant publications in MyResearch (CSU Research Output repository) in time for any HERDC/ERA deadlines and noting RIPPLE affiliation;
g)
provide information about their research activities to RIPPLE’s Communications & Project Officer for publicity purposes; and
h)
promote RIPPLE in research activities with a particular view to developing strong cross-sectoral, national and international networks.
Other members of the RIPPLE community (HDR candidates and those holding Honorary, Visiting or Adjunct appointments) are also encouraged, where
appropriate and feasible, to take on as many of the above responsibilities as possible.
Appendix 1: Research Criteria (on a continuum of levels of research activity)
3
Baseline Measure to be
considered “Research Active” (for
employee development and review
in the Faculty of Education, in
consultation with the staff
member’s Head of School)
Baseline Measure to be considered
“Research Productive” (for career
development and eligibility for Faculty
of Education funding to support
research activities, in consultation with
Faculty research leaders)
Baseline Measure to be considered “Research
Intensive” (generally required for full RIPPLE
membership; and particularly for eligibility to
receive, within the context of a researchintensive group, research support funding
administered by RIPPLE3).
Publications4
At least three research publications
or at least 1.5 HERDC points during
the previous three years (i.e.,
prorated, or distributed across the
three-year period).
At least six research publications or at
least 3 HERDC points during the
previous three years (i.e., prorated, or
distributed across the three-year
period), at least four of which need to
be in outlets considered to be of “top
tier” quality for the discipline.
At least nine research publications or at least
4.5 HERDC points in FoR 13 during the previous
three years (i.e., prorated, or distributed across
the three-year period), at least six of which
need to be in outlets generally considered to be
of high quality for the discipline (e.g., Scimago
Q1, Q2).
AND
AND—staff must also have
achieved one of the following
measures in the previous three
years:
AND –staff must also have achieved
one of the following measures in the
previous three years:
AND
Grant Income5
Awarded external research grant
income (any of Categories 1, 2 or
3).
Awarded external research grant
income (any of Categories 1, 2 or 3).
Awarded external research grant income,
normally in FoR 13, as first-named CI (any of
Categories 1, 2 or 3).
Includes RIPPLE Strategic Funds and RIPPLE Fellowships.
Publications must be refereed, scholarly works and may include books, book chapters, journal articles and conference papers per HERDC and ERA inclusion criteria. Multiauthored publications count as a full publication for each author, typically. Where a research-focused book is produced, this may be considered equivalent to five journal articles,
per HERDC and ERA guidelines.
5
For the baseline of “research active”, grants held at other institutions, even if no money comes to CSU, may be counted. At the “research productive” level, grants should have
funds coming to CSU.
4
6
OR
OR
OR
AND
Supervision
Supervision (as a Principal or CoSupervisor) to successful
completion of at least one higher
degree by research student.
Supervision (as a Principal or CoSupervisor) to successful completion of
at least one higher degree by research
student.
(Subject to opportunity) supervision (as a
Principal or Co-Supervisor) to successful
completion of at least one higher degree by
research student.
OR
OR
OR
Additional
Publications
Publication of a further three
publications or at least 1.5 HERDC
points (prorated), in the research
categories listed above.
Publication of a further three
publications or at least 3 HERDC points
(prorated), in the research categories
listed above, at least two of which need
to be in outlets considered to be of “top
tier” quality for the discipline.
Special
consideration
for ECRs and
staff with
career
interruptions
Staff who do not meet this baseline
measure because they are within
five years of PhD completion OR
have had a break in their career
(e.g., maternity leave, illness), will
be considered to meet this
measure with an average output of
one HERDC publication per year.
Staff who do not meet this aspirational
measure because they are within five
years of PhD completion OR have had a
break in their career (e.g., maternity
leave), will be considered to meet this
measure with an average output of two
HERDC publications per year.
Special consideration will be considered on a
case by case basis6, and will reflect the
understanding that sustainable research
concentrations require researchers at all career
points. Main criteria to be taken into account:

Clear momentum in moving rapidly
through research active and productive
stages (relative to career stage and
opportunity)

Demonstrated potential to be a future
research leader
RIPPLE postdoctoral and research fellows are automatically awarded full membership for the duration of their appointment.