Curtin Research Fellowships

The call for applications in 2016, for commencement in 2017, refers to a targeted research-only fellowship with two streams:

• Early Career Researcher Fellowship: Suitably qualified applicants who have been awarded a PhD on or after 1 March 2011.
• Senior Research Fellowship: Suitably qualified applicants with more than five years post-doctoral experience.

The Curtin University Research Fellowship Scheme supports the University’s commitment to be a research intensive university. The scheme is highly competitive and amongst the most prized university Fellowship schemes in Australia. The call for applications in 2016, for commencement in early 2017, refers to a targeted research-only Fellowship. Eligible applicants are able to apply for a Fellowship level appropriate to their record of research, and must be able to demonstrate an exceptionally strong record of research, according to opportunity.

Curtin University has research strengths in the following areas:

• Minerals and energy
• ICT and emerging technologies
• Health
• Sustainable development

Curtin has four academic faculties that contribute to the research strengths, through identified core research themes and areas as  follows:

Curtin Business School

Public policy (including housing and property, population, infrastructure, regional and rural development); energy and minerals economics; labour (employment relations and HR) and human resources; organisational behaviour and strategy; health and sustainable tourism; the digital economy concentrating on decision analysis and big data; governance, tax and regulation; finance, business performance; and corporate social responsibility; logistics, as set management and supply chain management, and media and brand management.

Faculty of Health Sciences

Metabolic Health (including Physical Activity, Food science and Nutrition ), Biosciences (including Cell Biology, Cancer and Chronic diseases), Pharmaceutical sciences (including drug discovery), Neurosciences (including Psychology, Cognitive Sciences and Mental Health), Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, and Public Health and Health Informatics.

Faculty of Humanities

Creative, cultural and critical inquiry; New knowledge environments; and Sustainability. These themes encompass a wide range of research and creative practice across four schools (Built Environment; Design and Art; Education; and Media, Culture and Creative Arts) and multiple centres; most notably the Australia-Asia-Pacific-Institute; Centre for Culture and Technology; Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute; and Centre for Human Rights Education. The Faculty’s special-focus fields of research are Building; Urban and regional planning; Education; Communication and media studies; and Cultural studies.

Faculty of Science and Engineering

High-quality fundamental and applied research. Established and emerging research strengths lie in the areas of radio astronomy; analytical and physical chemistry; geosciences; spatial sciences; chemical, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering; environmental science and agriculture; past and present biodiversity and climates, energy, petroleum, minerals and mining engineering; theoretical and applied physics; mathematics and computing.

Centre for Aboriginal Studies

The Centre for Aboriginal Studies (CAS) aspires to contribute to positive social change for Indigenous Australians through higher education and research. CAS contributes to Curtin’s research portfolio in many areas, some of which concern Indigenous people and sport; Indigenous people and social justice; and approaches to strengthening the wellbeing, participation and life chances of future generations. CAS also engages in coll aborative research with the faculties of Curtin University into areas suc h as Indigenous health, sustainability, justice, tourism and business.

Applications for the Curtin Research Fellowships are called for researchers at all levels, from early career through to senior researchers, from all discipline areas. Applicants must have an excellent track record in research in their discipline area.

General considerations

The objectives of the Curtin Research Fellowship Scheme are to attract external and (with conditions) internal applicants to:

• substantially enhance Curtin’s research capacity, capability and performance;
• increase Curtin’s pool of higher degree by research supervisors; and,
• attract and retain highly talented staff with excellent potential for providing future academic leadership at Curtin.

Each Fellow will receive competitive remuneration and a contribution towards the cost of the Fellow’s research project. Fellows will be expected to:

• progressively gain national competitive grant funding to support their own research;
• undertake supervision of postgraduate research students associated with their research project; and
• give high priority to the publication of results in journals and other scholarly media of international standing appropriate to the research discipline.

A Fellow will be appointed as a staff member within the Recruiting Area or University Research Institute/Centre sponsoring the Fellowship application.

Fellowships will be for a period of up to four years as a research-only appointment. With the support of the Recruiting Area a Research Fellowship may be awarded for five years on the basis of an 80 percent research and 20 percent teaching appointment (with 20 percent of the total cost of employment provided by the Recruiting Area).

Appointment Details and Benefits

Fellows will be expected to commence appointment between 1 January and 28 February 2017.

Fellows who have been awarded their PhD on or after 01 March 2011 (Early Career Fellows) will generally be remunerated at the ALB salary scale with the appointment for the first year being made at the first point of the scale.

Fellows who have been awarded their PhD prior to 01 March 2011 (Senior Research Fellows) will generally be remunerated at the ALC salary scale with the appointment for the first year being made at the first point of the scale. Exceptions to the above are to be negotiated with the relevant Head of Area. Increments within the salary level are awarded annually.

Curtin employee benefits include up to 17 percent employer superannuation contribution, a comprehensive salary packaging program, and flexible and family friendly work practices.

Research support of up to $15,000 will be provided in the first year and support of up to $10,000, $3,000 and $2,000 respectively will be provided in years two, three and four. It is expected that the Fellow’s research record will move progressively towards self-funding during the four year appointment period through success in externally-funded grant applications.

Fellows are encouraged to participate fully into the activities and academic life of the University.

Eligibility

Applicants must have been awarded a research doctoral degree (equivalent to an Australian PhD degree), and preference will be given to external applicants and applicants who have joined Curtin University within approximately two years of the closing date for applications.

Applicants who are not Australian citizens are encouraged to apply.

Persons who hold a current continuing employment contract in a research or part research role with Curtin are ineligible to apply for the Curtin Research Fellowship and Curtin Indigenous Research Fellowship programs.

Applicants are required to contact the relevant Head of Recru iting Area in which they propose to undertake the research, prior to submitting the application, to discuss the proposed research program and obtain advice on the research priorities for the Recruiting Area. Preference will be given to applicants with strong strategic alignment. Applications without a certification section bearing the signature of the appropriate Head of Recruiting Area to confirm approval for support will not be considered.

Early career applicants must nominate a mentor associated with the Recruiting Area. This should be done in discussion with the Head of Recruiting Area. To broaden your research experience it is suggested that the mentor not be your doctoral supervisor.

Relocation Expenses

Where a Fellowship is awarded to an overseas or interstate applicant, the host Recruiting Area may agree to reimburse the cost of a direct economy airfare for the Fellow and their dependant(s) and may reimburse reasonable removal expenses.

If a Fellow relinquishes their Fellowship within two years of the commencement date, they will be required to refund, on a pro-rata basis, the travel and removal expenses provided by the University.

Selection criteria

• Demonstrated research excellence relative to opportunity as measured by competitive achievement (ECR) or by internationally competitive achievement (Senior Research Fellows).
• Demonstrated research capability that aligns well with strategic research directions of the University and Host Area.
• Demonstrated potential to enhance Curtin’s research performance through success in attracting research income (particularly national competitive research grant funding) and generating high quality publications.
• Ability to make a substantial contribution to postgraduate research student supervision.
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, with emphasis on the ability to present and communicate research outcomes.
• Demonstrated capacity to work as part of a research team.
• Demonstrated leadership potential (ECR) or leadership skills (Senior Research Fellows).
• Potential to enhance Curtin University’s research capacity and capability.
• Preference will be given to external applicants and applicants who have joined Curtin University within approximately two years of the closing date for applications.
• Demonstrated commitment to Occupational Safety and Health and Equal Employment Opportunity principles and practice.