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Excellence in Research for Australia


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The ARC has conducted the first of the ERA assessments in 2009. The ERA Trial Submission was conducted on two Clusters: Physical, Chemical and Earth (PCE) Sciences and Humanities and the Creative Arts (HCA). In 2010, the full ERA submission will be conducted using 8 discipline-based panels:

1. Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences (PCE)

2. Humanities & Creative Arts (HCA)

3. Engineering & Environmental Sciences (EE)

4. Social, Behavioural & Economic Sciences (SBE)

5. Mathematical Information & Computing Sciences (MIC)

6. Biological and Biotechnological Sciences (BB)

7. Biomedical and Clinical Health Sciences (BCH)

8. Public and Allied Health Sciences (PAH)

The ARC will release the guidelines for the full submission in December 2009.

The Submission Guidelines and Technology Pack for the PCE and HCA Trial Submission are found in the ARC website: Final Submission Guidelines and ERA –SEER Technology Pack

The assessment for two clusters is undertaken in 2009 as trials. The Physics Chemistry Earth Sciences (PCE) Cluster was submitted in June 2009 with outcomes due November 2009. The Humanities & Creative Arts (HCA) Cluster was submitted in August 2009 with outcomes due December 2009.

The ARC will report outcomes of the ERA trials directly to the universities. Individual university information will not be released publicly, but the ARC will release consolidated information at a national level.

The outcome of the trial will inform a full ERA assessment process (all clusters) in 2010.

For the PCE & HCA trials, the data collected are research outputs, grant income, applied outputs and staff information.


UNSW ERA DATA COLLECTION (6-Year Reference Period for ERA Trial Round - 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2007)

  • The Online Research Activity Census was reopened on 31 March to collect researcher data. Further details can be found at ERA Latest News.
  • Lists of eligible staff (as per our HR database) were distributed to ADRs and other relevant ERA contacts
  • The ERA Team worked with the Library, Faculties and Schools on collecting and verifying missing research outputs
  • The ERA Team, Faculties, Schools and the Library worked on selecting and uploading research outputs selected for the HCA Cluster peer review in the appropriate institutional repository
  • The ERA Team submitted ERA collection data via ARC’s online submission system (SEER).
Research Outputs

  • Data were collected for the whole University
  • PCE and HCA Clusters were required to complete the research outputs collection by 18 May and 26 June respectively
  • The collection followed the current DEST publications collection process and data were stored in the library using Research Master (cover sheets, verification, data entry)
  • The ERA Team and the library distributed verification reports listing outputs already recorded in UNSW database
  • For researchers who have not been at UNSW for the whole reference period (2002-2007) and who were ‘paid’ members of staff at the census date, we needed to collect all outputs for the reference period, regardless of the researcher’s location
  • ERA Team and the library worked with Faculty/School collection coordinators to collect completed cover sheets, do the data entry and verification.
HCA Data Collection

20% of outputs were selected for peer review for each Field of Research group (4 digit FoR code). Faculties identified the top 20% of outputs of any output type. Each Creative works research output required a statement, maximum 250 words, identifying the research component and addressing:

  • Research background (field, context, research question)
  • Research contribution (innovation, new knowledge)
  • Research significance (evidence of excellence)

RESEARCH INCOME (3-Year Reference Period for ERA Trial Round - 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2007)

  • UNSW only submitted income that was part of HERDC for the relevant year. Income data collection aligns with the following HERD categories:
  • Australian Competitive Grants (Category 1)
  • Other Public Sector Research Income (Category 2)
  • Industry and Other Research Income (Category 3) split by:
  1. Australian
  2. International A (Competitive, Peer Reviewed Research Grant Income)
  3. International B (Other Income)
  • CRC Research Income (Category 4)

APPLIED MEASURES (3-Year Reference Period for ERA Trial Round - 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2007)

  • Applied Measures included patents, registered designs and research commercialisation income.

CRITICAL DATES

Trial Submission 2009
Full Submission 2010
  • PCE Trial outcomes due November 2009
  • Release of full ERA Submission Guidelines -December 2009
  • HCA Trial outcomes due December 2009
  • Submission commences June 2010
  • Release of the ERA institutional reports and publication of  ERA national outcomes - December 2009 
 

Excellence in Research for Australia