Professor Ron AdamsWith information from Professor Helen Borland

Victoria University

WHAT I WILL COVERIssues

Consolidating robust doctoral schools/programs Role of PhD students beyond the schools/programs

themselves Early career research supervision development

Focus Empowering and equipping PhD students to take greater

responsibility for their own research trainingScope

To complement national, institutional and supervisor initiatives to strengthen doctoral programs and improve research/researcher outcomes

DOCTORAL TRAINING FOR A GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

Two 10 x 1½ hour programs last week at La Sabana: Student program: Equipping yourself as a doctoral

researcher Staff program: Building capacity for doctoral training

Workshops explored frameworks and strategies to empower and equip doctoral students to take greater responsibility for their own research training This is often overlooked in doctoral training initiatives

EQUIPPING YOURSELF AS A DOCTORAL RESEARCHER STUDENT WORKSHOPS

1. Taking a strategic approach to researcher as well as research success 2. Strategies for successfully completing doctoral research 3. Strategies for developing as a writer 4. Journal publishing as part of the doctoral journey 5. Why being an ethical researcher is fundamental to researcher

development 6. Developing yourself as a researcher by taking opportunities to learn

and network within the University7. Taking responsibility for your own doctoral outcomes8. Pursuing excellence as a doctoral researcher and beyond9. What examiners look for10. Working together to put innovative doctoral training into practice

BUILDING CAPACITY FOR DOCTORAL TRAINING STAFF WORKSHOPS

1. Doctoral training in Australia—an overview2. Researcher development within the university3. Encouraging ethical research4. Victoria University’s PhD Coursework model5. Demystifying thesis supervision: equipping supervisors to supervise

well6. Publishing within the doctorate 7. Empowering candidates to take responsibility for their own doctoral

training8. Networking and collaborating beyond the university—involvement in

industry-embedded projects9. Approaches to Quality Assurance10. The future of doctoral training in Australia

ROSARIO WORKSHOPS TOMORROW

1. Strategies for successfully completing doctoral research (Workshop 1 for students)

2. Strategies for successfully supervising doctoral research (Workshop 2 for staff )

3. The place of coursework in successfully completing doctoral research (Workshop 3 goes online)

ALL VU PhD STUDENTS COMPLETE CENTRAL COURSEWORK UNITS

PhD Coursework units Code Unit

ROP8001 Conceptualising and Contextualising Research

ROP8002 Research Integrity and Ethics

PhD (Integrated) UGR7001 Introduction to Research Methodology

UGR7002 Research Design and Proposal Development

UGR7003 Research Integrity and Ethics

UGR7004 Introduction to Qualitative Methods

UGR7005 Introduction to Quantitative Methods

UGR7008 English Language for Graduate Researchers

CONCEPTUALISING AND CONTEXTUALISING RESEARCH

Complements the work students do with their supervisors in the lead-up to Confirmation of Candidature

Lays the foundations for them to complete their PhD in a timely fashion

Introduces them to other research students also embarking on a PhD at VU

Helps them position their PhD within a broader research context

(Workshop 3 tomorrow will take participants online)

RESEARCH INTEGRITY AND ETHICS

9 x 2 hour sessions + assessments + mini-conference poster on a relevant ethical issue for their fieldSmall group seminar format, supplemented with online and library resources

Our strategies: Create cross-disciplinary groups—to foster interdisciplinary ethical awareness Start with topics that relate to all—concepts, relationships, authorship, data

management Encourage exploration of concepts and debates in relation to student’s field Tailor assessment tasks to focus into their discipline and project—move from general to

specific Continuing development is important—learning is incremental

(Workshop 3 tomorrow will take participants online)

RESEARCH AND RESEARCHER

VU PRACTICE INFORMED BY UK RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

PRACTICE ALSO INFORMED BY VU’s DEMYSTIFYING THE THESIS FRAMEWORK

Comprises four programs: 1-day Beginning a Thesis (new international students) 3-day Demystify Your Thesis (all students) 2-day Demystifying Thesis Supervision (staff) 6-day residential Performing the Word Writing Retreat

Informs other university programs Research Design & Proposal Development (PhD

Integrated) Conceptualising & Contextualising Research (PhD

coursework) Supervising Research Students (GCTE unit for new staff)

DEMYSTIFYING THE THESIS

A framework for empowering and equipping students to take greater responsibility for their own research training

What it is not not a blueprint not a replacement for the supervisor

What it is a means to empower students to ask the right kinds of questions a framework to equip them to arrive at the right kinds of answers a model for working productively with their supervisor a way of sharpening institutional focus on research training

3-DAY DEMYSTIFY YOUR THESIS PROGRAM

1. Getting the most out of your supervisor2. Being an independent researcher is more than

completing a thesis 3. What is a thesis4. Developing a Research Question5. The Literature Review: when to start & when to stop 6. Finding your voice in what you write 7. The architecture of a thesis 8. Controlling your chapters 9. What examiners look for

QUALITY RESEARCH PLUS QUALITY RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT

As well as quality assurance of the finished research product, we need to ensure quality outcomes in terms of researcher development

At VU we are attempting to redress a tendency to overemphasise the production of the research at expense of researcher development

To contextualise the research product as part of the student’s overall personal and skill development

To encourage students to internalise quality assurance principles, we need to contextualise the steps involved in analysis and communication at the doctoral level

not only in the terms of disciplinary content and skills

but also in the holistic terms of the individual researcher

STUDENT-CENTRED NEGOTIATIONWe are re-focusing the doctoral experience as a student-centred negotiation of two key factors:

1. external requirements of the university and discipline resulting in research products (thesis, publications)

2. development of the graduate researcher from a position of relative passivity and incipient knowledge to that of an active, engaged and professional researcher

We treat the two goals—to and to —as interdependent

DOCTORAL LEARNING PROGRAM (DLP)

A new VU initiative to support doctoral students to: understand the path and expectations of their degree empower them to reflect and plan their own doctoral

journey emphasise the interrelated nature of

1. the progress of the research2. developing the skill base of the researcher—in order both to

succeed at the research and to transition toward the role of independent researcher, ready for a professional workplace

Use of VU MyPlan to enable students to articulate and manage the complex variables of the doctoral journey

NEGOTIATING THE DOCTORAL JOURNEY USING VU MyPlan

• A self-assessment tool to be undertaken at key points:• at enrolment• pre-confirmation• beginning of Year 2 (post-confirmation)• beginning of Year 3• beginning of Year 4 (if extension has been approved)

• Recognition that skills development needs to occur within the embedded context of individual students, who need to negotiate the ‘variables’: the student their project longer term career/personal goals (and their relation to doctoral work) the skills already brought the skills required by both project and career goals stage of candidature

(Workshop 3 tomorrow will take participants into the tool)

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING DOCTORAL RESEARCH

Sample of practical strategies for enabling students to take control of their research and to develop as independent researchers

1. A strategy for moving from a broad topic to a precise question2. A strategy for using theory to link evidence and argument3. A strategy for showing how they are building on and going beyond what’s in the

literature4. A strategy for making the most of a chapter’s introductory and concluding

paragraphs5. A strategy for using concluding and introductory paragraphs to link chapters6. A strategy for linking paragraphs for continuity and flow7. A strategy for using a dot point summaries for reviewing a chapter’s argument

before submitting it to the supervisor(Workshops 1 and 2 tomorrow will take students and staff through these strategies)

VU INITIATIVES FOR EQUIPPING SUPERVISORS TO EMPOWER STUDENTS

These and many other strategies are covered in: 2-day intensive program Demystifying Thesis Supervision

Semester-long work-based unit ‘Supervising Research Students’ that early career academics who want to supervise can take as part of the compulsory Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Education

Research Supervision Toolkit eBook developed by VU Professors Adams and Borland and colleagues from four other Australian universities as part of a national initiative to equip supervisors with a range of strategies and approaches for supervising research students at all stages of candidature

Supervisor Induction:

The VU system

Level 1Associate

Supervisor

Level 2Principal

Supervisor

Level 3Experienced

Principal Supervisor

Foundation Skills• Demystifying Thesis

Supervision• GCTE unit Supervising

Research Students

Step Up:• 3 half day workshops

on key topics• Key Criteria

Ongoing skills development, such as• Updates• Leading and Managing

Supervision• Managing Candidature for

Success• Preparing for and

overseeing the Examination

• Ethics, OHS and Safety in Supervision

• Community of Practice

• 2 workshops per year• Key criteria

Ongoing skills development

USING RDF FOR EQUIPPING STUDENTS TO NETWORK AND COLLABORATE BEYOND THE UNIVERSITY

FOSTERING CORE GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES THROUGH RDF

RDF KNOWLEDGE AND INTELLECTUAL ABILITIES

RDF PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS

More than 50% of graduates move away from Academia

THE CAREER-WISE RESEARCHER*

Supervisors can help students in the following steps: Step 1: start thinking about the types of areas you might

consider exploring Step 2: start exploring what’s out there Step 3: using the ‘career funnel’, research careers and

broaden your horizons Step 4: be proactive and use networks to keep informed

about what employers want*Vitae researcher booklet

THE FUTURE FOR AUSTRALIAN H.E.? ACOLA REVIEW OF RESEARCH TRAINING

The Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) is made up of the four Australian Learned Academies: Australian Academy of the Humanities, Australian Academy of Science, Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, and Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Following an extensive national review through written submissions, consultation workshops and interviews with stakeholders from HE, industry and government sectors, as well as from HDR candidates themselves, the ACOLA expert panel released their report earlier this year.

The panel made 11 recommendations for implementation throughout the Australian HE sector.

For VU—an opportunity to audit and evaluate our progress against ACOLA recommendations

KEY FINDING 1: Candidates must be advised of likely outcomes of HDR training prior to commencement

“Universities have a duty of care to communicate the likely outcomes of HDR training prior to candidates commencing their training.“

Opportunity ― Honest presentation about career options and outcomes at the commencement of training (e.g. 50% only remain in academic and research positions)

VU Progress ― Considerable: Induction and Graduate Researcher Toolkit emphasise realistic expectations of outcomes and link to range of careers; could be further enhanced

KEY FINDING 2: More flexible funding structures to enable new pathways from undergraduate to research

“Current regulatory and funding arrangements limit the development and uptake of innovative and internationally recognised entry pathways to HDR training. Flexibility in the current funding structure would allow universities to develop new accessible entry pathways which better prepare candidates for HDR training, such as a for purpose HDR training coursework Masters degree.”

Opportunity ― Development of new style of AQF Level 8/9 program with hybrid funding, with rigorous research training and research plus other Masters level skills (Potential replacement to honours)

VU Progress ― Commenced thinking only at this stage; scope to draw on PhD Integrated Year 1 developments to inform an approach

KEY FINDING 3: Flexibility to increase length and payment levels of scholarships

“The disparity in length of the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) and International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS), and the expected length of research doctoral programs causes financial stress for some candidates at the end of their HDR training. The value of awards and scholarships for candidates needs to remain competitive to attract the best and brightest candidates to HDR training. Providing universities with the flexibility to use their allocation of HDR training funding to extend scholarships to 4 years, and where necessary provide scholarship top-ups, would help resolve these issues.”

Opportunity ― scope to extend APAs to 4 years as well as raising rate/providing top ups attract strong candidates and address the problem of delayed completions following loss of scholarship at 3.5 year

VU Progress ― Limited to date: some colleges considering post 3.5 year extension scholarships; a small number of top up scholarships currently funded by VU; no more overall funding so funding 8th semester onhigherallowance fewer scholarships

KEY FINDING 4: Formally embed the development of broader transferable skills in research training

“Broader transferable skills development is a necessary aspect of HDR training. Although many universities have made significant investments in this area, transferable skills development is not as strongly embedded in our research training system as it is in some other comparable research training systems around the world. Skills development must be flexible and candidate directed, and take into account the diverse backgrounds and experience of candidates. The UK Vitae Researcher Development Framework is an established and comprehensive approach that provides a useful model that could be adapted for use in Australia.”

Opportunity ― Embed transferable skills development drawing on Vitae framework with a flexible, candidate-centred approach

VU Progress ― Advanced: VU MyPlan—launched last month as part of the Graduate Researcher Toolkit—precisely reflects this approach to transferable skills development and recognition, and draws on the Vitae framework

KEY FINDING 5: Increased focus on industry-university engagement at HDR level

“Australian industry-university collaboration performance lies close to bottom in terms of the international comparators reported by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Industry-university collaboration would be greatly improved if there was increased engagement at the HDR level. Australia should be aiming for its level of industry-university collaboration during HDR training to be in the top 25 per cent in the OECD ….. Increased industry engagement will require a greater proportion of HDR training opportunities to be focused on an industry-defined research problem, take place in industry settings, or involve an industry supervisor for the project. Funding mechanisms should be used to drive the significant change required.”

Opportunity ― Funding mechanisms will reward industry-engaged projects and involvement of industry supervisors

VU Progress ― Reasonable basis to build from: many HDRs work on industry problems but only some have industry supervisors and formal industry buy-in; currently limited depth in collaborations and lack of industry financial commitments

KEY FINDING 6: Opportunity for industry placements for HDR candidates with a proposed national approach

“HDR candidates benefit from industry placements, and there would be value in building a national industry placement scheme of significant scale and scope through a national coordinating body. No such at-scale Australian placement system currently exists, although there are several small-scale, unaligned schemes. Other countries have been successful in developing large-scale industry placement systems, from which Australia can learn international best practice. Placements should not be mandated, but every HDR candidate who wishes to undertake a placement should be encouraged to do so.”

Opportunity ― Enhanced opportunities for industry placements through a national scheme for those who wish to have the opportunity

VU Progress ― Very early stage in our own initiative: $150,000 over 3 years via VU Foundation for a Doctoral Industry Experience support program; would be great benefit from a national, well-funded approach, especially for less industry-experienced candidates

KEY FINDING 7: Longitudinal national data collection on HDR course satisfaction, course completions and

career“Research training system performance data should be longitudinal, reported by institution and discipline at the two- or four-digit field of research level as appropriate, and used to drive performance improvements as well as aid prospective HDR candidates in making decisions about HDR training.”

Opportunity ― collect and report data to demonstrate outcomes and comparative performance

VU Progress ― can participate in national data collection, including longitudinal; need to ensure that way data is collected enables alignment of candidates against 2 and 4 digit fields of research

KEY FINDING 8: HDR training benchmarking against internationally outstanding institutions

“HDR training could be improved by institutions benchmarking their HDR training against that offered by institutions with outstanding international reputations. This benchmarking should be undertaken at the four-digit field of research level.”

Opportunity ― new international approach to benchmarking to improve performance at 4 digit level

VU Progress ― to date have only undertaken national level benchmarking at the whole of institution level; international targeted benchmarking by research field could be valuable

KEY FINDING 9: Implement a formal statement of skills and knowledge gained by the candidate during

candidature“A statement of the skills and knowledge gained by the candidate is also needed, drawing on the evidence base for which can be built through HDR milestones (confirmation of candidature, mid-candidature, and final), preparation of a skills portfolio, seminar presentations, industry and international placements, and oral examinations, potentially incorporated in AHEGS.”

Opportunity ― more explicit documentation and reporting of skills, knowledge and achievements during candidature

VU Progress ― Considerable progress already: ePortfolio is a component within the VU MyPlan and designed to capture such knowledge and skills; considerable additional work required to formalise and authenticate for reporting

KEY FINDING 10: Supervisory Training and Supervisory Performance Monitoring

“Universities have a responsibility to provide ongoing high quality HDR supervisory training, and a responsibility to act where supervisory performance falls below expected performance levels. Outstanding HDR supervision should be recognised and reinforced by universities through the application of professional standards and rewards for performance”.

Opportunity/Expectation ― High quality supervisory training and regular performance review together with professional standards and recognition of excellence in supervision

VU Progress ― Very considerable: New Supervisor Development Program and a regular review of registration process as well as Vice Chancellor Citations and Awards scheme; still need to finalise a formal process for annual performance review feedback

KEY FINDING 11: Improve participation, support and outcomes for indigenous HDR candidates

“Indigenous researchers have much to offer the nation and their communities, but participation by Indigenous candidates in HDR training and employment of Indigenous people remains low. Targets and specific measures, such as increased weighting for Indigenous HDR completions through the Research Training Scheme block grant, have the potential to acknowledge the value to the nation and the universities of Indigenous participation in HDR training. Incentives are also needed to support the training of Indigenous HDR candidates such as higher value stipend scholarships and real-wage competitive fellowships. To ensure accountability, performance outcomes of targets and measures should be regularly reported.”

Opportunity/Expectation ― higher weighting for indigenous completions; higher level of stipends; more opportunities for indigenous researchers

VU Progress ― Some progress; indigenous research participation strategy includes creation of $30,000 Lisa Bellear Indigenous Scholarship; plans to increase indigenous researcher support via GRC and Moondani Balluk; increasing indigenous participation in HDR, including a ‘pipeline’ from undergraduate is a key challenge for VU currently

VU SCORECARDVU initiatives demonstrate that we are well advanced in the sector in terms of meeting many ACOLA objectives:

ensuring that Australia’s research training models are comparable to the best in the world

research graduates are equipped for achieving employment outcomes in a range of sectors, including academic, teaching, research and industry

doctoral candidates receive industry relevant research training

Working in partnership with universities such as Rosario and La Sabana will enable VU to build on and enhance our graduate research training through sharing insights, expertise and strategies in doctoral training for a global knowledge economy

Thank youRon Adams