The Research Challenge: Experiences in the Faculty of Built Environment, Art and Design

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The Research ChallengeExperiences in the
Faculty of Built Environment, Art and Design

• Dr Ann Schilo
• Coordinator Postgraduate Studies
• Faculty of Built Environment, Art and Design
• Dr Steve Basson
• Chair Research and Creative Production Committee
• Faculty of Built Environment, Art and Design

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Introduction

• Impact of changes to tertiary education sector
  funding
• Strategic and operational planning
• Focus upon research, collaborations, partnerships

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Research Culture

• research culture reflects the values, ideals and
  beliefs about research within an organisation.
  They in turn and reflected in the research
  behaviours, research actions and research symbols
  of the organisation (Hill, 19992)

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Research at Curtin

• creative work undertaken on a systematic basis
  in order to increase the stock of knowledge of
  man, culture and society and the use of this
  knowledge to devise new applications.involves an
  appreciable element of novelty ( innovation)
• Broader integrated approach
• Recognises diversity and integration of resources
• Involvement whole range of disciplinary areas
• Highlights multidisciplinary capability

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Research Culture at Curtin

• Not only conceived in terms of measurable
  strategies and outcomes but of multiple
  conversations amongst the many communities/constit
  uencies that participate at all levels of the
  University
• Dynamism
• Responsiveness to changing need of community
  members
• Opportunity for all staff
• fosters spirit of enquiry
• encourages national/international
  collaboration
• transfer of knowledge to teaching and learning

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From School to FacultyFaculty of Built
Environment, Art Design

• Department of Architecture Interior Design
• Department of Art
• Department of Construction and Planning
• Department of Design
• Department of Urban and Regional Planning

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From Challenges to Strategies

• Staff profile
• Research profile
• Cultural environment

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Challenges Staffing profile

• Majority of staff from practice based disciplines
• Local community based profiles as professionals
  in their disciplinary field
• Few staff with PhD qualifications
• Conflict between paper qualifications and
  professional/knowledge practice
• Many reticent researchers
• Difficulty bridging gap between consultancy and
  research
• Confusion over what constitutes research

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Challenges Research Profile

• Diverse research interests, breadth from
  traditional forms to creative production
• Majority of individual research pursuits, few
  collaborative teams
• Mainly local/national level scope and impact
• Few researchers with well established
  national/international profiles
• Few experienced researchers in large competitive
  grants / ARC

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ChallengesCultural Environment

• School histories, mistrust, territory wars silo
  mentality
• Fear of loss of identity in new structure
• Reappraisal of roles and responsibilities
• Centralisation of administrative structures
• Geography of Faculty buildings

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Strategies Developing a Faculty based Research
Culture

• Mapping research activity the matrix

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Strategies on going conversations

• Semester 1, 2003 first Faculty research
  workshop
• raise research issues
• move from school to faculty understandings
• context in which research operates
• Semester 2, 2003 Beyond the Matrix second
  workshop
• research synergies
• Semester 2, 2004 Faculty Research Day
• Research Futures What is in it for me and how
  do I get there

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Strategy from individual to group building
networks

• Workshops provide important forum for ideas
• RCP committee members liaison role in departments
• I think I see exhibition of HDR research in
  progress

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Strategy Success stories

• Disseminating information
• Promoting awareness of research activity

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Strategy HDR students as role models

• HDR students future researchers, academics
• Commitment, inter-disciplinary understandings
• Faculty seminar for HDR students
• I think I see exhibition

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I think I see exhibition invitation
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I think I see installation view

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I think I see an installation view showing
visual research and accompanying text

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I think I see opening event

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Strategy research performance

• Research performance index (RPI) as measure of
  activity and reward
• Modest changes to reporting system
• Greater clarity of definition
• Assists in quantifying and visibility of research
  in Faculty
• DEST driven agendas

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Strategy research investment

• Seed funding
• Special grants 2005

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Reflections Future Directions

• Continued challenges not overnight changes
• Staff workloads teaching administration
• Finding time for research activities
• Working with the willing
• Developing strategic partnerships
• Nodes and networks
• Facilitating research a whole Faculty, Divisional
  and University strategy
• Remaining vigilant, open to possibilities, future
  directions, flexibility
• On going dialogue at all level of community of
  researchers at Curtin