UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE
RESEARCH COMMITTEE
A meeting of the Research Committee of the Academic Board will be held on Thursday, 19 May 2016, at 09.30 hours, in the Central Committee Room, MacLaurin Building.
(Agenda papers for this meeting have been issued to members, named alternates and officers in attendance only. Non-confidential papers may be obtained on request from Governance Services (Telephone: 4564; e-mail:)
Apologies should be conveyed to Mrs J H Allen, Clerk, Telephone: 01707 284902;
e-mail:
A G E N D A
1 APOLOGIES
To receive apologies for non-attendance at the meeting.
2 MEMBERSHIP
2.1 Membership Category 4, 'Associate Deans (Research)'
To note the appointment of Dr A L Murphy in Membership Category 4, following her appointment as Associate Dean (Research) in the School of Humanities with effect from 1 January 2016, and to welcome her to the meeting.
2.2 In attendance
2.2.1 To note that Ms E Hubbard, Research Support Coordinator, will be in attendance.
2.2.2 To note that Mrs A Sheehan-Evett, Senior European Research Coordinator, will attend for Agenda items 8-20.
2.2.3 To note that Ms B Adams, Head of Research and Learning Information Services, Learning and Computing Services, will attend on behalf of Dr D Combes, Head of Infrastructure, Library and Computing Services
3 MINUTES – 25 FEBRUARY 2016
To confirm and sign minutes. - Paper 3
(Confidential)
4 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
4.1 Research Misconduct - Minutes 756.2 and 898.1 refer
To note that UPR RE02, 'Research Misconduct', is currently undergoing amendments and will be noted on 20 October 2016.
4.2 Research centres - Minute 916.1.3 refers
To receive a report from Dr A Baydoun, Associate Dean (Research), School of Life and Medical Sciences, proposing the research centres that will operate within the School. - Paper 4.3
(To follow)
4.3 Interface issues between the University's Research Archive (UHRA) and Research Information System (RIS) - Minute 922.2 refers
(Agenda item 12.1, refers.)
4.4 University Alliance - Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA) - Minute 918.2 refers
(Agenda item 7.3, refers.)
4.5 Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) - Minutes 759.1 and 898.2 refer
Following receipt of a preliminary report on 15 October 2015, to receive a full report from Dr Grey on the results of the PRES. - Paper 4.5
4.6 Any further matters arising from the minutes not taken elsewhere on the Agenda.
5 RESEARCH POLICY AND STRATEGY
5.1 Research Theme Champions
To note that, following a formal interview process, the following ResearchTheme Champion appointments were made (announced via UHQ on 14 March 2016):
Professor D Barling, School of Life and Medical Sciences: Food Theme
Dr C Kuppuswamy, School of Law: Global Economy Theme
Dr F Bunn, School of Health and Social Work: Health and Wellbeing Theme
Dr S Magerstädt, School of Humanities: Heritage, Cultures and Communities Theme
Dr F Amirabdollahian, School of Computer Science: Information and Security Theme
Dr P W Lucas, School of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics: Space Theme
and that a launch event for the Research Themes took place on 12 May 2016.
5.2 Early Career Researcher Fellowship Posts
To note that, following an internal competitive process, the following Early Career Research Fellowship Posts were selected with a view to appointments commencing in September/October 2016:
Dispersion of Airborne Pathogens and Implications for Crops;
Food and Public Health across the Life Course;
Galactic Radio Astronomy in the Era of the Square Kilometre Array;
Intangible Cultural Heritage or Materiality of Everyday Life;
Supporting People Living with Dementia and their Carers;
Systems Biology for Food and Disease.
5.3 Lord Stern’s Review of the Research Excellence Framework
To note the University's response to the consultation document. - Paper 5.3
(To follow)
5.4 School of Life and Medical Sciences Research Conference
To note that the School's Research Conference took place on 5 April 2016.
6 RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT
6.1 To receive the following reports from Dr G Lees-Maffei.
6.1.1 Research Development Working Group (RDWG) update (Minutes 900.1 and 917.1 refer); - Paper 6.1.1
6.1.2 HR Excellence in Research, 4-year action plan 2014-2018, reviewed March 2016;
- Paper 6.1.2
6.1.3 Researcher Development Conference, proposed programme. - Paper 6.1.3
6.2 Athena SWAN - Minutes 900.2 and 917.2 refer
To receive an oral report from Dr S Grey, Director of the Doctoral College.
7 DOCTORAL COLLEGE
7.1 Reorganisation
To receive a report from Dr Grey concerning altered arrangements for the management of the Doctoral College as a consequence of the adoption of Research Themes.
- Paper 7.1
7.2 Doctoral training programme - Hertfordshire Knowledge Innovation Centre for Science - Minutes 911.2 and 918.3 refer
To receive an oral report from Dr Grey concerning discussions by the Research Degrees Board in respect of the proposed doctoral training programme in the fields of drug delivery/toxicology sciences and agritechnology sensing technologies.
7.3 University Alliance - Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA) - Minute 918.2 refers
To receive an oral report from the Chairman concerning the University joining DTAs in Bioscience for Health and Future Energies.
8 RESEARCH INTEGRITY
8.1 Research Misconduct
To establish whether any investigations of research misconduct as defined in UPR RE02, ‘Research Misconduct,’ have been invoked in the past year, since 21 May 2015.
9 RESEARCH OFFICE
To receive a report from the Research Office from Dr C Manthorpe, Head, Research Office. - Paper 9
10 RESEARCH GRANTS APPLICATIONS AND AWARDS
To review the research grant applications and awards for the current financial year, 1August 2015-31 March 2016 from MrM Kesvani, Research Finance Advisor.
- Paper 10
(Confidential)
11 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER - Minutes 916.3.2, iv, and 921 refer
11.1 Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) - Minute 916.4.4 refers
To receive a report from Mr P A Findlay, Director of Business Development, concerning the TRLs of research projects currently being undertaken within the University.
- Paper 11.1
(Confidential)
(To follow)
12 RESEARCH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS
12.1 To receive an update report prepared by Mr Combes concerning the University's Research Archive (UHRA) and Research Information System (RIS), to include feedback on investigation of the problems of slow interface between the UHRA and RIS (Minute 922.2, refers). - Paper 12.1
12.2 "Ways to raise your research profile"
To note an online publication provided by the Research Office on "Ways to raise your research profile" which can be found via the following link: - Paper 12.2
http://staffnet/academic-and-research-services/raise-your-research-profile.htm
13 RESEARCH STUDENTSHIPS
13.1 Research Studentship Agreements
To note amendments to the following Agreements in line with Research Councils UK (RCUK) policy in respect of an increase in paid sick leave to 13 weeks in any 12-month period (Section 8.2) and the inclusion of paternity, adoption and shared parental leave (Section 8.4):
13.1.1 Research Studentship Agreement - Externally Funded Studentship; - Paper 13.1.1
13.1.2 Research Studentship Agreement - Studentship Funded by the
University of Hertfordshire. - Paper 13.1.2
13.2 RCUK Efficiency Programme
To note a letter from RCUK dated 6 April 2016 to confirm that their Efficiency Programme would cease from March 2016. - Paper 13.2
14 COUNTER TERRORISM AND SECURITY ACT 2015 ('PREVENT')
To consider any other matters relevant to the Act not dealt with earlier in the meeting.
15 AGENDA PART II
To note and approve Part II of the Agenda (items A-C).
Members wishing to comment on any item in Part II of the agenda (which consists of items requiring formal note and/or approval) are asked to inform the Chairman through Mrs J H Allen, ext 4902, e-mail at least 48 hours before the meeting. If no such indications are received, Part II will be taken as noted and approved.
16 RISK
To consider any risks inherent in the matters dealt with by the Committee during the meeting but not discussed when the item concerned was taken.
17 PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT
To identify people development needs and to refer them to the Head of HR Development.
18 EMERGENCY BUSINESS
(Admissible only with the consent of the Chair given prior to the meeting).
19 SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS 2016-2017
0930 hours, Thursday 20 October 2016, Central Committee Room, MacLaurin Building;
0930 hours, Thursday 2 March 2017, Central Committee Room, MacLaurin Building;
0930 hours, Thursday 25 May 2017, Central Committee Room, MacLaurin Building.
20 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Thursday, 20 October 2016, at 0930 hours, in the Central Committee Room, MacLaurin Building.
Items for the Agenda should be notified to the Clerk by Thursday, 29 September 2016. Supporting papers should be provided to the Clerk by Thursday, 6 October 2016
(e-mail: Telephone:284902).
A G E N D A - PART II
A PROFESSORS AND READERS
A.1 Professorships
To note the appointment of Dr A Jones as Professor of Cyber Security in the School of Computer Science, with effect from 1 October 2015.
A.2 Readerships
To note the following appointments:
A.2.1 Dr C T Gallagher as Reader in Healthcare Ethics and Law in the School of Life and Medical Sciences with effect 29 April 2016;
A.2.2 Dr S Kaviraj as Reader in Astrophysics in the School of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics with effect from 1 June 2016.
B RESEARCH DEGREES BOARD
To note that the minutes of the following meetings have been published:
B.1 21 January 2016; - Paper B.1
(Part 1 only)
(Confidential)
B.2 10 March 2016; - Paper B.2
(Part 1 only)
(Confidential)
(NOTE: Agenda Papers B.1 and B.2 have not been published with the Agenda but have been placed in the Research Committee Minute Book and are available for inspection on request.)
C ETHICS COMMITTEE FOR STUDIES INVOLVING HUMAN PARTICIPANTS
To note the minutes of the meeting of 3 February 2016. - Paper C
RC Agenda 19.5.2016 3/6