October 20 , 2005

MESSAGE FROM THE RECTOR

Staff Member awarded Australia-Harvard Fellowship

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr Max Tani from the School of Business for having recently been awarded an Australia-Harvard Fellowship. This collaborative award in the form of a $25,000 grant was granted in conjunction with Professor Richard Freeman.

Max's research partner in this award, Professor Richard Freeman holds the Herbert Ascherman Chair in Economics at  Harvard University.  He is currently serving as Faculty Co-Chair of the Harvard University Trade Union Program. He is also director of the Labour Studies Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research, co-director of the London School of Economics' Centre for Economic Performance, and visiting professor at the London School of Economics. Professor Freeman will be at the School of Business, UNSW@ADFA in May and June 2006.

The grant will be used to follow up research on science and innovation policy in relation to skilled migration between Australia, USA and the UK .

Max has also announced that has recently become a Research Fellow with the Institute for the Study of Labour (IZA) based in Bonn Germany. The IZA is a private, independent research institute, which focuses on the economic analysis of national and international labour markets. The institute conducts extensive research in all relevant areas of labour economics and also advises policymakers on current labour market issues.

Well done Max.

Emergency Control Evacuations

I would like to thank all staff for participating in the individual building evacuations over the past two weeks and also the campus Emergency Controlled Evacuation held today.

Professor John Baird
Rector

Staff Awarded for Management Training

Thirteen staff from UNSW@ADFA  received their awards last Thursday for completing an eight month Management Development Program (MDP).

The Rector, Professor John Baird said that, “the MDP program has been very valuable for developing the skill base of our new and future managers on campus. The skills and knowledge which they have gained from the presenters and also from the group's collective experience will not only be of benefit in their present work placements but also any that they take up in the future.”

The course is spread over several months and includes an introductory residential component, seven half day workshops and a presentation of a researched group project at the conclusion of the program.

So far we have had fifty general staff and four academics undertake the program.  One academic is now a Head of School whilst another has spent time in an acting capacity at that level,” said the Manger of Human Resources at UNSW@ADFA, Ms Rosemaree Laurie.

Initially set up in 2001 to provide training for existing managers, the MDP now gives new and potential managers training in a range of areas including: leadership, management, strategic planning, effective communication, presentation skills, meetings and time management, managing performance, motivation, recruiting and selecting staff and managing information/knowledge.

The program also offers one on one coaching and provides participants with a wide range of reading materials on the topics presented. Participants also work together on a topic which they develop based on management issues which impact on the operations of UNSW@ADFA. The final report is then presented at the conclusion of the program to senior managers/supervisors,” said Ms Laurie.

The projects presented today make a major contribution to operational aspects of our campus and the campus community,” said Professor Baird, “I would like to congratulate all those who participated and contributed to this valuable program.”

This year's group projects included: ‘Perceptions of efficiency: How much compliance is waste?', ‘Wellness for staff at UNSW@ADFA', ‘Attracting and retaining staff at UNSW@ADFA'.        

Participants:

Back Row: Stephen Meatheringham, David Low, Sally Hudson, Rachel Hunter, Carrie Wright, John Davis, Adrian Bishop, David Hume (Course Presenter), Rosemaree Laurie (HR Manager)

Front Row: Marcus Robson, Usha Narayan, John Baird (Rector), Liz Carey, Kelly Glossop, Vickie King

Absent from photo: Bernard Lineham

Research Day - 24 October 2005

Thinking about furthering Research and Research funding opportunities for yourself and others by learning about the diverse range of research undertaken on this campus? Interested in finding out more about Intellectual Property and the Code of Conduct for Responsible Practice of Research? Involved with postgraduate students and want to know what the Graduate Research School means to UNSW@ADFA?

Following a most successful inaugural Research Day in 2004, the 2005 Research Day at UNSW@ADFA will focus on research students and research training support. Highlights of the day will be a series of presentations by research students (in plain language!) to introduce their areas of research, a research students' poster competition and presentations by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and the Dean of the Graduate Research School .

Questions :

'What makes a successful postgraduate student presentation?'

'What's the importance of communicating research to the public?'

'What are some of the emerging and existing Research Strengths at UNSW@ADFA?' and 'How can I become involved?'

Answer: Come along to the UNSW@ADFA Research Day on 24 October to find out

Interact with researchers and students from different schools, from within your school and with people who are simply interested in your research. This event is open to all academics, research associates, research students and staff supporting research. Lunch will be provided.

Visit the Research and Research Training Office website for a detailed program of the day's proceedings http://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/units/research/Research%20Day_V3.pdf. For catering purposes, please register your attendance with Geoff Brooks in the Research and Research Training Office on 62688112 or email g.brooks@adfa.edu.au.

Poster Competition

All postgraduate research students were encouraged to enter the poster competition which will be judged on the day. A total of 23 posters have been registered and the winner of the competition will be $500 richer at the end of the day. Posters advertising this coming event are currently displayed across the campus!!

Student Presentations

As the focus of the 2006 Research Day will be on research students and research training support, to highlight the value of postgraduate research activities a series of 10 minute presentations will be made by postgraduate research students. The best research presentation from both Business/Humanities and Social Sciences and from Engineering/Science will each be awarded a cash prize of $800 and a certificate. Presentations will be judged by Professor Sue Thomas, Pro-Vice Chancellor Health, Design and Science from the University of Canberra, Dr Mandy Thomas, Executive Director Humanities and the Creative Arts from the Australian Research Council and Professor Jim Williams, Director, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering at the Australian National University.

RESEARCH & RESEARCH TRAINING OFFICE REPORT

UNSW@ADFA's ‘Buffalo Gal'…

Those of us fortunate enough to have spent time with Dr Catherine Robinson (aka Dr Gilfedder) have heard much about Cathy's exploits with feral buffalo in Kakadu National Park .

Despite currently being on leave from UNSW@ADFA, Cathy is as productive as ever, and with her colleagues has recently published a paper in Conservation Biology 1385-1391 titled ‘ Bush Tucker, Bush Pets, and Bush Threats: Cooperative Management of Feral Animals in Australia's Kakadu National Park'. The paper was the result of collaboration with Dr Dermot Smyth from the School of Tropical Environment Studies and Geography at James Cook University and Dr Peter Whitehead of the Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management, Charles Darwin University . (

(Those of us who have worked closely with Cathy eagerly await the return of ‘Catherine the Great' to this campus!! (Although we're a tad concerned about her reaction when she finds the Research Office has absorbed her old office site)).

Abstract : Although feral animal management is often based on the proposition that introduced species threaten ecological and conservation values, that view is not necessarily shared by all stakeholders, including those indigenous people who own and co-manage Kakadu National Park with Australia 's federal government. Drawing on field-based interviews with the Jaywon people, we found that these indigenous people categorise water buffalo as an important found source, view horses as bush pets and consider pigs a threat to their lands. As a result, Jaywon people want more water buffalo in the park, have high tolerance of environmental damage caused by horses, and are open to the idea that pig population densities should be reduced. Jaywon also advocate an adaptive and participatory approach to feral animal control so that the consequences of any management actions can be properly understood before irrevocable change occurs. These finding highlight one example of how indigenous people's ecological knowledge has adapted in response to changing landscapes and community aspirations.

…..and another ‘Best Paper' for UNSW@ADFA

Professor Joseph Lai, Associate Dean (Research) would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Alan White, Senior Lecturer in ACME and PhD student in ITEE (supervised by Dr Ed Lewis ). Alan received first prize from among the 150 refereed papers from Blackwell Publishing Limited, at the 21 st Annual Conference of the Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM) in London this September. ( http://www.construct-it.salford.ac.uk/menu0.htm )

The paper, “ Public Sector Tendering – Issues and Analysis ”, canvassed the efficacy of current government tendering guidelines and risk evaluation procedures in a socio-technical environment. Misunderstanding and misapplication of multiple criteria decision aids, application of inappropriate measures of ‘risk' and a lack of contractual accommodation of the Games at play are contributing to the black art and murky world of tendering.

Alan will continue the research program as an embedded observer under the sponsorship of Dr S Gumley, CEO of the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO).

REMINDER: Research Day 24 October 2005

Thinking about furthering Research and Research funding opportunities for yourself and others by learning about the diverse range of research undertaken on this campus? Interested in finding out more about Intellectual Property and the Code of Conduct for Responsible Practice of Research? Involved with postgraduate students and want to know what the Graduate Research School means to UNSW@ADFA?

Following a most successful inaugural Research Day in 2004, the 2005 Research Day at UNSW@ADFA will focus on research students and research training support. Highlights of the day will be a series of presentations by research students (in plain language!) to introduce their areas of research, a research students' poster competition and presentations by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and the Dean of the Graduate Research School .

Questions :

'What makes a successful postgraduate student presentation?'

'What's the importance of communicating research to the public?'

'What are some of the emerging and existing Research Strengths at UNSW@ADFA?' and 'How can I become involved?'

Answer: Come along to the UNSW@ADFA Research Day on 24 October to find out

Interact with researchers and students from different schools, from within your school and with people who are simply interested in your research. This event is open to all academics, research associates, research students and staff supporting research. Lunch will be provided.

Visit the Research and Research Training Office website for a detailed program of the day's proceedings http://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/units/research/Research%20Day_V3.pdf. For catering purposes, please register your attendance with Geoff Brooks in the Research and Research Training Office on 62688112 or email g.brooks@adfa.edu.au.

Poster Competition

All postgraduate research students were encouraged to enter the poster competition which will be judged on the day. A total of 23 posters have been registered and the winner of the competition will be $500 richer at the end of the day. Posters advertising this coming event are currently displayed across the campus!!

Student Presentations

As the focus of the 2006 Research Day will be on research students and research training support, to highlight the value of postgraduate research activities a series of 10 minute presentations will be made by postgraduate research students. The best research presentation from both Business/Humanities and Social Sciences and from Engineering/Science will each be awarded a cash prize of $800 and a certificate. Presentations will be judged by Professor Sue Thomas, Pro-Vice Chancellor Health, Design and Science from the University of Canberra, Dr Mandy Thomas, Executive Director Humanities and the Creative Arts from the Australian Research Council and Professor Jim Williams, Director, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering at the Australian National University.

Final 2005 Faculty Seminar November 3

Congratulations to successful Research Training Scheme (RTS) Scholarship applicants

Previously, no UNSW@ADFA internal research funding schemes supported stipends for postgraduate research scholarships, thus all UNSW@ADFA research scholarships could only be applied for by potential research students. The RTS Scholarship Scheme is an initiative which provides funding to full-time continuing academic staff in the form of scholarships to attract new research students.

On 28 October, applications for RTS scholarships were assessed by a committee consisting of the Rector Professor John Baird (chair), the Presiding Member of the Academic Board A/Professor Grant Collins and the Associate Dean (Research) Professor Joseph Lai. The selection committee unanimously decided that the quality of all applications was very high and that all 13 applications will be funded.

The selection committee congratulates the following candidates on their successful applications for the following projects:

Dr R Boyce , Dr A Neely and Dr H Kleine, Unsteady behaviour of transverse jets inhypersonic cross flows

Dr R Boyce and Dr T.Ray, Multidisciplinary Design Optimization for hypersonic airbreathing propulsion

A/Prof D Fraser and Dr X Jia, Enhanced Multitemporal Remote Sensing Data Analysis Resulting in Super Resolution

A/Prof M Frater and Prof J Arnold John, Super-Resolution Mosaics

Dr W Hutchison and A/Prof G Stewart, Holmium trifluoride: A Dry Route to below 1K?

Dr T Huybers and Dr J Mazanov, Between the evil and the Deep Blue Sea : An Empirical Choice Model of Athletes' Decisions to Use Performance Enhancing substances

Dr J Mazanov and Dr J Warn, Social Determinants of Performance Enhancing Drug Use inSport

Dr R Niven and Dr S O'Byrne, Maximum-Entropy Velocity Profiles and Boundary Layer Theory in Turbulent Flow

Prof I Petersen and Dr H Abbass, Evolutionary methods in the design of robust control systems

Dr T Ray and Dr W Smith Warren , Development of Efficient Recombination Schemes to Support Three Dimensional Shape Optimization in the Context of Multidisciplinary Design Optimization

Dr K Shankar and Dr A Neely, Impact Behaviour of Composite Sandwich Panels with Syntactic Foam Core

Dr H Timmers and A/Prof G Stewart, Longevity of artificial hip joints through radioisotope implantation

Dr H Wang and Dr J Morrison, The Effect of the Fluid Mud Layer on Ocean Dynamics in Coastal Seas

Applicants will receive their official letters detailing conditions of these grants in the near future.

THE SPITFIRE MEMORIAL DEFENCE FELLOWSHIP 2005

Applications are invited for the 2005 award of the Spitfire Memorial Defence Fellowship valued at up to $12,000 to support Australian defence-related studies or research at the University of New South Wales or other appropriate institution.

This annually awarded Fellowship has been established as a lasting and dynamic recognition of the significant contribution of the Spitfire and its Squadrons during World War II.

Applicants will be Australian citizens who are suitably qualified graduates or persons with significant relevant work experience.

Further information is available from the UNSW@ADFA Website

Applications close Monday 28 November 2005 .