The RIEL Strategic Plan 2011-15 ANDREW CAMPBELL CDU, 23 SEPTEMBER 2011
Research Institute for the Environment & Livelihoods www.riel.cdu.edu.au
Outline •
Vision
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Context
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Objectives & Strategies
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Measuring impact
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Research priorities
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Partnerships
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RIEL Vision extraordinary environments rewarding research
productive partnerships RIEL solutions
In RIEL, we value: • Our people • The extraordinary environments of our region • High quality scholarship, independence and rigour • Making a difference, through influential research and communication
• Indigenous knowledge and connection to land and sea country • Indigenous engagement, partnerships and capacity-building • Collegiate teamwork internally, and collaboration externally
• An intellectually stimulating culture that draws people in and reaches out • A service orientation that enables influential research • Measuring and celebrating achievement at all levels
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CONTEXT regional distinctiveness •
Worldwide, there are very few English-language universities headquartered in the tropics − Closest Australian university (JCU) is 2500km away − CDU is by far the major training provider in the NT
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Relatively intact landscapes and seascapes − the largest network of free-flowing rivers in the world − Indo-Malay global epicentre of tropical biodiversity
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Extraordinary cultural heritage, ancient and contemporary
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Rich development opportunities and intense development pressures
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Strategic national significance given proximity to Asia
CONTEXT profound technical challenges •
To decouple economic growth from carbon emissions
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To adapt to an increasingly difficult climate
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To increase water productivity
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To increase energy productivity –
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while shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy
To develop more sustainable food systems –
while conserving biodiversity and human livelihoods
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improving landscape amenity, soil health, animal welfare & human health
TO DO ALL OF THIS SIMULTANEOUSLY! — improving sustainability and resilience
RIEL Objectives The objectives of the Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL) are: A. To develop a much better understanding of the ecological functions and processes of the ecosystems of northern Australia and adjacent regions — terrestrial, freshwater and marine — and how they relate to human livelihoods and well-being. B. To inform public and industry policy, management decisions and community debate about how best to manage natural resources, respond to development pressures, and tackle environmental problems — in government, industry and in the community. C. To build long-term environmental research capability in northern Australia. 7
RIEL Strategies In essence, RIEL has six lines of business: 1.
Research to generate new knowledge — discovery science.
2.
Integration and synthesis of diverse scientific outputs into forms and activities that meet the needs of intended end-users in government, industry and the community.
3.
Communication of research outputs and synthesis products.
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Training of higher degree by research (HDR) students to build new science capability.
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Collaboration with other research agencies and research end-users to make best use of existing research capability in northern Australia, to attract new capabilities to the region, and to maximise the relevance and uptake of research outputs.
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International research partnerships, projects and post-graduate training. 8
RIEL objectives and strategies A.Understanding ecological functions and processes, and how they relate to human livelihoods and well-being Research to generate new knowledge — discovery science
B. Informing debate, policy, and management decisions in government, industry and the community
Integration & synthesis of diverse scientific outputs
Communicati on of research outputs and synthesis products
C. Building long-term environmental research capability in northern Australia and the region
Training of postgraduate students to build new science capability
Collaboration with other research agencies and research endusers
International research projects, partnerships and training
12 performance measures across the six strategies 9
RIEL performance measures A.Understanding
B. Informing Communication of research outputs and synthesis products
Research to generate new knowledge — discovery science
Integration & synthesis of diverse scientific outputs
• # publications • # citations in leading journals • $ research grant income • Professional recognition
• # & quality • Quality & use of of the RIEL synthesis web site products • # & quality of RIEL events and media coverage
C. Building postgraduate students to build new science capability
Collaboration with other research agencies and research endusers
• HDR completions • Quality of the student experience
• Quality of • #, size and research quality of collaborations research in target partnerships countries
Training of
35 metrics across the 12 performance measures
International research projects, partnerships and training
• HDR completions with priority partners 10
RIEL Evaluation Three main systems can and should generate the majority of the data needed for this evaluation framework: • The research management system, that systematically gathers information from research contracts, and from academic research publications, including number of publications of each type, citations, grant income, research collaborations, partners, geographic locations, and HDR completions and assessment results; • The website monitoring system (e.g.Google Analytics) should be able to capture visits, total ‘eyeball time’, types of users (at least by domain name), downloads, numbers of blogs and articles, and — depending on the degree of interactivity — user feedback; and • The CDU media monitoring system can pick up mentions of RIEL and whether they are positive or negative, local or national. 11
RIEL Research Themes
• Natural resources-based Livelihoods • Coastal and marine ecology and management • Freshwater ecology and management • Savanna management and wildlife conservation
• Tropical Resource Futures
Natural Resources-based Livelihoods Dr Natasha Stacey
• How people make a living from natural resources • How resource-based livelihoods contribute to peoples’ well being • Articulating cultural and social values • Providing policy makers and managers with an understanding of options and their likely ecological, economic, social and cultural implications • Payment for Environmental Services
Coastal and marine ecology and management Prof Karen Gibb • Ecological functions, processes & patterns of connectivity
• Land-coast-sea linkages • Marine conservation planning and policy • Marine biodiversity, from genetic level to whole seascapes • Biogeochemistry of marine sediments • Pollutant pathways and processes (e.g. Darwin Harbour) • Training and consultancy services in molecular and environmental ecology, chemistry and diagnostics
Freshwater ecology and management Prof Michael Douglas
• Catchment-river-floodplain-estuary linkages • In-stream ecology and processes • Water resources values, planning and policy • TRaCK ($32m) & NERP ($14m) linkages across northern Australia, with CSIRO, NRETAS, Griffith, UQ, JCU and UWA
Savanna management and wildlife conservation Prof Keith Christian
• Conservation biology of tropical biodiversity • Functional ecology of unique fauna • Savanna ecology and management (especially carbon cycling) • Sustainable land management • Disturbance: fire, weeds, pest animals
Tropical Resource Futures Dr Stefan Maier
• Climate-Carbon-Water-Energy-Food system links • Centre for Renewable Energy • The carbon economy of the region • Remote sensing and spatial information
RIEL International Research
• We welcome international partnerships that align with our research interests • Especially those that integrate HDR research at CDU
• We have a long track record of research in this region
RIEL postgraduate studies
• Currently under review, with a view to: • Improving supervision and admin support for students • Providing more face-to-face training & a more collegiate experience • Developing leadership skills and career paths • Improving completion rates
RIEL Partnerships •
Centre for Renewable Energy (with NTG)
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ARPNet (Aboriginal Research Practitioners’ Network) –
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Extensive project collaboration with NAILSMA, NLC, CLC
NERP (National Environmental Research Program) northern Australia biodiversity hub (and TRaCK) –
and marine biodiversity hub northern node
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NAMRA (North Australian Marine Research Alliance)
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NAFI (North Australian Fire Information) & Bushfires NT
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ATSEF (Arafura Timor Sea Experts Forum) & CIFOR
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CRN (Collaborative Research Network — with TNI)
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some RIEL big ideas • Integrated knowledge system for Darwin Harbour • Designing the carbon economy of northern Australia • ‘Blue carbon’ in south-east Asia • A regional network of Livelihoods and Indigenous Research Practitioners • Knowledge leadership & brokering on Indigenous Rangers • Policy frameworks for large-scale resource developments • Charles Darwin Chair in Evolutionary Biology • Biodiversity conservation at landscape scale 21•
TRaCK (Tropical Rivers & Coastal Knowledge)
RIEL Communication • We operate in an international market for knowledge • It is highly interconnected, and web-literate • Our web site is our shop-front, our gateway, and our own best advertisement • It is also fundamental in our own basic knowledge management • Your own page will be read by many more people than your CV • Blogs are a great way to start publishing, and to promote more serious work • GO FOR IT!!! 22
2012 Work Plan •
Overhaul the HDR program
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Comprehensive communication and evaluation strategies
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A much more comprehensive, contemporary and interactive web presence, consistent with a leading edge environmental research institute, that is widely used and acclaimed both externally and internally
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Several new research initiatives in advanced planning stages, with partners involved and funding commitments secured
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A much larger community of adjunct scholars actively contributing to the intellectual life of the institute.
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ARPNet on a more secure footing both financially and in terms of staff support, and starting to be planned into relevant research projects as a matter of course.
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A science communication capability working on significant integration and synthesis products and activities, tailored to meet the knowledge needs of target audiences.
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Recruitment of new staff in areas of strategic priority.
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A knowledge management system that captures our outputs effectively and maximises the efficiency of data entry, access and use.
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RIEL Org Chart 2011
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RIEL Org Chart 2012
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Summary • in establishing RIEL, CDU is aiming high • we should be among Australia's best environmental research institutes • to aim for anything less is to sell ourselves short, and to underplay the challenges and opportunities of the region • we have a great platform, but we can do much more, internally and with our partners • Feedback on this draft is welcome. It’s about to be circulated much more widely as a consultation draft. 26
www.riel.cdu.edu.au