Hi Everyone,
We hope the year is going well for you all.
We thought we would update all AARE/cADRE Education Research Leaders’ National Summit attendees and AARE and cADRE members about our progress with the 8 areas that we identified as requiring ongoing action across the field of Education in Australia prior to our informal gathering at the AARE conference.
Professor Catherine Manathunga (UniSC) wrote her cADRE opening address into a blog for AARE’s EduResearch Matters blog shortly after the summit. You can read this blog piece here.
The Summit organisers also hosted the Town Hall meeting on preparing for the ARC review on 11 August. Speakers included Professor Michele Simons (Chair of ACDE; WSUI); Professor Merrilyn Goos (USC) and Amy Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles (SCU).
We have also invited people who expressed particular interest in each area to take the lead on establishing working groups in these key areas, which are outlined below.
In some cases, like the item on communicating with government and bureaucracies, a great deal of work behind the scenes has been going on to secure representation on the teacher education review panel by ACDE and members of the Learned Academy of the Social Science have been active in building Education’s relationship with this organisation.
1. Research partnership initiatives:
- Professor Jo Lampert (Latrobe) and Professor Susanne Gannon (WSU) have agreed to lead a working party on this set of initiatives.
- In-coming ATEA President Associate Professor Terri Bourke (QUT) and Associate Professor Jen Clifton ATEA colleague in charge of partnerships have joined the convening team because ATEA is focusing on research partnerships in 2023.
- Professor Susan Danby (QUT) also expressed interest in supporting these initiatives.
- They have drafted an action plan.
- If you are interested in joining this working group, please contact either Jo (J.Lampert@latrobe.edu.au) or Susanne (S.Gannon@wsu.edu.au
2. Grant and other research assessment development:
- AARE and ACDE circulated some very helpful guidelines to ARC assessors in August (see attached).
- Professor Anna Sullivan (UniSA) and Professor Sam Sellar (UniSA) have agreed to lead a working party on this area.
- AARE (Professor Anna Sullivan) has convened a DECRA Seminar Series. Additionally, she has arranged CEO of the ARC, Judi Zielke, to meet with AARE members during the conference in Adelaide 2022 to discuss issues that could help us become more strategic as a field. The Factsheet on ARC funding in the Field of Education was sent to the CEO for consideration.
3. LIEF grant application to build research infrastructure for Education field:
- Professor Allyson Holbrook (UNewcastle) has circulated an invitation to Education research leaders to join a scoping team.
- Professor Erica Smith (Fed U) also expressed interest in supporting these initiatives.
4. Formation of a coalition of Education Research Leaders:
- Nothing to report as yet.
5. Work with peak bodies such as Learned Academies
- Professor Jill Blackmore (Deakin) and Professor Julie McLeod (UniMelb) have made progress on building Education’s relationship with the Learned Academy of the Social Sciences – they have submitted an application for funding to host a workshop and policy roundtable in 2023.
6. Communicating with government and bureaucracies:
- A working group including Allyson Holbrook (UNewcastle), Susan Danby (QUT), Professor Julie McLeod (UniMelb), Professor Elke Stracke (UCanberra), Professor Catherine Manathunga (UniSC) and Professor Anna Sullivan (UniSA) had a scoping meeting to discuss these initiatives on 25 Aug.
- Professor Jill Blackmore (Deakin) and Professor Michele Simons (WSU) have agreed to lead a series of initiatives in collaboration with government and bureaucracies.
- Professor Michele Simons (Chair of ACDE) has been appointed to the National Teacher Education Review Panel.
- ACDE has agreed to arrange an Education on the Hill event in Canberra.
- Professor Donna Pendergast also expressed interest in supporting these initiatives.
7. Supporting HDR, ECR and MCR Education researchers:
- Professor Catherine Manathunga (UniSC) and Professor Elke Stracke (UCanberra) have agreed to lead a working party on these initiatives.
- cADRE Steering Committee has agreed to be part of this working group.
- In 2023 cADRE will develop a series of initiatives in this area.
- Dr Brad Gobby (Curtin), Professor Susanne Gannon (WSU) and Professor Jo Lampert (Latrobe) also indicated interest in this area.
8. Working with First Nations researchers to facilitate Indigenous Education research:
- AARE and cADRE plan to invite Indigenous Education research leaders to convene a working party.
- This will also be discussed with convenors of AARE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Special Interest Group at the AARE conference.