Research in the Faculty of Education and Arts

The Faculty of Education and Arts (FEDUA) is committed to a research development strategy that will enable it to contribute strongly to the University's research enterprise under the new federal innovation system - which provides incentives for quality and concentration of research strength.

The Faculty streamlines its research focus and investment via its three research Institutes and one Priority Research Centre:

The three Institutes and the PRC aim to provide a growth-orientated critical mass of focussed activity that supports the Faculty’s major research strengths and facilitates research that has high impact both nationally and internationally.      

The Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity & Nutrition takes a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to understanding physical activity and nutrition for population health and sports performance, with particular emphasis on education and health promotion strategies for chronic disease prevention, treatment, and wellbeing. The PRC aims to examine these interrelationships across the lifespan, by targeting "at risk" populations, multiple levels (individual, social, organisational, population) and within various settings (schools, clinics, workplaces, communities).

The Humanities Research Institute believes that humanities research has an important role to play in the intellectual life of the University and more widely. Our aim is to foster teams of researchers to undertake high-quality adventurous work in the humanities, and to promote the research careers of individual University of Newcastle humanities researchers. We also seek out and promote research connections between the humanities disciplines at Newcastle and work elsewhere, with the idea of forming productive groups in closely focused areas across institutions, and groups that bring together researchers across discipline boundaries to tackle larger and more intractable problems.

Educational Research Institute Newcastle (ERIN) cultivates interdisciplinary research to enhance the theoretical, methodological, and evidence-based understandings of education. It provides a productive research environment where leading scholars conduct streams of research that have high national and international impact. ERIN strives to be an instrument of change to advance educational practice, to create inclusive and equitable learning environments, to enhance educational outcomes for diverse learners, and to deliver evidence-based solutions to significant educational problems.

Research Institute for Social Inclusion and Wellbeing (RISIW) focuses explicitly on social inclusion and wellbeing as significant factors which impact on equity, social justice and citizenship. The Institute brings together some of the world's leading researchers and policy makers in this interdisciplinary field. Our focus is on research within a strategic framework where the social sciences and moral philosophy come together in endorsing a global public sphere based on the principle of parity of participation. Indicators and measurements of wellbeing are being extended beyond preferences and levels of satisfaction to incorporate the degree to which human beings can flourish together so as to lead a good life.  The Institute is dedicated to advancing the understanding of inclusion and wellbeing, and applying new knowledge and methods to helping people, institutions and societies develop their full capabilities.

Faculty Research Support

Direct funding for research purposes

  • Faculty visting fellowships
  • Cross-Faculty research support for interdisciplinary projects (with FSIT)
  • Conference Travel Support grant scheme
  • New Staff Grant scheme
  • Mid Career Fellowship
  • ARC LP Support scheme  featuring top up of $3,000 for projects that receive UoN LP Pilot funding and rapid response funds of up to $1,500. Plus RDM assistance with preparing LP Pilot scheme applications and subsequent ARC applications
  • SSP for research purposes
  • 50/50 PhD Scholarships aligned with recognised research clusters

Workshops and seminars

Support with nationally competitive grant (NCG) applications

Support for external grant applications will be provided via a Notification of Intent (NOI) process date to be confirmed. Support includes budget assistance, workshops, and internal and external expert reviews, which will be organised based on the response to the NOI. Specifically, this will entail:

  • Assistance with budget preparation for NCG applications via the ‘Ready Reckoner’ spreadsheet and one-on-one support from the Institute EOs.
  • Faculty Review Panel for draft applications (dates tbc)
  • External Senior Academic Review of draft applications (dates tba)
  • A Postdoctoral Fellowship Strategy that provides assistance and some funds for Research Leaders to target high quality external applicants in priority areas of Faculty research strength for the ARC DECRA and UoN Fellowship grant rounds – contact the RDM for further information
  • RDM planning and review of ARC applications that meet internal submission deadlines, consisting of: drafting of institutional statements of support for ARC Future Fellowship and DECRA candidates; assistance with other externally-funded and centrally-funded Fellowship applications; and arranging senior academic and external expert review of high-quality, mature applications
  • High-quality applications that meet internal submission/review deadlines will also be provided with additional Faculty financial support 
  • Access to exemplar applications and ARC funding outcome data collated by FoR code is hosted by each of the Research Institutes

Support with Faculty research orientation and planning

  • Research orientation discussions with Assistant Dean-RRT Associate Professor Pam Nilan for new staff and ECRs
  • Assistance for all Ourimbah-based staff from, Acting Ourimbah Research Development Manager, Professor Lisa Adkins (Sem 1 2013), Professor Hilary Carey will return to this role Sem 2
  • Assistance with preparing applications and budgets for internal University Early Career Researcher Grants from Institute EOs
  • Advice and guidance for Research Leaders on building research clusters in the Faculty is available from the Institute Directors

Governance

Research within the Faculty is overseen by the Research Committee and the Research Training Committee, which reports to and advises the Pro Vice-Chancellor. The Assistant Deans (Research and Research Training) chair the Faculty committees and are members of the associated University committees.

Assistant Dean (Research and Research Training) Associate Professor Pamela Nilan
Pamela.Nilan@newcastle.eu.au