Melbourne Children's Graduate Research Committee

Role of the committee

Acting for all research students on the campus, the Melbourne Children’s Graduate Research Committee develops and implements local rules and procedures for the management of research training programs (PhD, DMedSci and Masters) on Campus.

Support and advocacy

• Advice and mentoring for research students and supervisors
• Mentoring and pastoral care for research students
• Arbitration of student/ supervisor disputes and problems
• Advocacy for research students hosted on campus

Quality management

• Promoting the highest standards and practices of supervision and research conduct
• Quality assurance of research supervision
• Approving new supervisors, new students and new projects
• Approving supervisory arrangements and advisory committee
• Ensuring appropriate resources (including funding, space, IT) are available and provided to students by the respective research groups
• Promoting appropriate procedures on ethics approval

Policy development

• Developing and promoting graduate research programs policies and guidelines

Coordination and general administration

• Managing supervisor registration and training
• Monitoring students’ progress review process
• Monitoring and reporting on completions
• Administering travel grants and discretionary funding for research students

Training and skills development

• Determining educational needs for students and supervisors on campus
• Providing professional development and training opportunities
• Communicating other learning opportunities
• Promoting participation in opportunities available for training in broader aspects of research
• Promoting and monitoring supervisor training
• Training of supervisors and chairs of progress review meetings

Liaison with other University of Melbourne entities

• Liaison between the Melbourne Children’s Campus and University of Melbourne central entities including the School of Medicine, the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, the Academic Services Graduate Research and the University of Melbourne Graduate Student Association (GSA)

Liaison with other enrolling departments/schools in the University of Melbourne and other universities

• Liaison between with other enrolling departments/schools within the University of Melbourne and with other enrolling universities (recognising that the committee has no formal standing in other universities, and any issues raised with other universities are done under the auspices of MCRI as the affiliated institute where the students are placed).

Communication / Dissemination of information

• Department of Paediatrics Head of Department forum
• MCRI Director’s forum
• MCRI Theme Advisory Group (TAG) meetings
• MCRI bulletin
• RCH CEO staff forum