Providing Opportunities for High-level Research Collaboration

Background and Description

The Annual HCSNet Early Career Researcher (ECR) Placement Award is designed to provide opportunities for new researchers to build professional networks and high-level research collaborations. Each year, the competitive scheme provides financial support for an ECR to spend a block of time (two weeks or longer) at another HCSNet Research Laboratory, Centre, Group, Department or Industry Facility in Australia. The proposed visit should be designed to develop knowledge or a skills base, build professional networks, and provide an opportunity to collaborate with experts in the field. Longer-term goals to be encouraged are joint publications involving the ECR and the host institution, and/or presentation of a joint paper at an international conference and publication in the corresponding conference proceedings.

For the purposes of ARC Research Network activities, an ECR is defined as a researcher who is within fifteen years of the start of their research careers when they submit their applications. This normally means that you have been awarded a PhD or equivalent research doctorate within the last fifteen years.

In applying for the award, the ECR in consultation with their Head of School/Centre and a researcher at the host institution should outline a plan and program of activities to be undertaken at the host institution. Activities might include the conduct of an experiment or data collection, training in specialist skills or methods, presenting seminars on their research, working in a discipline other than their own, and meeting with research experts. Applications will need to identify clear outcomes, demonstrate interdisciplinarity and relevance to Human Communication Science, and include a proposed budget.

As the spirit of the scheme is to promote excellence in research, the process will be competitive and awarded on merit. There will be a call for applications in March. Financial support from HCSNet is up to $2,500 to the ECR plus $500 to the host institution to assist with local expenses. The winner and host institution will receive a certificate and winners will present a keynote address at SummerFest.

Please click here to view a list of research laboratories, centres and groups represented in HCSNet.

How to Apply

1. The ECR should make contact with the nominated person in the host Lab/Centre/School/Industry Facility and, together with the host supervisor, apply to the HCSNet ECR Placement Award. Participating laboratories and facilities may also call for applications in a particular area via the HCSNet Bulletin Board.

2. Applications for the HCSNet ECR Placement Award (a maximum of 4 pages plus CVs) should include: name, affiliation and contact details of the ECR, and of the supervisor at the host institution; year of PhD graduation; a statement outlining the relevance of the visit for the ECR's research program; a program of activity at the host institution (e.g., seminars, meetings, data collection, skill acquisition, joint paper at SummerFest and/or journal); anticipated outcomes of the visit; a budget showing costs including any cash and/or in-kind support from either the host or source institution; CVs from the applicant and the visit supervisor at the host institution; and written and signed recommendations from the ECR's Head of School/Centre and the host institution.

Please click here to submit an application for this award.