To: hchan@kirkham.ewind.com, cvnet@lawton.ewind.com
From: Professor Peter Wenderoth <peterw@vision.bhs.mq.edu.au>
Hoover: Could you please put this on CVNet? It might interest people
to know that Colin Clifford currently holds one of these MURFs in my
lab.
Peter Wenderoth
MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
RESEARCH OFFICE
Download Application Form
Download Referee Form
MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS SCHEME
(MURF)
2001 GUIDELINES
Program Objectives
The purpose of the Macquarie University Research Fellowships Scheme
is to provide support at a postdoctoral level to
individuals who are normally at the beginning of their research
career. Under special circumstances applications may be
considered from individuals re-entering a research career after a
period of absence (for example, for health or family reasons).
Applicants must have an outstanding academic record in an area of
research consistent with the University's research profile.
For 2000, the Macquarie University Research Fellowships Scheme will
provide up to four new Fellowship positions on a
competitive basis. Each position is tenable for three years.
Applicants must hold a PhD at the commencement of the Fellowship,
which normally is from 1 January of the year of award.
However, appointees may defer taking up a Fellowship for up to six
months (ie no later than 30 June of the year of award). The
salary range for the Fellowships will be within points 6 to 8 of
Level A of the Academic Salary Scale ($43,803 - $47,019 pa -
rates effective from 1 January 1999). (These salary levels will be
adjusted in line with movements in the Academic Salary Scale.)
Applicants must also identify a staff member at Macquarie University
who will take responsibility for the project in terms of
administrative and infrastructural support. Written evidence of such
support is an essential part of the application process.
A secondary goal of the Scheme is to increase the number of
externally funded Fellowships held at the University, such as those
provided under Australian Research Council (ARC) Schemes. To this
end, it will be a condition of the allocation of a Fellowship
that the successful applicants apply to the ARC for a Fellowship (or
to another agency for an equivalent Fellowship) in the
second year of tenure of the Macquarie University Research
Fellowship. It is the University's experience that applications for
ARC Fellowships are more successful where the proposal originates
from someone already in position in the university of
choice. This result can be ascribed to the fact that the applicant
will have a well developed project proposal and can call on close
collaboration in the application from her/his sponsor/team leader in
the mounting of the proposal. (Note: The condition requiring
successful candidates to apply for a subsequent ARC Fellowship (or
equivalent) may be waived should the Fellow meanwhile
have been offered and accepted an academic appointment.)
Although subject areas are not prescribed, the Research Committee
will give preference to either those cited in the University's
Research Manual as areas of research strength, or those nominated by
the respective Head of Department/Division as an existing
or emerging areas of research strength. Since each candidate for a
Fellowship must nominate a sponsor from the Department in
which he/she hopes to work, association with an area of research
strength is important, not least for the reasons of the availability
of suitable infrastructure for the Fellowship position.
Eligibility
The Scheme is open to competition by all suitably qualified
candidates, both within Australia and from abroad. Applicants must
hold a PhD degree at the commencement of the Fellowship, and have an
outstanding academic record. An excellent publication
record is an advantage. In exceptional circumstances, candidates may
apply to hold a part-time appointment to a MURF
concurrently with an appropriate other part-time academic appointment.
Applicants must have written support from their proposed sponsor/team
leader within the University, as well as written
agreement from the Head of the Department/Division in which it is
intended that the research will be carried out. The application
form is constructed so as to accommodate such statements.
It should be noted that the Research Committee does not encourage
applications from those
individuals who have previously held one or more postdoctoral appointments.
Similarly, it does not encourage applications from those who have
just completed, or are
about to complete, their PhD degree at Macquarie University, and who
cite their PhD
supervisor as their sponsor for a MURF, or nominate their current
Department as their
proposed location for tenure of the Fellowship.
Sponsor/Team Leader
The proposed sponsor/team leader's details should be provided at
section 7 of the application form. In addition, she/he must
complete the statement at section 8 of the form. NB: Sponsors/team
leaders may NOT act as referees.
Referee
The referee's details should be provided at section 6 of the
application form. In addition, the referee must complete the Referee's
Report Form and forward it to the Research Office, under separate
cover, by the closing date for the Scheme (1 July 1999).
Examples of suitable referees are your current research supervisor or
examiners of your PhD thesis, provided that such persons
are not also sponsors/team leaders.
Selection Criteria
The following selection criteria will apply:
the demonstrated ability of the applicant to fulfil the
requirements set out in these Guidelines;
the capability of the applicant to undertake postdoctoral
research as determined by the quality of past achievements;
the quality of the project proposal;
the extent of facilities and infrastructure available to the
candidate should she/he be successful, and the way in which the
proposed research relates to those areas of research strength
within the University, as defined above.
In making its final determination, the Research Committee may also
take into account:
whether more than one Fellowship should be awarded to an area
or department which is relatively small or relatively
poorly resourced; and
whether the candidates' sponsors have already benefited under
the Scheme; with this in mind, potential sponsors who
have been associated with new Fellowship positions in the
previous two years are not encouraged to sponsor proposals
in the current round.
Selection Process
The selection of applicants to whom Fellowships will be offered will
be undertaken by the University's Research Committee,
whose decisions will be final. Selection will take place in two
stages. In the first, the Research Committee will evaluate the
applications against the eligibility and selection criteria cited
above. Short-listed proposals will then be considered under stage
two, with the benefit of advice from appropriate referees.
Given the highly competitive nature of the Scheme, applications
should be submitted only by those with exceptional academic
backgrounds, who are willing to expend considerable time and effort
in preparing an excellent application.
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified as soon as possible after
completion of each selection stage. The Research Office will
notify successful applicants in November, and official offers of
Fellowships from the University's Personnel Office will follow
shortly thereafter.
Application Procedure
ONLY APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED ON THE PRESCRIBED FORM
BY THE CLOSING DATE CITED THEREON
WILL BE CONSIDERED
Since each application requires endorsement by both the academic
sponsor/team leader and the respective Head of
Department/Division, applicants will need to allow for such processes
in planning the timing of the preparation and submission of
their proposals.
ONLY APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED
WITH THE APPROPRIATE ENDORSEMENTS
WILL BE CONSIDERED
Where applicants do not wish particular individuals to act as their
referees/assessors should their applications be short-listed, they
may nominate such individuals on the application form, giving reasons.
Applications must be lodged with the Research Grants Officer,
Research Office, Building E11A, Macquarie University, NSW
2109, Australia.
Conditions of Award
Fellows will be paid on a fortnightly basis through the University's
payroll system. The appointments will carry the same
benefits and restrictions as apply to other academic appointments.
This includes the normal provisions for removal expenses, etc.
Details of the University's policy on such matters are available from
the Personnel Office.
CLOSING DATE FOR 2000 ROUND OF FELLOWSHIPS
1 JULY 1999
LATE APPLICATIONS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED
Application form and guidelines
are available from the World Wide Web
http://www.ro.mq.edu.au/MURF/MURFGUID.HTM
and from the Research Office, 61 2 9850 8612
Posted: 19 May 1999.
Professor Peter Wenderoth Phone: +61 02 9850 8680
Head, Psychology Department Fax:+61 02 9850 9238 (Confidential)
Macquarie University Fax: +61 02 9850 9390
Sydney, Australia 2109 email: peterw@vision.psy.mq.edu.au
www: http:/vision.psy.mq.edu.au/~peterw
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