7. Organisation of Research
7.1 All academic staff are required to undertake research. In turn, the University is committed to support all research with appropriate resources where necessary e.g. research assistants, laboratory assistants, science officers, equipment, supplies, time, infrastructure, funds, and etc.
7.2 UNIMAS’ overall research focus is diversely expressed in each faculty/institute’s niche area(s). Each niche area within the faculty/institute allows for research convergence and the optimisation of research resources.
7.3 Within this niche area(s), the faculty identifies priority research topics. Staff undertaking research within a priority research topic are called a research group.
7.4 Any research that does not fall within the ambit of the faculty/ institute’s niche area(s) is called “complementary research”. Although complementary research is not discouraged, it shall not take precedence over niche-area research in the allocation of University resources.
7.5 Depending on prevailing needs and relevance, the University management may give precedence in terms of resource (facilities and funding) apportionment to one or more selected niche areas or priority research topics.
7.6 At faculty/institute level, a cluster-based approach to research is encouraged. Cluster-based research refers to a strategy whereby either an amalgamation of research projects or components of one large project, are undertaken collaboratively either within a priority research topic or across priority research topics. By definition, it involves more than one researcher. Sharing similar research interests, researchers collaborate intellectually and in work responsibilities. As far as possible, UNIMAS desires research to be multi-disciplinary or inter-disciplinary in design and approach. Inter-faculty and interinstitutional research collaboration is encouraged since the sharing of expertise and techniques across disciplines and institutional boundaries shall eventually prove beneficial in adding value to research.
7.7 It is preferred that each cluster-based research project have a few postgraduate (research) students attached to it. Working with principal researchers, the students derive their postgraduate theses from the research project. The participation of research students is highly desirable and recommended as they augment research in terms of providing principal researchers with original data and collaborative feedback. Furthermore, they form the nucleus of new scholars, trained by principal researchers, and are poised to break new ground and take research to advanced levels.
7.8 Depending on their respective workload and tasks assigned at any particular time, lecturers are expected to give a balanced emphasis in terms of time and efforts to both teaching and research. For full-time research staff, research shall comprise not less than 75 percent of their workload.
7.9 Contract research and consultancy engagements may comprise up to 30% of the total workload of lecturers.
7.10 Each faculty/institute has principal responsibility in developing, screening and implementing and monitoring their respective research projects. Final approval and oversight of faculty/institute research projects however lies with the University, principally the Research and Services Committee, assisted by the Research and Innovation Management Centre (RIMC).
7.11 The flowchart in Appendix 1 illustrates the approval process for Fundamental Research Grants and ScienceFund.
7.12 The University also undertakes research under the auspices of its eight professorial research chairs. These professorial research chairs are endowed by external funds and are held by distinguished scholars who give the Chairs their respective research profiles. Chair-holders lead all research teams within their respective faculties/institutes. These research chairs are listed in Appendix 2.
7.13 All Chairholders are accountable to their respective Chair Trustees Committees (CTC) comprising representatives from all stakeholders of the Chair. The CTC is tasked with overseeing the Chair’s overall strategic research priorities, receiving its annual research and financial reports, and appointing Chairholders and Research Fellows. The CTC also sets priorities on utilisation of the Chair’s funds. RIMC is the Secretariat for all CTCs.
7.14 All Chairs are operationalised by a Chair Working Committee (CWC) at faculty/institute/centre. The CWC is responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of research under the Chairs.
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