INFORMATION PAPER

Schedule 3 of the UNSW (Academic Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2015 states at Subclause(d) that:

A Research only employee will be appointed at a level at least consistent with the "Guidelines for Appointment of Academic Research Staff" which were in place on the day before the commencement of the Agreement.

The following guidelines apply.

1. NHMRC Research Fellows, Post Doctoral Fellows and above, the various categories of ARC Research Fellows and Research Associates and the Vice-Chancellor's Post Doctoral Research Fellows will be recognised as academics. These appointees will have titles within the range Research Associate (or Post Doctoral Fellow)#, Research Fellow, Senior Research Fellow, Associate Professor and Professor, according to his/her standing against normal academic levels A to E as shown in the table below.

# Note: The distinction between Research Associate and Postdoctoral Fellow is likely to be both discipline and qualification specific.

2. In addition, University research academics, other than those referred to in point 1 above, should have his/her title and status as academic confirmed if they:

(i) have primary or significant responsibility for leading a research project(s) provided that in the case of a Level A academic research appointment, the conduct of research may be under limited supervision either as a member of a team or independently and the academic demonstrates intellectual contribution to research as is the norm for the discipline; or

(ii) have received his/her Fellowship through a rigorous selection process; or

(iii) are regarded internationally or nationally as experts in his/her field of study or research; or

(iv) are otherwise recognised as occupying an academic research position by the University.

3. Other research positions should only be considered as academic and receive the titles as specified in point 1 above, if they can demonstrate that they meet the criteria outlined in point 2 above. Otherwise these staff will hold a title of either Research Assistant, Research Officer or Senior Research Officer and will be considered to be general staff.

Specifically the following research academics will be covered by this Agreement:

* indicates that academic Level will be determined on appointment.
** indicates that academic status dependent on satisfying one of the criteria in point 2.