Affirmative Action Measures

The John Curtin School of Medical Research has adopted a range of affirmative action measures to achieve its objectives in gender balance in the recruitment of academic staff and postgraduate students, including :

(i) In line with the University policy the appointment of at least one woman and one man on all selection committees and where possible on other School committees, eg. PhD Scholarship Committee, which recommends the selection of postgraduate students;

(ii) Statistics by gender are collected for all academic appointments in the School;

(iii) Encouragement of flexible employment conditions to improve opportunities for members with family responsibilities, eg fixed-term appointments are normally extended to compensate for paid maternity leave to allow staff to finalise work on their research projects;

(iv) As a monitoring measure, statistics by gender are collected on all applications for appointments to academic staff positions.

(iv) In 1998 and 1999 the School developed its Gender Equity Plan in line with the recommendations of Council on this matter.

Progress towards the objectives of the Gender Equity Plan

· Strategies Implemented

  Selection criteria for all academic and general staff positions with supervisory responsibilities
  were amended in 1998 to include an essential criterion :

    Demonstrated achievement in relation to equal opportunity

· Mentoring -  the School appointed 50% student/Postdocotral Fellows Mentor to

• provide support for graduate students and Postdoctoral Fellows in the School. 
• To advise the Director on any supervisory issues, infrastructural requirements or personal problems that are adversely affecting the progress of a PhD student
• To advise the Director about those students who should be considered for School or University Prizes
• To plan and implement proactive policies for recruitment of PhD scholars in collaboration with other academic staff

• To be available for career advice and mentoring of posdoctoral fellows
• To mediate when difficulties arise between a postdoctoral fellow and his/her supervisor.

· Networking - the existing network for students : immediate supervisor - Graduate
  Convenor/Academic Assistant to the Director - School Secretary - Head of Division and
  the Director - will be expanded to include nominated mentors and be made available
  to all Postdoctoral Fellows.  Students/PDF (both women and men) should be
  encouraged  to set up social and gender-based networks. 
  There are already good social networks in place for students, such as informal meetings
  in the school or student retreats.  There are also university-wide networks operating
  through CEDAM, such as seminars for students about alternative careers.
  Faculty Board has noted that Postdoctoral Fellows are missing out on those networks and
  should be encouraged to use them.  Another useful networking mechanism was suggested
  for students and Postdoctoral Fellows to encourage them to have informal meetings with
  prominent visitors to the school. 

· Re-entry Fellowships - while Faculty Board supported the idea to introduce a re-entry
  fellowship for both men and women with a break in scientific work at a tertiary
  institution to return to academia, it was agreed that the funding side would have to be
  investigated further.

· Part-time Postdoctoral positions - Faculty Board supported the continuation of more
  flexible employment arrangements, including part-time positions to allow persons with
  parenting/family responsibilities to continue with their careers.

· Child Care - it was noted that the EEO Committee would investigate the possibility of
  setting up a child minding facility for JCSMR staff.

The following strategies were implemented in 1999:

• Strategy 3.9   All areas to have an informed initial point of contact for equity issues.
  The Convenor of the School EEO Committee has been appointed the JCSMR contact person with regard to the Gender Equity Plan, currently Dr Klaus Matthaei.

• Strategy 3.11 All staff having substantial human resources duties to serve as role models for EO practice.
  Noted.

• Strategy 3.12  Recognition of Gender Equity achievements in staff performance assessments.
  The following criterion has been introduced in the ANU Promotion criteria for levels C, D and E : "Other activities, in particular duties specified by the University, relating to administration, outreach or editorial functions, and any contributions to advancing the University's gender and other equity objectives"
  The School will also adopt this criterion in its consideration of applications for promotion.

• Strategy 3.14    To give appropriate value to pastoral care and committee contributions from members of staff.
  This strategy is yet to be addressed by the School to make explicit provision for pastoral care and committee activities in promotion and selection procedures.

Trends in Academic Staffing

The percentage of women appointed to academic positions has increased over the last five years.  Since 1995 three female Renewable Fixed-Term (RFT) appointments have been made, two at Level D, and one at level C.  In 1995 another female academic was recruited to the School at level D (continuing).

Academic staff numbers have been relatively constant since 1993 at an average of around 82.5 full-time equivalent staff on strength at 31 March.  However in 1997 there was a decline in the number of staff to 77, with another increase in 1998 to 87.26 staff.  In 1999 the number of academic staff at strength at 31 March was 86.2.  The tenured staff numbers have also declined from 25 (28.4%) in 1993 to 18 in 1998, which represented 20.6% of the total staff in the School.  In 1999 the number of tenured (or continuing) staff in the School further declined to 17, which represented 19.72% of the total staff in the School.  The recent Higher Education Conditions of Employment (HECE) Award had major implications for the University policy concerning the ratio of continuing (now called standard) and fixed-term appointments.  The University Council at its meeting on 11 December 1998 resolved to approve a ratio of a maximum of 40:60 standard:fixed-term academic staff appointments in the Institute of Advanced Studies by the year 2000.  In JCSMR there are 13 RFT appointments in 1999, five of which were converted to standard appointments in 1998/1999.  Accordingly, in 1999 there are 22 standard appointments in the School, representing 25.5% of the total academic staff, which is well within the Council’s guidelines.

The percentage of female staff according to the level of appointment is as follows :
 
 

LEVEL	1997 %	1998 %	1999 %
A	60	52	56.4
B	22	27	40
C	25	16	12.1
D	37	22	30
E	0	7.5	9

Appointment trends in the period 1995 to 1999 show a correlation between the number of women applicants and the number of women appointed.  The clear trend in the JCSMR is to receive more female applications and make more female appointments:
 

YEAR	FEMALE APPLICATIONS	FEMALE APPOINTMENTS
1995-1996	18.8%	33.3%
1996-1997	22%	42%
1997-1998	33%	50%
1998-1999	35%	58%

Trends in Postgraduate Students

The overall number of postgraduate students has increased from 60 in 1994 to 80.5 in 1999, and the percentage of female postgraduate students has maintained above 50% of the total number of students.

In line with the recommendation that the IAS increase its graduate enrolment, the JCSMR Faculty Board established in 1996 its PhD Student Recruitment Committee.  As a result the following measures have been introduced :

. Fenner Merit Scholarship

The purpose of the scholarship is to attract Australian students of high calibre to pursue postgraduate research at the John Curtin School of Medical Research. The award will provide for payment of a supplementary scholarship to an outstanding holder of the ANU PhD Scholarship or an APA or some other living allowance scholarship for the duration of that scholarship.  The level of the award will be determined from time to time by the Director of the School, but will not be less than $5,000 per annum.

. A Relocation Incentive Allowance

An allowance of $5,000 is available for postgraduate students recruited to the School from outside the ACT Region.

. A Relocation Allowance

An allowance of $4,000 is available for JCSMR Honours Year Scholarship holders recruited from outside the ACT Region.

. Eccles Scholarship

A scholarship designed to attract overseas students of high calibre to pursue postgraduate research at the John Curtin School of Medical Research. The scholarship will provide for payment of the annual tuition fees for overseas students, an annual living expenses stipend set at the normal rate of the ANU PhD Scholarships

. Doherty Scholarship

Jointly with the National Health Sciences Centre the School proposes to introduce a Doherty Scholarship funded by the Australian National University and the National Health Sciences Centre to facilitate the interactions between basic science in the medical research area and the clinical development of such scientific enterprise.  The purpose of the Scholarship is to attract Australian students of high calibre with clinical qualifications to pursue postgraduate research for a PhD degree at the John Curtin School of Medical Research involving a clinical research project.  The Scholarship will be advertised for the first time late in 1999.

Trends in General Staffing

The general staff numbers as at 31 March 1999 are as follows :

Division of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology      27
Division of Immunology & Cell Biology                15.8
Division of Molecular Medicine                            22.7
Division of Neuroscience                                      13
Electromicroscopy Unit – Histology                        6
Biomolecular resource facility                                  4
Animal Services                                                    18.5
Technical Services                                                16 (including 3 apprentices)
Security staff                                                          5.25
Cleaning staff                                                         7.25
Photography                                                          4
Wash-up media                                                     3.5
IT  Services                                                           3
Administration                                                      14.8
Store                                                                      3
_______________________________________________________________
TOTAL                                                              163.8
 

TABLE I  - as at 31 March 1999

Academic Staff in the JCSMR

C - continuing positions, including continuing on probation
R - renewable fixed-term positions
F - fixed term (non-renewable
 

TABLE II  - as at 31 March 1999

Proportion of staff by category compared with total staff (recurrent and non-recurrent excluding CRC)
 

	Category	1996		1997		1998		1999
		No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
	C	19	22.1	17	22	16	18.34	15
MALE	R	5	5.8	6	7.8	9	10.31	11	12.76
	F	35.2	41	28.38	36.8	34.81	39.89	29.2	33.87
	C	2	2.3	2	2.6	2	2.29	2	2.32
FEMALE	R	2	2.3	2	2.6	1	1.15	2	2.32
	F	22.75	26.5	21.75	28.2	24.45	28.02	27	31.32
	C	21	24.4	19	24.6	18	20.63	17	19.72
MALE+ FEMALE	R	7	8.1	8	10.4	10	11.46	13	15.08
	F	57.95	67.5	50.13	65	59.26	67.91	56.2	65.19
TOTAL		85.95	100	77.13	100	87.26	100	86.2	100

 

TABLE III - Postgraduate Student enrolments (EFTSU) at 31 March 1999
 

	1997					1998					1999
	MALE		FEMALE		TOTAL	MALE		FEMALE		TOTAL	MALE		FEMALE		TOTAL
	No.	%	No	%		No.	%	No.	%		No.	%	No.	%
PhD	27.5	44.4	34.5	55.6	62	29.5	41	42.5	59	72	36.5	46.5	42	53.5	78.5
Masters
Research			2	100	2			0.5	100	0.5	1	50	1	50	2
Course -work
Grad Diploma
Total	27.5	43	36.5	57	64	29.5	40.7	43	59.3	72.5	37.5	46.5	43	53.4	80.5

 TABLE IV - Academic Staff Appointments as at 31 March 1998
 
 

	1995-96	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99
Total Positions Advertised	12	18	17	12
Total Applications	101	163	92	103
Total Women Applicants (as % of all appointments)	18.5%	22%	33%	35
Total Sex Unstated	0	0	0	0
Total Appointments	12	19	16	12
Total Women Appointed (as % of all appointments)	33.3%	42%	50%	58%
Levels of appointment of women              E
SF		1(RFT)
F	1(NC)
RF		1
PDF	3	6	8	7
Level of  appointment of men                 E
SF	1(RFT)
F	2(NC)	3(RFT)	1(RFT)
RF	1
PDF	4	8	7	5