Annual Report 2008 - Central Queensland University

Research &
Innovation
Higher degree by research student load has remained constant over the three year
period from 2005-2007 for Research Training Scheme (RTS) funded students, but
has been increasing for International doctoral students, a result that has been against
the trend for many other universities.
In the period of 2003-2007, the number of research only staff has decreased by
approximately 12% and the number of research and teaching staff has seen a small
increase of 1.5%.
CQUniversity research income has continued to increase with the growth occurring
in the University’s areas of research priority.
Table 1. Commonwealth Block Grant Research Income in 2008 (for performance in 2005-6)
Research Income Amount % of Benchmark % of National National Ranking
Research Training Scheme $2,546,292 15 0.4 33
Institutional Grants Scheme $1,314,698 16 0.4 33
Research Infrastructure Block Grant $236,786 6 0.1 34
Australian Postgraduate Awards $409,265 14 0.4 33
Regional Protection Scheme $62,379 10 2.0 6
Total Commonwealth Block Grant $4,569,420 33
Table 2. Research Income and performance benchmarks for 2007 period
Research Performance Number % of Benchmark % of National National Ranking
National Competitive Grants $768,508 4 0.07 36
Other Public Sector Grants $1,985,245 11 0.3 34
Industry and Other $2,618,477 22 0.4 28
CRC $381,257 5 0.3 32
Weighted Research Publications 313.89 4 1 32
Total HDR Student load 176
Total Completions (2006) 24
Research Priorities and Strengths
CQUniversity has thematically focused its research into three priority areas. These
priority areas link the significant research activities of several research centres and
groups and align well with the teaching disciplines of the University. The University’s
research priority areas are the research activities that contribute to advancing
knowledge and innovation to:
• The resource industries, including natural, primary, transport, mining and processing;
• Community health and social viability, including population research;
• Intercultural education, including international education.
The research organisational units aligned to the University’s research priorities are:
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Resource Industries and Sustainability Institute
• Environmental Management with programs in ecotoxicology, industrial
monitoring, natural resource management, policy and management,
greenhouse and climate.
• Railway Engineering as the lead research institution for the CRC Rail Innovation.
Programs include heavy vehicle fatigue testing, simulation technologies and
innovations for efficient rail transportation.
• Process engineering, materials sciences, industrial maintenance and reliability
and membership of the CAST CRC.
• Plant and water sciences for the primary industries with programs in food quality,
irrigation systems, nutrient cycling and plant development.
• Energy including power grids, renewable and solar energy.
• Integrated network systems, simulation technologies and intelligent
and complex systems.
• Human resource management, fatigue, shiftwork and occupational safety.