MINUTES OF MEETING

Meeting of the Research Australia University Roundtable

Date: 16 November 2017 10:00am – 4.00pm Location: Swinburne University

Present: Professor Nicholas Fisk, UNSW (Chair); Professor Ross Coppel, Monash University; Professor Jane Dahlstrom, ANU; Professor John Finlay-Jones, Edith Cowan University; Professor Matthew Gillespie, Monash University; Professor Sandra Grace, Southern Cross University; Professor Janet Hiller, Swinburne University of Technology; Professor Christina Lee, University of Queensland; Professor Nigel McMillan, Griffith University; Professor Ian Olver, University of South Australia; Dr Kara Perrow, University of Wollongong; Professor Laurent Rivory, University of Sydney; Professor Liz Sullivan, University of Technology, Sydney; Professor Rob Ware, Griffith University; Ms Nadia Levin, Research Australia; Mr Greg Mullins, Research Australia.

1. Opening of the Roundtable As the Chair was delayed, Greg welcomed all attendees and thanked Professor Janet Hiller of Swinburne University for providing a venue and the catering for the Roundtable.

2. Introductions Greg invited each attendee to briefly introduce themselves.

3. Apologies and Minutes of Previous Meeting

Apologies received and noted: Professor Jenny Beck, University of Wollongong; Professor Alex Boussiatis, University of Melbourne; Professor Helen Chenery, Bond University; Professor Rachel Davey, University of Canberra; Professor Paul Foster, University of Newcastle; Professor Rhondda Jones, James Cook University; Professor Trish Livingston, Deakin University; Professor Robyn McDermott, James Cook University; Professor Patrick McNeil, Macquarie University; Professor Paul Scuffham, Griffith University; Professor David Shum, Griffith University; Professor Bryony Wakefield, University of Melbourne.

Minutes of the University Roundtable held on 24 August 2017 were accepted as circulated.

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4. Welcome to Swinburne University Greg introduced Professor Aleksander Subic, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Development) of Swinburne University.

Professor Subic welcomed the Roundtable attendees to Swinburne University. Aleks distributed copies of the Swinburne University strategy document Transforming Industries, Shaping Lives and Communities Research and Innovation Strategy 2020 and used the document to provide an overview of Swinburne’s evolution as a research and innovation focused university, and to discuss the University’s strategy for a research and innovation ecosystem, with five institutes in key areas which drive cross disciplinary research and innovation from Swinburne’s research centres and faculties. All the Institutes and Centres are underpinned by Swinburne’s Digital Research and Innovation Capability Platform.

Aleks emphasised the importance of ‘Industry 4.0’, Swinburne’s determination to participate in this next industrial revolution and the opportunity universities have to both lead and support the economy, workforce and society in this transition.

Greg thanked Aleks for his presentation and for Swinburne’s support for the University Roundtable.

A copy of the strategy document is available on the Research Australia website (link available at the end of the minutes).

5. Machine learning, Pattern Recognition and HMR

Professor Nick Fisk assumed the Chair, and introduced Professor Svetha Venkatesh, Australian Laureate Fellow, Alfred Deakin Professor and Director of Centre for Pattern Recognition and Data Analytics (PRaDA) at Deakin University.

Professor Venkatesh commenced with an introduction to the prevalence of Artificial Intelligence today (70% of written media is machine generated) and its rapid evolution in the last two decades. Svetha provided an example of her research where AI was able to provide much better identification of patients at risk of suicide than experienced clinicians, and how this had been introduced into practice at Barwon Health.

A discussion ensued around the future role of AI in guiding and supporting research. Professor Ventkatesh expressed the strong view that while it was possible to allow AI to operate independently, in her view there should always be a requirement that a human understand the algorithms being used. This was the only way to ensure that the AI was operating consistently with societal values- e.g., avoiding racial and gender bias in selection processes.

A copy of the presentation is available on the Research Australia website (link available at the end of the minutes).

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6. NHMRC Peer Review Consultation

Greg Mullins, Head of Policy, Research Australia provided a presentation on the NHMRC Peer Review Consultation, with a focus on the option of using a two stage process with an Expression of Interest (EOI) followed by a full application for Ideas Grants and Strategic and leveraging Grants.

Greg provided an overview of the consultation questions and used the exemplary NZ Health Research Council’s two stage application process for project grants to explore a possible model for NHMRC Ideas Grants.

Various difficulties with a streamlined EOI process were identified, including potential regulatory issues related to Government procurement and the need to ensure all applicants have the same opportunity along with the need to provide a rebuttal process. Other examples of EOI processes were also provided, including the Australian Centre for HIV and some ARC schemes.

The discussion also considered the broader question of the burden on reviewers and the context of lack of training for peer reviewers. Reference was made to an initiative in the past between Monash, Melbourne and Deakin universities (which did not progress) to develop a peer review training module.

A copy of the presentation is available on the Research Australia website (link available at the end of the minutes).

7. Iverson Health Innovations Research Institute

Nick introduced Professor Gavin Lambert, Director of the Iverson Health Innovation Research Institute. The Institute is named in honour of the late Professor Don Iverson, Swinburne’s Founding Dean of the Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, and a former member and chair of the Research Australia University Roundtable.

Gavin gave an overview of the Iverson Institute and how it related to the broader Swinburne University Research and Innovation ecosystem. Gavin highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of much of its work and how the Institute was engaging with other universities and with industry, as well as with Swinburne’s digital capabilities, faculties and research Centres to deliver innovation.

Gavin highlighted the Institute’s four key themes, the technology areas it is targeting, and the range of disciplines on which it is drawing. Gavin also provided an overview of the Institute’s current research projects and partners and briefly discussed the seeding grants projects, available within the University but requiring some external funding. He briefly discussed the work the university was doing to assist new researchers to identify and secure external funding.

Nick thanked Gavin for his presentation.

A copy of the presentation is available on the Research Australia website (link available at the end of the minutes)

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8. BioCurate and the issue of reproducibility of published findings

Nick introduced Dr Glenn C Begley, the CEO of the newly formed BioCurate.

Glenn outlined the history and origins of BioCurate as a joint venture between Melbourne and Monash universities, and its goal of improving the rate of commercial success relative to the universities’ high research output in biomedical sciences. Biocurate will seek to do this by supporting early stage drug development to make projects Industry/Partner ready.

Glenn reflected on his experience in the five months since returning to Melbourne, and the question of how to achieve sufficient scale in the pipeline of proposals coming forward for curation and investment.

Glenn also discussed the issue of the poor rates of reproducibility of much published research which he had previously brought to international attention, and the implications of this in terms of waste, inefficiency and the opportunity cost to industry and other research. He outlined how BioCurate would seek to address this issue in the research it seeks to develop, and what could be done at a broader level across academia to deal with this issue. There was an extended discussion about the cause of this problem, how it could be addressed and who could/should take responsibility. The role for a National Office for Research Integrity in helping address this issue was discussed.

Nick thanked Glenn for his presentation.

A copy of the presentation is available on the Research Australia website (link available at the end of the minutes).

9. Policy Update

Due to time constraints the Policy Update was not discussed during the meeting but Greg circulated hard copies to the representatives attending the meeting and advised that an electronic copy was available on the Research Australia website (link available at the end of the minutes).

10. Annual Review and Plan for 2018

Research Australia CEO Nadia Levin gave a presentation reviewing the topics discussed at the Roundtable meetings in 2017, drawing out themes and relating these to Research Australia’s strategy.

A range of topics and speakers were proposed for 2018 including:

• Second round MRFF Priorities • How to balance competition with co-operation in research • Steve Wesselingh as the new Chair of the Australian Health Research Alliance (network of AHRTCs)

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• International sources of research funding (EU Science Office in Canberra, Gates Foundation, Professor James Whisstock (Monash University) Chief Scientist, EMBL Australia. • MTP Connect CEO Sue McLeman • Australia’s Research Information Infrastructure- Prof Robyn Owens, DVCR, UWA • The new Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research expected in mid 2018. Ask Dr Kerry Breen AM to speak about it (member of the joint ARC/NHMRC Australian Research Integrity Committee, but not a member of the Code Review Committee.)

A copy of the presentation is available on the Research Australia website (link available at the end of the minutes).

11. Summary and Closing

Nick thanked the participants for their attendance. Nick also thanked Janet for Swinburne University’s hospitality.

It was agreed to hold four meetings of the University Roundtable in 2018. Dates and venues will be confirmed as soon as possible and circulated.

The meeting closed at approximately 4 pm.

All presentations are available from the Research Australia website at http://researchaustralia.org/events/university-roundtable/university-roundtable-document- archive

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