UTS POSITION DESCRIPTION UTS: HUMAN RESOURCES

Transcription

1 UTS POSITION DESCRIPTION UTS: HUMAN RESOURCES Position Title Ethics Unit/Division or Faculty and Innovation Office Position Number Current HEW Level HEW 9 Job Family (HR Use Only) ANZSCO Code (HR Use Only) POSITION PURPOSE The Ethics (REM) is responsible for the management of the UTS Human Ethics Committee (HREC), the Animal Care and Ethics Committee (ACEC), Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), Expedited Review Committee (ERC) and the Clinical Trials Sub-Committee (CTSC) to HREC to ensure that research carried out by or through the University meets both its statutory and corporate University ethical obligations in relation to the safe and ethical conduct of research in the areas of human ethics, animal welfare/ethics and biosafety. The REM also ensures that UTS meets its obligation under the Federal Government legislations that broadly concern the control of exports (physical and intangible) and trade sanctions, for example, under Customs Autonomous Sanctions Charter of the United Nations and Weapons of Mass Destruction legislation, as well as, the Defence Trade Controls legislation (collectively, the Legislation ).The position is also accountable for developing and reviewing ethics policies, directives, processes and procedures. The REM provides strategic advice on ethics and biosafety, promotes a strong ethical research culture at UTS, and actively contributes to the planning and management of policy and guidelines as part of the Operations & Management team. DIMENSIONS Indicative statistics directly related to the position s major responsibilities. Full time staff equivalent in the and Innovation Office in FTE and Innovation Office Budget in $3.15 million UTS External Income target in 2017 ~$72 million RELATIONSHIPS Supervision The will report to the Deputy Director, Operations and Management in the and Innovation Office (RIO). The REM is supported by a Ethics Officer (HEW 6) and a Ethics (HEW 5). Collaboration and Communication Internal The REM liaises with the HREC, ACEC, IBC Committee Chairs, Committee members and other executive and administrative officers of these committees and any relevant subcommittees, to advise on the their smooth operation. The REM also advises academic staff and research students in relation to their ethics applications, and with senior management of the University in relation to human, animal ethical issues and biosafety and their implications for the University. RESEARCH ETHICS MANAGER January

2 Provides strategic advice and makes recommendations relating to research integrity and ethics to the and Innovation Office through the appropriate management structures. Liaises with Faculty and Institute management, including Deans, Associate Deans () and Directors of Strengths, Dean of the Graduate School and UTS research community to facilitate the development, implementation and reporting of research ethics and integrity policies and initiatives. External Senior and other administrative staff of the Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC), the National Health and Medical Council (NHMRC), Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the Animal Welfare Unit of the Department of Primary Industries NSW, Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR), Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) and other relevant government departments and agencies, as well as external committee members, and members of the public who might have questions or complaints in relation to the conduct of research at UTS. Offices in the Australian Technology Network (ATN) and other Universities, both local and international, to liaise on research ethics policies and initiatives. National and international networks (including Australasian Ethics Network (AEN), ARMS Ethics and Integrity Special Interest group, ANZCCART, Sydney Animal Ethics Group (SAREG) with expertise in research ethics and integrity management practices to maintain an up-to-date awareness of trends and developments in international best practice. Internationally, the REM liaises with the US Office of Human Protections (OHRP, US Department of Health and Human Services) and any other relevant organisations where UTS maintains international accreditation. MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES Contribute to research at UTS in the following ways: 1. Management of the administration of HREC, ACEC, IBC Committees and sub-committees which includes oversight of meetings, internal and external reporting requirements, committee budgets etc. 2. Promote the relationships between all Committee and relevant sub-committees Chairpersons and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, (DVCR), advising on issues that arise in relation to ethics and biosafety, including problems and complaints as well as policy review and development. 3. Management of all Committees membership, including recommending and reviewing potential appointments, ensuring committee membership aligns with relevant committee Terms of reference and any external requirements, induction of new members, training for all committee members, monitoring of performance and advice on administrative and legislative requirements relating to committee membership. 4. Management of the clinical trials related issues including development of clinical trials policies and guidelines for researchers and Terms of reference for clinical trials subcommittee to HREC, strategic advice to researchers and senior management and liaison with external agencies, e.g. TGA. 5. Develop, review and update the University s research ethics strategy including Responsible conduct of research policy and three Vice-Chancellor s Directives on human ethics, animal ethics and biosafety. RESEARCH ETHICS MANAGER January

3 6. Provide strategic advice and make recommendations relating to responsible conduct of research to the Deputy Director Operations & Management and the DVCR. 7. Resolve complex enquiries and problems related to implementation of Defence Trade controls legislation. 8. Monitor the conduct of research by UTS staff and students to ensure that it is conducted in accordance with legislative and other requirements through inspections and review of reports. 9. Investigate and manage complaints relating to human, animal ethics and biosafety approvals in conjunction with the relevant Chairperson. 10. Conduct physical inspections of facilities and liaise with animal management staff to monitor welfare of animals used in research by UTS staff and students, including investigation of complaints and keeping of accurate animal welfare & monitoring records. 11. Oversight of research facilities to ensure compliance with internal and external animal welfare/ethics and biosafety requirements, including management of internal and external inspections, accreditation of new facilities and re-accreditation of existing facilities, both on and off campus; appropriate signage and adherence to procedure; record-keeping requirements and follow-up on any outstanding issues relating to facilities. 12. Provide strategic advice and make recommendations to senior management relating to accreditation of IBC by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) and any requirements for certification of Physical Containment Level 2 and 3 (PC 2 and PC3) certification. 13. Promote an awareness of ethical issues relating to the conduct of research by providing information and support to researchers, students and Faculty research administrators both individually and through the provision of workshops, seminars, small group training sessions and written material relating to ethics and research. 14. Identify and analyse issues that arise in relation to the ethical conduct of research and their implications for the University, including the development and implementation of appropriate strategies. 15. Monitor and review federal and state legislation and guidelines and advise senior management (both central and within faculties) on the implications of changes to legislation and guidelines for UTS. 16. Liaise with peers nationally to review guidelines and develop networks, to ensure an appropriate exchange of information on research ethics issues. 17. Develop internal processes and procedures to ensure that the University's research is conducted according to the highest ethical standards and meeting national and international requirements. 18. Plan, oversee the development and implement online resources to meet University, accreditation and regulatory requirements. This involves implementation and evaluation of online systems to enable application, review and feedback. POSITION CHALLENGES RIO is responsible for advising on and coordinating the University s participation in competitive and collaborative research funding, negotiating research commercialisation and other types of knowledge transfer proposals, managing the University s intellectual property portfolio, and facilitating the leverage of university consulting into research programs. It does this by the developing and implementing policy and operational frameworks; benchmarking and reporting of research performance indicators; managing competitive research grant application processes; engaging with industry to secure collaborative and contract research funding; patenting and protecting RESEARCH ETHICS MANAGER January

4 intellectual property; negotiating and executing research funding, commercialisation and consultancy contracts; and contributing to the development of the research management skills of UTS researchers. RIO operates with a Directorate, and three functional teams. The three teams are, Operations & Management, and IQ. The REM plans, develops and implements the research ethics policies and processes that must be adhered to in all human, animal and biosafety research conducted by or involving UTS. ers can view the existence of ethics committees as a constraint on their traditional academic and scientific freedoms. The REM must therefore be able to assure researchers of the benefits of the ethics review process. The REM must also balance the interests of researchers, the community, including research participants, and the University, with the external requirements of legislation and guidelines, and changing public opinion. The situation is further complicated by continuing technological and scientific developments which often outstrip the formation of professional and community standards. It is incumbent upon the REM to ensure that the highest standards of care and conduct in all research and especially in animal research are adhered to demonstrably, given the vulnerability of animals used in research, humans responsibility to them, and the potential for scandal if animal research is not conducted appropriately at UTS. AUTHORITY TO ACT The REM is responsible for the provision of strategic advice to the senior management and for the management of the human, animal and biosafety research ethics function for RIO and UTS. The position holder must be able to act independently and to exercise considerable discretion, and must consider the implications for the University of situations which arise which could involve the loss of funding from granting bodies, the loss of reputation, and in extreme cases, criminal prosecution with associated adverse publicity for the University. The REM must act or advise appropriate action to avoid or minimise problems associated with the conduct of research. Such action may range from halting access to funding, to recommendation of formal disciplinary action by the University, depending upon the nature and validity of the complaint. The position requires extensive experience and familiarity with legislation and guidelines. The incumbent has to be able to advise senior management of national and international trends, implications of changes to legislation, guidelines, and societal expectations, as well as engaging with students and supervisors about the impact on their own research. HEALTH AND SAFETY All Staff must: take reasonable care of, and cooperate with actions taken to protect, the health and safety of both themselves and others and follow specific health and safety procedures as directed do whatever is reasonably practical to ensure that both the workplace and the work itself are safe, in consultation with staff affected. They must also: thoroughly understand the UTS Health and Safety Management System, and how to implement the UTS Health and Safety Policy and related risk management programs that apply to the area of responsibility. RESEARCH ETHICS MANAGER January

5 Understand the major hazards, risks profile, compliance requirements and correct safe work procedures in their area of responsibility, including the reporting of hazards and incidents. Fulfil any assigned responsibilities under the UTS and local area Health and Safety Plan, including communication and consultation with stakeholders regarding work health and safety risks in their area of responsibility. Demonstrate a proactive approach to health and safety by challenging unsafe behaviours/attitudes and providing leadership on work health and safety matters. LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES Leading Strategically Demonstrates ability to lead innovation within UTS including generating opportunities for creative thinking and translation of ideas into improvements Demonstrates a higher level understanding of the UTS strategic plan and can incorporate it into planning, managing risk and performance Displays creativity in bringing original concepts to the fore and contributes thoughtful and valuable viewpoints Demonstrates the ability to maintain perspective and can shift/trade-off between short and long term views, managing multiple time horizons and perspectives Collaborating and Engaging Demonstrates higher order skills and abilities in taking positive and adverse actions, dealing with ambiguity, encouraging collaboration, political awareness and in dealing with paradoxes Leading Teams Demonstrated high order skills and abilities to manage talent, vision and purpose, motivate others, build teams, manage diversity and develop direct reports (where appropriate) Presence and Awareness Demonstrates resilience, influencing abilities, leads with integrity, perception and composure Leading Performance Demonstrates business acumen, informs others, solves problems (beyond the status quo), focuses on the (internal and external) client and possesses high level technical expertise. ORGANISATION CHART Please see below organisation chart that shows in relationship to this position; the position it reports to, direct reports and peers (where appropriate). RESEARCH ETHICS MANAGER January

6 The current staffing structure of RIO (December 2016) is summarised in the following organisation chart and staffing table. Director Deputy Director Strategist Strategic Grants EA & Office Coordinator Operations & Management Deputy Director Executive Intelligence & Quality Associate s s (Contracts) Executive Executive, Innovation & Commercial Develoment Science, Intellectual Property Intelligence Associate Officer SRA Human & Animal Ethics Commercialisati on Associate DAB/Business - China RIQ Officer Compliance Officer DTC Ethics Officer FASS/LAW 0.5FTE RIQ Health/GSH Publications Officer Contracts (ISF) Data Quality (Temp) 6

7 KEY SELECTION CRITERIA UTS: Human Resources Position Title Ethics Unit/Division or Faculty and Innovation Office Skills and Attributes A self- motivated, energetic and driven individual Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a particular focus on committee management and conducting/facilitating workshops on research ethics. Strong networking skills in order to maintain a supportive set of relationships with stakeholders inside the university and across the sector. Demonstrated commitment to integrity and professionalism at a personal and organisational level. Knowledge A high degree of scientific literacy to liaise with scientific researchers and staff A working knowledge of the current Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of and its implications for research practice in the university environment. A thorough knowledge of the current legislation, standards and codes of practice relating to animal welfare and biosafety and their implications for the conduct of research in the university environment. A thorough understanding of the human, animal ethics and biosafety review processes in the higher education setting. Qualifications and Experience A Bachelor s degree or higher Experience working in a policy interpretation and development role in the higher education sector. Demonstrated ability to foster teamwork and capacity building in previous roles. Demonstrated capacity to implement process change as a result of policy shifts in an organisational setting. Demonstrated leadership capacity in a policy interpretation role. Prior experience acting in the Secretariat of an institutional human, animal ethics or biosafety committee would be an advantage. RESEARCH ETHICS MANAGER January