Procedure: Centres and Institutes

Purpose

To outline procedures for the establishment, management and disestablishment of Centres and Institutes at ANU.

Procedure

Establishment

1. The Responsible Area of an Internal Centre or Institute, or Joint-Funded Centre or Institute, will develop a comprehensive written Proposal for a Centre or Institute, following the headings outlined by the Guideline: Centres and Institutes.
2. The Proposal should be consulted with any identified key stakeholders prior to proceeding through the approval process.
3. The approval process for the finalised Proposal for a Centre or Institute is as follows:

Recommendation by the Host School Director and Host College Dean

Where the Centre or Institute Proposal includes an education component (such as new programs, coursework or executive education), that component will be reviewed and endorsed by the Associate Dean (Education) of a relevant College.

endorsement by the University Research Committee (URC), which includes representation from all Colleges

endorsement by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)

approval by the Vice-Chancellor

Establishment of a new Centre or Institute is reported to Planning and Performance Management, and to Academic Board for noting.

4. The Vice-Chancellor may establish a Centre or Institute, or approve a Proposal, at any time. This allows the Vice-Chancellor to respond to urgent strategic requirements. In this case, the Establishment will be notified to the University Research Committee and Academic Board at the next available opportunity.
5. Externally Funded Research Centres such as Cooperative Research Centres, ARC Centres of Excellence, NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence and others are established as per the relevant funding agreement.

Management, Staffing and Governance

6. Management structure (including reporting line of the Director) and governance structure are determined on a case-by-case basis by the Responsible Area, and should be clear in the Proposal.
7. Guidance on selecting an appropriate management and governance structure is provided in the Guideline: Centres and Institutes.
8. Academic staff, affiliates and students contributing to a Centre or Institute must hold a position within an Academic Organisational Unit (AOU). This does not need to be the same AOU as the Centre or Institute (if it has one).
9. Before becoming part of a Centre or Institute, all staff must discuss their participation in with their supervisor, including understanding the likely time commitments involved, and particularly communicating any impact on research, teaching, outreach or service obligations.
10. Externally Funded Research Centres and Joint ANU-External Partner Centres meet any additional governance and accountability requirements arising from funding agreements or external partners.

Branding and Identity

11. Centres and Institutes may develop an individual brand and logo in line with the Guideline: Use of the ANU Brand Standards.

Reviews

12. Externally Funded Research Centres are reviewed in accordance with funding agreement obligations.
13. Where the Centre or Institute is an Academic Organisational Unit considered a School or Department, reviews follows the process set out at sections 12-32 of the Academic School or Department Accreditation Procedure.
    1. See the list of Centres and Institutes to which this applies here: Approval Delegations for Colleges, Research Schools, Schools and Departments.pdf (anu.edu.au)
14. For other Centres and Institutes, the Responsible Area determines the review process. Non-binding guidance is provided in the Guideline: Centres and Institutes.
15. Under the Academic School or Department Accreditation Procedure, Centres and Institutes can be reviewed separately or as part of the review of a School or Department.
16. The Responsible Area determines the schedule of reviews, with an expectation that all Centres and Institutes are reviewed at least once every five years.
17. The Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Dean or Delegate of the Responsible Area may trigger a review at any time.
18. The objectives of any review are to:

1. Assess whether the Centre/Institute is meeting its mission and objectives;
2. Assess the overall research performance, added value to ANU, and ongoing need for the Centre; and
3. Make recommendations as the review panel sees fit that may improve the outcomes, governance or standing of the Centre or Institute;

6. Acceptance and implementation of review recommendations are at the discretion of the Responsible Area.

Renaming

7. Where the Centre or Institute is an Academic Organisation Unit, renaming follows the process set out at sections 5-7 of the Academic School or Department Accreditation Procedure.
8. In other cases, the Centre or Institute may be renamed by:

1. Recommendation of the Responsible Area;
2. Approval of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation); and
3. Notification of the renaming to the Planning and Service Performance Division.

Disestablishment

9. Where the Centre or Institute is an Academic Organisational Unit considered a School or Department, disestablishment follows the process set out at sections 8-11 of the Academic School or Department Accreditation Procedure.

1. See the list of Centres and Institutes to which this applies here: Approval Delegations for Colleges, Research Schools, Schools and Departments.pdf (anu.edu.au)

10. In other cases, a Centre or Institute may be disestablished with the following procedure:

1. Recommendation of the Responsible Area;
2. Approval of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation); and
3. Notification of the disestablishment to the Planning and Service Performance Division

11. Without limiting the range of factors that may influence decision-making, recommendations from the Responsible Area should set out:

1. the rationale for disestablishment (e.g. change in strategic direction, lack of funding sustainability, personnel changes, outcomes of reviews); and
2. An operational plan to wind down and/or transfer activities including staffing, budgets, teaching, HDR supervision, research commitments, equipment, strategic partnerships and other relationships.

12. Decisions to disestablish a Centre or Institute must be made with consultation to the Centre or Institute, and any other key stakeholders.
13. Disestablishment of an External Centre at the conclusion of project funding is an administrative decision only, to be notified to the Planning and Service Performance Division by the Responsible Area.

Reporting and Organisational Structure Management

14. Planning and Service Performance Division maintain a register of Centres and Institutes.
15. Planning and Service Performance Division coordinate operational changes to the ANU organisational structure according to the Organisational Arrangements Change Procedure.