Global Utilities

La Trobe University
Health Sciences

Policy - Faculty Academic Policies and Procedures

Outside Studies Program

Guidelines 2010

Faculty guidelines should be read in conjunction with the La Trobe University guidelines (see Section 8.2 Outside Studies Program for Academic Staff in the Personnel Procedures and Policies Manual).

Faculty Guidelines

1. Applications must be submitted to the OSP secretary for the Committee to consider by the due date.

2. Applications that are incomplete will automatically be rejected. Faculty Office staff will not contact you seeking missing information. It is therefore imperative that the application is completed in full and all required attachments appended to your application.

3. Heads of School must take an active role in supporting prospective OSP applications. Failure to supply Head of Schools’ comments will result in the application being deemed incomplete, and it will not be considered.

4. Applicants must provide a plan for OSP activities. This should include:

  • Brief details of completed research which forms the basis for writing during OSP and include details of expected publications, including topics and proposed journals; and/or
  • details of planned research projects (names and institutions of external collaborators are required) and details of expected publication;
  • signed invitation(s) from colleague(s) at institution(s) where OSP is to be undertaken;
  • details of planned research grant applications (funding body, collaborators, etc)

Part of OSP may be utilised to undertake innovative activities associated with teaching. Examples of such activities include writing a textbook on teaching in your discipline or developing an interactive on-line teaching program.

If applicants fail to provide any of the above (e.g. expressions of interest or contracts from publishers) their application will be deemed incomplete.

5. a) Normally a minimum of three publications in a good quality refereed journal (or DEST -weighted equivalent) submitted in a six-month period shall be deemed an acceptable outcome for staff whose OSP is for research purposes only. Where a proposed program of study involves an expectation of less than three publications, the Head of School should comment specifically about the adequacy of the proposed program. For those staff who intend to undertake a research project, it is expected that at least one publication in a refereed journal (or DEST -weighted equivalent) will result.

b) Where a component of OSP is used for the development of innovations in teaching, there must be a product as a result, for example, a text for students or an interactive on-line program.

c) Where a component of OSP is used for developing research grant applications, it is expected that at least one external grant application should be submitted within the six month OSP period.

6. Outcomes from OSP should be clearly stated and applicants should pay attention to how stated components of the OSP are related and how they will be achieved.

7. Applicants are reminded that a proportionate amount of recreation leave is to form part of their OSP leave. (e.g. two weeks recreation leave in a six month program)

8. Applicants should note that the outcome of their application will depend on having successfully met the conditions specified for their previous OSP leave (where applicable). Reports which the OSP Committee deem to be unsatisfactory will be sent by the Committee to the Head of School for comment. Failure to submit a previous OSP report will deem the application incomplete and it will not be considered.