Graduate Certificate in Research Practice for Scientists and Engineers

About the Course

The Graduate Certificate in Research Practice for Scientists and Engineers is intended for academics to help improve their professional research skills.

The emphasis is on raising awareness of critical research issues from an international perspective and on developing higher-level research skills. It is delivered by world-leading researchers with deep global experience and perspectives on research. All instructors have extensive experience in mentoring researchers and are well placed to help enrolees at all career stages to develop their skills through this graduate certificate.

What is a Graduate Certificate?

A graduate certificate is a short course of study designed for people who are already working in a field, and who want to develop deeper knowledge and advanced skills through specialized university level training. A graduate certificate is a postgraduate coursework qualification that typically requires half a year (or 1 semester) of full-time enrolment or equivalent to complete. The Graduate Certificate in Research Practice for Scientists and Engineers is offered by the Australia Institute for Future Education (AIFE), which is accredited by the Australian Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) for this program. TEQSA accreditation is required by all higher education providers in Australia, including universities. The graduate certificate is offered online, with a recommended schedule of one unit in each of four semesters over a two-year period, although it can also be done more intensively. This schedule aims to help busy academics to expand their perspective and develop research skills with minimal distraction from the demands of their normal employment.

Language of Instruction

The graduate certificate is taught in English. To enrol, you must have achieved an IELTS score of 6.0 (or equivalent).

The Four Course Units

Four units in total must be completed. Unit 1 should be completed first. The other units can be taken in any order. Each unit is delivered over 12-week periods. Each class session generally consists of two hours of lecture with a one-hour tutorial to help reinforce concepts learned (i.e., 3 hours in a single session each week). Tutorials will be led by the instructors with assistance from AIFE staff.

1. Essential Research Skills for Successful Academics
   Working as an academic is demanding. Universities want academics to be world-class researchers as well as excellent teachers and good citizens who serve the administrative needs of their department. It is difficult to be an excellent researcher, especially when you are obliged to spend much of your time on these other tasks. Many academics have not deliberately considered how to develop the high-level skills needed to be a successful researcher and to manage competing pressures on their time, including developing the necessary communication skills. The aim of this unit is to discuss strategies for becoming a more effective academic by developing skills in planning, conducting, managing, and presenting research, with emphasis on communication as a key academic skill.
2. Writing Impactful Publications
   Publishing is fundamental to academic life. Good papers are essential for advancement of a field of knowledge. A researcher’s reputation also hinges primarily on the quality and impact of their publications, which have a major impact on promotion prospects. So, what are the elements of writing a good paper? What habits do I need to develop to consistently write impactful papers? How do I evaluate what tier of journal is most appropriate for my paper? How can I write papers for the highest impact journals? How does the peer review system work, and how do I operate most effectively in it? These questions are addressed and strategies for writing impactful papers are discussed in this unit.
3. Writing Quality Research Proposals
   Obtaining research funding is an essential element of doing many types of research. Without funding, students and post-docs cannot be hired, research expenses cannot be paid for, or travel to conferences to publicize research results cannot be covered. What are the key elements of successful research proposals? What practices must become habits to achieve serial success in winning research funding? What kind of researcher must I become to be successful? When I have secured funding, how do I hire, plan, supervise, and lead a team that delivers results? The wide-ranging skills needed to build a research career and secure, manage, and deliver on research funding are discussed in this unit. Students will get practical experience of conceiving, planning, writing, and assessing proposals in this unit, which is intended to sharpen critical thinking in relation to producing high-quality research proposals.
4. Statistical Data Analysis
   Statistical data analysis is the most powerful tool we have for separating scientific fact from fiction and, as such, is fundamental to successful and impactful research. Thus, it is essential for researchers to have an appreciation of the statistical and computational techniques used in data analysis and characterisation. A focus will be placed on conceptual understanding of how specific data analysis techniques work and the situations in which they can and cannot be applied. Delivery will be based on practical examples, providing the opportunity for hands-on learning through processing of real data sets with MATLAB. The experience gained in this unit will help researchers to approach and present their own data analysis problems in a rigorous and principled fashion.

Graduates who complete the Graduate Certificate of Research Practice for Scientists and Engineers will have the following competencies.

Teachers

David Heslop

Associate Professor

Eelco Rohling

Professor

Ian Young

Professorial Fellow (Honorary)

Dates and Timetables

First semester teaching to start week commencing October 7, 2024.

Fees

The fee for AIFE Graduate Certificate courses is AU$8,000, which is applied at AU$2,000 per Unit.

Admission

All applicants seeking admission into any AIFE course will be treated fairly and equitably. Applicants must be 18 years of age, or over, in the year of commencing the course. Students will be admitted based on meeting the published entry requirements. AIFE will consider applications which indicate an educational disadvantage background on provision of evidence.

Students admitted to one of AIFE’s courses will be provided with learning and personal support to assist their progression through to course completion and, thereby, ensure equivalency of outcomes regardless of their place of study. Before applying for entry into an AIFE course, all applicants should check the following entry requirements.
All applications for entry must be accompanied by:

• a completed application form signed by the applicant;
• certified copies of:
  • proof of identity (a birth certificate or passport are suitable forms of proof of identity; the proof of identity must be translated into English by a certified translator in the applicant’s country);
  • original transcripts, record of results and, if relevant, employer’s references or personal character references, which must be translated into English by a certified translator in the applicant’s country; and
  • English language proficiency test result (must be current; i.e., within 2 years).

The minimum acceptable score of English language proficiency is:

Copies can be certified by an officer of the Australian embassy or by a person:

• • not related to the applicant by birth or marriage, and
  • in the following occupations: legal and medical practitioners, nurses, pharmacists and teachers employed on a permanent full‑time or part‑time basis at a school or tertiary education institution

To assist in a smooth admission process, applications should be complete and applicants should provide all documents when requested by AIFE.

Entry Requirements and Alternative Pathways
For admission into an AIFE Graduate Certificate course, applicants must hold a Masters qualification, or equivalent, in any field.
AIFE recognises the disadvantage experienced by minority groups and those living with a disability and will accept applications from these groups upon provision of suitable evidence, such as awards, certificates or other educational achievements.

Outcome of Application
Applicants who are offered a place at an AIFE course will receive a letter of offer and written agreement, which must be signed and returned to AIFE in accordance with the instructions in the letter of offer.
Applicants, who do not meet the entry requirements, will be advised of the unsuccessful outcome and of their right to appeal the decision under the AIFE Student Appeals Policy and Procedure.
AIFE reserves the right to reverse its decision and revoke the letter of offer and written agreement if the information relied upon to admit an applicant is found to be fraudulent, false or misleading.