- Lecturer, Level A.6
- Casual position, on an as required basis
- Casual rate of $68.57, with Super Guarantee Charge (SGC)
- Fixed term for teaching period in Term 1 to Term 4, 2025, potential for renewal in subsequent years
- Benefits of working with the University of Melbourne
About the Opportunity
The Master of Cancer Sciences is a fully online two-year part time course offered jointly by the VCCC Alliance and the University of Melbourne. The philosophy behind the Master of Cancer Sciences is to provide a contemporary, evidence-based program to health professionals to improve the outcomes and quality of life for patients with cancer and ultimately to improve cancer treatment outcomes.
We require casual Cancer Research Capstone Supervisors in the Research Thesis Capstone subject to take responsibility for the supervision of multiple students (per 6-month project) within the Master of Cancer Sciences (MCS) course. This will involve overseeing the following areas within the Research Thesis Capstone subject:
The phases of Supervision will include:
- Project planning with the student
- Regular meetings to track progress
- Availability to field questions
- Examination of research reports
The Supervisors will liaise closely with the Subject Co-Coordinators, and Course Convenors to ensure that the student’s research experience meets the over-arching course objectives and provides a seamless, integrated experience as part of the Masters suite.
The primary responsibility of a research project supervisor is to ensure that the student completing a research project under their supervision is provided continuing support and guidance in the conduct of their project, so as to produce a piece of work that is the best the student can achieve. However, the final form and content of that work is the responsibility of the student.
Regular meetings with the student are encouraged and are to be negotiated between the supervisor and the student. As a guide, approximately ½ hour long weekly meetings for the first few weeks and 1 hour long fortnightly meetings for the remainder of the project over the two terms are recommended to ensure adequate monitoring of the student’s progress. More or less frequent meetings may be required at different periods during the project.
The supervisor’s role includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- guiding the student in selecting and defining the scope of a suitable research topic and setting the specific research question;
- guiding the student to develop a realistic study plan including the setting of short, medium, and long-term objectives;
- discussing and reaching agreement with the student around the details of the supervisory arrangements, including a regular meeting schedule;
- monitoring the student’s overall progress, discussing with the student any issues they are experiencing, and guiding them to resources that may help them, and if needed notifying the Research Project Coordinator of any problems being experienced by the student that may affect their progress;
- suggesting appropriate background reading;
- informing the student of any ethics approval necessary for the planned project and informing the student that research involving human subjects must not commence before the necessary approval is obtained;
- encouraging the student to consult with other appropriate contacts where specialist technical advice is required;
- guiding the student in planning the structure of their oral presentation;
- guiding the student in planning the structure and writing of their research report;
- reviewing and commenting on at least one draft of each section of the report and reviewing the penultimate draft prior to submission, and providing constructive criticism within a reasonable time frame;
- examining the literature review, oral presentation and Research Project of other students within the agreed assessment framework, or informing the Research Project Coordinator if unavailable to do so;
- discussing issues of intellectual property and authorships with the student early in the research project, along with providing any relevant policy documents and/or data agreement documents to the student;
- when applicable, ensuring that appropriate notice and prior arrangements are made where the nominated project supervisor expects to be absent and continuous supervision cannot be maintained.
An important component of the Research Project Supervisor’s role is to offer feedback on the research project report drafts as the student develops their work. As a guide we recommend that supervisors identify areas of weakness and comment on the work (eg add more detail on exposure measurement validity here, this section may be a better fit in the paragraph below, etc.) instead of rewriting the student’s work. This approach fosters the student’s ability to edit and rewrite their own writing and ensures that the final research project report is the student’s own work.
This will be a casual position, on an as required basis, with an estimated workload of 2-5 hours per week for Terms 1, 2, 3 and 4. This position reports to the Research Thesis Capstone Subject Coordinator(s), Giulia McCorkell and Dr Sathana Dushyanthen.
For more details, please refer to Position Description
Key Responsibilities
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Curriculum development
- Support of Research Thesis Capstone projects in the Master of Cancer Sciences
- Develop appropriate guides for both faculty, assessors and students
Assessment
- Develop a thesis assessment blueprint in collaboration with the Subject Coordinators, Academic team and Course Convenors
- Contribute to the development of assessment items, standard setting and item evaluation
Academic Workforce and Service
- Be responsible for recruiting and supporting appropriate subject experts, or faculty to provide research project assessment or statistical support
- Act as a key point of contact with faculty to facilitate communication
General
- Participate in all committee meetings relevant to the Research Thesis Capstone subject
- Contribute to other medical education related activities as required (eg. webinars, assessing oral presentations)
- Other contributions as required
SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP
- Adopt leadership responsibilities within the VCCC Alliance through leading committees, delivering presentations, representing the VCCC Alliance, connecting people together
- Participate in community and professional activities related to the relevant disciplinary area including attendance and presentations at conferences and seminars
- Positive engagement in learning and career development of self and others through participating in the VCCC Alliance Leadership program
- Effective demonstration and promotion of University values including diversity and inclusion and high standards of ethics and integrity.
Key Selection Criteria
ESSENTIAL
- Masters, PhD, progression toward PhD or equivalent research experience in a cancer-related discipline, or significant work towards
- Proven expertise in one of the following research areas (please state clearly in your application): quantitative clinical research, qualitative clinical research (highly regarded), mixed methods research and design, systematic reviews, protocol development, clinical database interrogation, and / or bioinformatics/biostatistics for clinical research
- Demonstrated skills and experience in supporting online learning communities
- Previous experience in Supervision of Honours level or above with the ability to take on 3-4 students per run
- Proven track record of publications in the last 3 years
- Demonstrated strong organisational, time management and problem-solving skills
- Ethical scholar who values diversity and works effectively with individual differences
- Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills for effective teaching collaboration and engagement
- Proven rapport with university students and a commitment to pastoral matters
- Proven capacity to work in a team environment
DESIRABLE
- Research projects/programs with approved ethics
- Clinical practice in a relevant area (cancer related)
- Demonstrated experience administering student cohorts on learning management systems
Equity and Inclusion
The University is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, bullying, vilification, and victimisation. The University makes decisions on employment, promotion, and reward on the basis of merit.
The University is committed to all aspects of equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and to providing all staff, students, contractors, honorary appointees, volunteers and visitors with a safe, respectful and rewarding environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, vilification and victimisation. This commitment is set out in the University’s People Strategy 2015-2020 and policies that address diversity and inclusion, equal employment opportunity, discrimination, sexual harassment, bullying and appropriate workplace behaviour. All staff are required to comply with all University policies.
The University values diversity because we recognise that the differences in our people’s age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, physical ability, and background bring richness to our work environment. Consequently, the People Strategy sets out the strategic aim to drive diversity and inclusion across the University to create an environment where the compounding benefits of a diverse workforce are recognised as vital in our continuous desire to strive for excellence and reach the targets of Growing Esteem.
Contact for Enquiries
For further information, please download Position Description.
For enquiries only, email Giulia McCorkell, Subject Coordinator, Cancer Research Capstone at [email protected]
To Apply
Please send your application to Grace Chan at [email protected] by 5.00pm, Tuesday 3 December 2024, addressing all essential selection criteria, appending your CV and cover letter.
