The Professional Experience Program (PEP) is available to academic staff to provide for a period of professional development to the mutual benefit of a staff member and the University.
The University Policy HR 9.3 Professional Experience Program and Procedures set out the principles and operational requirements for the program.
PEP is approved on the basis of stated criteria and eligibility requirements. The maximum period of a PEP is normally six months. A staff member will be paid their normal substantive salary whilst on PEP. A staff member may seek paid employment, scholarships and other earnings whilst on a PEP subject to approval.
The provision of travel and other related financial support will be dependent on the local unit’s budget and the University’s, and other authorities’ requirements relating to limitations on travel. Please refer to the University Travel web pages or contact the Travel Team on 08 8302 6430 or travel.team@unisa.edu.au for further information regarding the University’s current travel advice.
After returning from PEP a staff member will be expected to remain in the employment of the University for a further period of one year. A staff member who has returned from PEP is required to submit a report to their supervisor within 3 months of returning to work.
Staff must negotiate any extension to the period of PEP due to five or more continuous days of sick leave with the relevant Executive Dean/Director.
Recreation leave accrued while on PEP leave is deemed to have been taken during the period of PEP leave.
It is important that your PEP application, including intended outcomes and their contribution to the relevant discipline, profession and/or University, is aligned with the University’s PEP priorities. Addressing these priorities and the mutual benefit PEP will bring to your own development and the University should be highlighted clearly within your submission so that your application can be directly assessed by the PEP Committee against the criteria.
Finalise a collaborative application or program of collaborative applications that will support the University’s goal to scale category one to four income.
Applications for PEP on the basis of grant/funding submissions (for all categories) should detail the grants or tenders to be prepared during PEP; collaborators within UniSA – particularly scale and focus research institutes, alliances, centres and concentrations – and external academic or industry partners; how the application or applications will scale your income successes; and give evidence (such as track record) of the likely success of the applications and any collaborative activity, as relevant.
Applicants may also propose a program to scale licencing funding, or funding from seed to Stage B in recognised UniSA Ventures, or Innovation and Collaboration Centre (ICC) ventures in which the staff member plays a significant and collaborative role. Support from UniSA Ventures or the ICC is needed in these cases.
A program of research/scholarship that will lead to high-quality, impactful research outputs and outcomes; disseminating research with international collaborators is highly valued.
Outlets include articles in peer reviewed journals, authored books with high quality publishers (including co-authorship with academics at highly ranked/regarded international universities), and non-traditional outputs such as artefacts, textual works, curatorial activity, productions, exhibitions, reports which meet NTRO eligibility criteria.
Publication plans should detail titles of proposed articles/books/textual works/reports and publishers that will be submitted. Evidence that the plan will be carried through and a proposed timeline for completion should also be included. Plans relating to artefacts/curatorial activity/productions/exhibitions should detail invitations, forums, venues and recognition demonstrating that reportable outputs will be successfully achieved within an identified time. PEP may also be used to complete publications.
Applications should detail how the proposed publications outputs contribute to the research strategy of research centres and concentrations.
Applicants may also propose a program to accelerate and scale commercialisation outcomes in recognised UniSA Ventures, or Innovation and Collaboration Centre (ICC) ventures in which they play a significant and collaborative role. Support from UniSA Ventures or the ICC is needed in these cases.
A program of research/scholarship that scales industry and/or community partnerships in the development and execution of research and or enterprise questions, methods, outputs, outcomes and/or translation, and/or increases pathways from undergraduate to Honours and HDR aligned with research centres.
Undertake collaborative research with a highly regarded international university (letter of invitation and work plan are required) or other strategic partner which works with multiple researchers at UniSA, ideally through scale and focus research institutes, alliances, centres and concentrations. Expected outcome is evidence of joint research that will lead to scaled research income, plus publications in high impact international journals, with at least one submitted within six months of the PEP leave period.
Applicants may also collaborate with industry or community partner(s) with a view for submission of a significant non-traditional research output and high-quality traditional research outputs, or the acceleration and scaling of commercialisation outcomes in recognised UniSA Ventures, or Innovation and Collaboration Centre (ICC) ventures in which they play a significant, and collaborative role. Support from UniSA Ventures or the ICC is needed in these cases.
Develop and work with industry partners to implement internship opportunities, mentoring programs, work-integrated learning or other strategies designed to strengthen industry partnership alignments, as well as improve student engagement and graduate career outcomes.
A program for the development and implementation of program-based curriculum design or redesign, with a focus on program quality and distinctiveness, leading to improved student satisfaction and graduate outcomes.
Applicants may undertake PEP in one or more of the following areas:
Investigate innovative teaching technologies and related pedagogy that are new to the University of South Australia/Academic Unit/Program, implement them into practice, and contribute to systemic change through ongoing knowledge sharing and dissemination beyond the local area Course/Program.
In all of the above instances, the PEP project should result in UniSA-wide impact, such as shared and/or interdisciplinary teaching strategies and practices that transform teaching and/or enhance student-related outcomes (e.g. student load, retention, engagement, success, etcetera). Details of the expected outcomes of the teaching innovations/online curriculum designs and models/WIL initiatives, including their dissemination, are required.
The priorities below are to support Teaching Academics to undertake a period of PEP to carry out high quality projects and activities that are of benefit to the University and are aligned with the University’s strategic direction as outlined in Enterprise25. The proposed scholarship/research project must demonstrate alignment with at least one theme of the UniSA Online Scholarship/Research Framework and in doing so meet at least one UniSA Online Goal for the year in which a PEP is sought. An application for teaching related PEP must be submitted under one of these three options:
A program of research/scholarship that will lead to high-quality, impactful research outputs and outcomes; disseminating research with international collaborators is highly valued.
Outlets include articles in peer reviewed journals, authored books with high quality publishers (including co-authorship with academics at highly ranked/regarded international universities), and non-traditional outputs such as artefacts, textual works, curatorial activity, productions, exhibitions, reports which meet NTRO eligibility criteria.
Publication plans should detail titles of proposed articles/books/textual works/reports and publishers that will be submitted. Evidence that the plan will be carried through and a proposed timeline for completion should also be included. Plans relating to artefacts/curatorial activity/productions/exhibitions should detail invitations, forums, venues and recognition demonstrating that reportable outputs will be successfully achieved within an identified time. PEP may also be used to complete publications.
Applications should detail how the proposed publications outputs contribute to the research strategy of research centres and concentrations.
Applicants may also propose a program to accelerate and scale commercialisation outcomes in recognised UniSA Ventures, or Innovation and Collaboration Centre (ICC) ventures in which they play a significant and collaborative role. Support from UniSA Ventures or the ICC is needed in these cases.
A program of research/scholarship that scales industry and/or community partnerships in the development and execution of research and or enterprise questions, methods, outputs, outcomes and/or translation, and/or increases pathways from undergraduate to Honours and HDR aligned with research centres.
Undertake collaborative research with a highly regarded international university (letter of invitation and work plan are required) or other strategic partner which works with multiple researchers at UniSA, ideally through scale and focus research institutes, alliances, centres and concentrations. Expected outcome is evidence of joint research that will lead to scaled research income, plus publications in high impact international journals, with at least one submitted within six months of the PEP period.
Applicants may also collaborate with industry or community partner(s) with a view for submission of a significant non-traditional research output and high-quality traditional research outputs, or the acceleration and scaling of commercialisation outcomes in recognised UniSA Ventures, or Innovation and Collaboration Centre (ICC) ventures in which they play a significant, and collaborative role. Support from UniSA Ventures or the ICC is needed in these cases.
Develop and work with industry partners to implement internship opportunities, mentoring programs, work-integrated learning or other strategies designed to strengthen industry partnership alignments, as well as improve student engagement and graduate career outcomes.
A program for the development and implementation of program-based curriculum design or redesign, with a focus on program quality and distinctiveness, leading to improved student satisfaction and graduate outcomes.
Applicants may undertake PEP in one or more of the following areas:
In all of the above instances, the PEP project should result in UniSA-wide impact, such as shared and/or interdisciplinary teaching strategies and practices that transform teaching and/or enhance student-related outcomes (e.g. student load, retention, engagement, success, etcetera). Details of the expected outcomes of the teaching innovations/online curriculum designs and models/WIL initiatives, including their dissemination, are required.
The priorities below are to support TIU academic staff to undertake a period of PEP leave to carry out high quality projects and activities that are of benefit to the University – project and activities must be aligned with the University’s strategic direction as outlined in Enterprise25, the Academic Enterprise Plan (AEP) and the TIU Work Plan.
Applications for PEP must meet one or more of the following purposes:
The priorities below are to support UniSA RO academic staff to undertake a period of PEP to carry out high quality projects and activities that are of benefit to the University. Project and activities must be aligned with the University’s strategic direction - as outlined in Enterprise25, the Academic Enterprise Plan (AEP), and associated with the research program of a UniSA Research Centre to support the delivery of collaborative and scalable research. The program will be at a world class level, leading to future national and global impacts. The application will also need to demonstrate how this proposed program will lead to a significant advancement in the staff member’s career and provide benefit to the UniSA academic community more widely.
Programs must meet one or more of the following purposes:
For further information please refer to the listed contact person for your Unit.
| Unit | Contact person |
|---|---|
| Allied Health and Human Performance | Cate McKenzie, Executive Officer |
| Business | Gianna Vapore, Executive Officer |
| Clinical and Health Sciences | Julie Warnes, Executive Officer |
| Creative | Kate Judge, Executive Officer |
| Education Futures | Jessica Ford, Executive Officer |
| Justice and Society | John Walker, Executive Officer |
| STEM | Kendall Goldsmith, Executive Officer |
| UniSA Research Office | Kirsty Creek, Deputy Director: Research & Innovation Services (Operations) |
| Teaching Innovation Unit | Associate Professor Sheridan Gentili, Director: Teaching Innovation Unit from 6 March 2023 to 3 April 2023 |
| Associate Professor Katherine Baldock from 3 April 2023 to 28 April 2023 | |
| UniSA Online | Associate Professor John Medlin, Academic Director: UniSA Online |
Your application must be submitted via the online application form.
Applications close: 5.00 pm Sunday 30 April 2023