ARC Research Associate
(Level A, Fixed-Term)

Applications are invited for one research only position in the Centre for Mathematics and its Applications in the Mathematical Sciences Institute. The position will be funded by an Australian Research Council Grant in the Theory and Applications of Computer-Intensive Statistical Methods directed by Professor P G Hall.

The successful applicant will hold a doctoral qualification, equivalent accreditation and standing, or evidence of submission for such a qualification, in Statistics. You will have clearly demonstrable potential for very high research achievement in numerical or theoretical areas of nonparametric, computer-intensive statistics, with particular reference to inference in mixture problems

The appointment will be for a fixed term of twelve to eighteen months and will be at a salary within the range $47,721 - $51,066 per annum, plus generous superannuation provisions.

Enquiries: Professor P G Hall, Statistical Science program, telephone (02) 6125 3474; fax. (02) 6125 5549; email: peter.hall@anu.edu.au.

Further particulars should be requested from http://wwwmaths.anu.edu.au/jobs  or Verdune Biles on telephone (02) 6125 0326; email: verdune.biles@anu.edu.au or from ANU Web at: http://www.anu.edu.au/hr/jobs/1327.pdf.

SELECTION CRITERIA
1. Doctoral qualification, equivalent accreditation and standing, or evidence of submission for such a qualification, in Statistics.
2. Evidence of strong research interests in nonparametric, computer-intensive statistics, with particular reference to inference in mixture problems.
3. Demonstrable potential for very high research achievement in numerical or theoretical areas as outlined in 2 above, for example as evidenced by published research in major international journals or by research production appropriate for such publication.
4. Ability to cooperate and maintain effective relations with colleagues and others.
5. An understanding, as demonstrated in the application process, of equal opportunity principles and policies and a commitment to their application in a university context.
6. Good communication skills, oral and written.
7. Close familiarity with bootstrap methods, curve estimation and related methods in statistics.
8. Capacity to interact with and enhance existing research activities in the Statistical Science Program of the CMA.
9. Capacity and readiness to contribute towards administration, such as seminar organisation.
 

Information for Applicants
Suitably qualified women and men are encouraged to apply for positions in fields that are not traditional areas for their employment. The University particularly welcomes applications from members of EO target groups and encourages them to identify themselves as such.
Candidates are advised that the curriculum vitae of short-listed applicants may be made available to the staff of the area on a confidential basis. Any member of staff who is a candidate for a position is excluded from any consultation in relation to the appointment. Also, referees' reports and the electoral committee's discussions are confidential to the selection committee.

Further information about the University is available at http://www.anu.edu.au/. More specific information regarding employment conditions is available at http://www.anu.edu.au/hr/emp_cond/g_info.html Candidates are encouraged to view information on Equal Employment Opportunities as it relates to Recruitment at ANU at http://www.anu.edu.au/hr/eo/index.html. EEO knowledge forms part of the selection criteria. Alternatively, please request this information while obtaining the selection documentation.

Applications should be written against the selection criteria and include: a current curriculum vitae; list of publications; the names, street addresses, email addresses and fax numbers of three senior academic referees; and the reference number for the position.

There is no prescribed form of application, but your letter of application should clearly contain the following information:
a. your full name;
b. address (postal, fax and e-mail) for correspondence (including details of any known changes over the next six months);
c. your date of birth and citizenship;
d. academic record (including the title of a thesis for any degree), academic honours and awards, membership of recognised learned societies, etc;
e. a detailed statement of your research interests;
f. details of your present and any previous appointments, including concise dates;
g. a full list of publications;
h. the names, positions and addresses of three referees;
i. a statement addressing the selection criteria;
j. any other information which you feel you should bring to notice.
 

FURTHER PARTICULARS
THE MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES INSTITUTE (MSI)
The Mathematical Sciences Institute was established in 1989 as the School of Mathematical Sciences with the purpose of unifying activities in the mathematical sciences across the University. It was renamed the Mathematical Sciences Institute in 2002. Its purpose is to promote and develop research, teaching and consulting in the mathematical sciences (including mathematics, statistics, mathematical physics and mathematical computation). The MSI comprises the Department of Mathematics and the Centre for Mathematics and its Applications.

The Dean of the MSI is Professor Alan Carey.

Both divisions have responsibility for research and postgraduate education. The Centre for Mathematics and its Applications has the primary function of a research institute in the mathematical sciences, fulfilling both national and international roles in that capacity. The Department of Mathematics has the responsibility for undergraduate and honours teaching in mathematics in the Faculties.

The MSI arranges regular symposia, seminars and conferences. Speakers are usually visitors to the MSI, and staff are expected to assist with organisation and administration of seminars, etc. In addition, the MSI manages a Mathematical Sciences Research Visitor Program that sponsors visiting researchers in all areas of the mathematical sciences.

The principal research activities of the MSI are divided into eight programs; these are listed below.
Mathematics:
Algebra
Analysis and Geometry
Applied and Nonlinear Analysis
Statistics:
Statistical Science
Stochastic Analysis
Applied Mathematics:
Advanced Computation and Modelling
Mathematical Physics
Theoretical Astrophysics

In addition, two virtual centres are associated with the MSI: The Centre for Bioinformation Science (CBiS) is a joint venture of the MSI and the John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) in the Institute of Advanced Studies at The Australian National University. The second virtual centre is the Centre for Financial Mathematics.

The MSI has been uniquely distinguished by its research success. The Commonwealth Centres of Excellence competition established the Special Research Centre for Mathematical Analysis in 1981, which ran from 1982 to 1990. As well as the original grant it has achieved a substantial number of Australian Research Council (ARC) grants including two Special Investigator Awards. The MSI currently has sixteen ARC Large Program Grants and ten ARC Fellows. Among its research staff there are six Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science and three Fellows of the Royal Society of London.

The MSI's web page is: http://wwwmaths.anu.edu.au
 
The following research program is relevant to this position:
Statistical Science program

The staff of the Statistical Science program are Professors Peter Hall, Alan Welsh and Sue Wilson, and Drs Jiying Yin and Qiyang Wang. Their research interests include applied statistics, bioinformatics, statistical genetics, biometrics, medical statistics epidemiology, survival analysis, bootstrap methods, curve estimation, spatial statistics, data mining and robust statistical inference.

The successful candidate/s will enjoy the facility of a modern, fully networked workstation on his or her desk. See the section in this document headed, Computing Facilities, for an account of the computing facilities available to staff.

THE CENTRE FOR MATHEMATICS AND ITS APPLICATIONS (CMA)

The CMA has the primary function of a research institute in the mathematical sciences, fulfilling both national and international roles in that capacity. It has a successful record in postgraduate and post-doctoral training and provides a major contribution to the MSI's honours program. The CMA has both Faculties and Institute of Advanced Studies components.
I
In its national role, the CMA organises and sponsors special programs and conferences involving Australian and overseas researchers.

The head of the CMA is Professor Alan McIntosh, FAA.

THE DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

The Department of Mathematics has the responsibility for undergraduate and honours teaching in mathematics in the Faculties. Like the CMA it also has responsibility for research and postgraduate education. Research activities in the Department of Mathematics are interwoven with the research programs of the CMA. The Department is funded by The Faculties.

The head of the Department of Mathematics is Professor John Hutchinson, FAA.

COMPUTING FACILITIES

The ANU Supercomputer Facility as part of the Division of Information is responsible for the provision of high-ended computing services to the University. Through the Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing, the facility provides a system of 120 Compac Alpha ES45s (480 processors) with 1 Ghz chips having a total disk capacity that will be around 10 Tbytes. Additionally, there is a Mass Data Storage System consisting of a Unix server, and a large disk cache which is the front end to a robot driven tape library which can store a maximum of 300 Terabytes.

CANBERRA

Canberra is Australia's national capital. As such, it is the seat of the Commonwealth Government. It is Australia's largest inland city which was planned by Walter Burley Griffin who won an international competition for its design. The result is an attractive city situated in rolling pastoral country. It covers a large area; the higher elevations are designated nature reserves; it has three large lakes and many parks and gardens. It has several large shopping centres, which are supplemented by clusters of shops in the residential areas. The population of Canberra is over 300,000 and is increasing steadily.

While Canberra has an adequate bus service, a car or a bicycle is a great advantage. Off-road bicycle paths are to be found throughout the city and suburbs. Canberra's climate is very pleasant as the dry atmosphere and height above sea level (571metres) temper extremes. It enjoys the four seasons. Summer temperatures rarely go above 33oC and the nights are much cooler. Autumn is spectacular with all of the deciduous trees showing off their brilliant colours. Winter nights are cold and frosty while the days are often crisp and sunny and blossom trees herald the coming of Spring. For the Winter months, warm clothing is essential.

Canberra is also one of Australia's cultural centres. Each year the city enjoys several major events and festivals of international significance. It is home to national institutions such as The National Gallery of Australia which houses Australia's premier art collection, the National Library and the War Memorial. In addition, it has an active community theatre and music scene and hosts a number of arts festivals each year.

Canberra provides for all the usual leisure and sporting activities, including rowing and sailing. Trout fishing is popular from nearby streams as well as the lakes and streams of the Australian Alps (Snowy Mountains) which are about two hours' drive from Canberra. The Alps offer skiing in Winter and bushwalking in Summer. The New South Wales south coast, where the beaches are excellent and the coastline is very scenic, is approximately two hour's drive away.

Canberra is about 320 kilometres by road south-west of Sydney and 640 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, and it is connected to these cities by excellent air, rail and road services.

The University has an attractive tree-lined campus and possesses a frontage to the major lake. It is centrally situated, is within easy walking distance of the city centre, the main bus interchange, numerous restaurants, and Canberra's major theatres and concert hall. It is adjacent to several CSIRO Laboratories and to the National Botanical Gardens.
 

ANU Equal Opportunity Policy Statement
(504/2001)

The Australian National University is committed to the promotion of equal opportunity for all persons including women, Indigenous Australians, people of all racial and ethnic groups and people with disabilities.

This commitment is to be interpreted so as to be consistent with the operation of the merit principle in the recruitment, development, and promotion of all staff and in the selection and education of all students.

The University accepts that as an employer and educator it has a responsibility to eliminate and ensure the continued absence from within its structure any source of direct or indirect discrimination on the basis of any factors not related to work or student performance including race, colour, national or ethnic origin, nationality, sex, marital status, pregnancy, breastfeeding, transexuality, age, sexual preference, status as a parent or carer, political conviction, religious belief, social origin or impairment. It has a continuing obligation under legislation to develop and implement affirmative action initiatives.

Affirmative Action Program

The Australian National University has a Gender Equity Plan in place and has developed a workplace program for women in accordance with the University's obligations under the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999. These are designed to ensure:
1. recruitment and selection processes are non-discriminatory and transparent;
2. opportunities for promotion, reclassification and secondment are equally available to women and men;
3. women have equal access to training and development opportunities and to resources available for that purpose;
4. allocation of roles and work is not based on stereotypical assumptions;
5. support for women's access to discretionary employment arrangements;
6. pursuit of a culture that does not exclude women or tolerate discrimination; and
7. an inclusive and supportive environment for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Other EO Legislation
Apart from its responsibilities under the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act the ANU recognises that as a tertiary education institution, University policies and practices must meet the requirements of other equal opportunity and anti-dis crimination legislation, in particular:
* The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (as amended) which prohibits consideration of race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin as grounds for discrimination.
* The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (as amended) which makes it unlawful to take into account sex, marital status or pregnancy in employment and in the provision of education, goods and services and accommodation. The Act also defines sexual harassment and renders such behaviour unlawful in employment and in education.
* The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (as amended) which aims to ensure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as all other Australians. The Act provides people with an opportunity to respond to unfair treatment because of disability.
* Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (as amended) which prohibits distinctions, exclusions or preferences on the grounds of: race; colour; sex; religion; political opinion; national extraction; social origin; age; medical record; criminal record; impairment; marital status; mental, intellectual or psychiatric disability; nationality; physical disability; sexual preference, or trade union activity.
* The Discrimination Act (ACT) 1991 (as amended) which prohibits discrimination on any of the following: sex; sexuality; transexuality; marital status; status as a parent or carer; pregnancy; race; religion or political conviction; impairment; membership or non-membership of an association or organisation of employers or employees; age; profession, trade, occupation or calling; or association.
* The Equal Employment Opportunity (Commonwealth Authorities) Act 1987 which requires certain Commonwealth authorities to promote equal opportunity in employment for women and persons in designated groups and for related purposes.
In practice, the University's EO Policy means:
For Job Applicants
* fair recruitment procedures;
* opportunities for non traditional jobs for women and men;
* merit-based access to University jobs for members of designated groups including people with disabilities and Indigenous Australians.
For Staff Members
* removal of unjustified barriers to advancement for all members of staff;
* elimination of unjustified discrimination in selection and promotion processes;
* appropriate training and development opportunities for all staff, including women and members of designated groups;
* opening up of University decision making processes to staff.
For Students
* a University Equity Plan to ensure equality of opportunity for existing and prospective students;
* special admission schemes for prospective students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds;
* a range of child care services available on campus;
* provision of specialised resources to students with disabilities;
* institutional encouragement for faculties to consider appropriate gender issues in curricula.

Staff in the Equity & Diversity Unit which is situated at Level 1, 18 North Road, are:
Lesley Hayes 6125 4649, Noeline Delatovic 6125 3595 and
Richard Stanley 6125 3868
email: EquityandDiversityUnit@anu.edu.au
Addressing EO criteria for applicants

The following comments and examples are provided to assist potential ANU staff in responding to the EO selection criteria. They should also assist recruitment panel members in constructing questions and assessing responses.

There is an expectation that responses to the EO Selection Criteria for the lower levels will be less in-depth and less comprehensive than responses for positions at the higher levels. This is consistent with the increasing requirement from academic l evels A to E and general staff grades 1 to 10+.

In demonstrating understanding of equal opportunity principles, candidates in their written application and at interview (if applicable) may choose to make reference to their achievement(s) or advocacy in relation to some of the following:
* Mentoring as a mechanism for advancing equal opportunity
* An understanding of the term "affirmative action"
* The relevance of search strategies in appointing women
* Why advocacy for people less familiar with the school or faculty "culture" would be important
* How membership of boards and/or committees might contribute to EO
* The value of a "buddy" system for overseas students
* Some comments in relation to re-entry or breaks in service from an EO perspective
* The value of networks in advancing EO
* How harassment (sexual and otherwise) should be dealt with and why
* How individuals (particularly supervisors of staff and students) can avoid liability arising from non-action to prevent or eliminate discriminatory or harassing behaviour
* Other contribution to development of EO policy
* Other contribution to the application of EO policy
* EO training or seminars undertaken and/or organised

This list is in no way intended to be exclusive.