Advisory Board

Purpose and aims

The purpose of the Advisory Board is to provide expert insight and critical feedback on DEAR Centre strategy and activities in order to ensure the successful delivery of the Centre’s key aims and objectives. The Advisory Board provides expert knowledge of the sector and research fields relating to the key themes of the Centre ranging across disciplines and country contexts, so as to ensure the relevance of the DEAR Centre’s work to a wide audience. The Advisory Board connects DEAR to a range of research networks and relevant organisations, widening the scope for collaborative research and engagement and impact activities, and promoting the dissemination of DEAR Centre findings more broadly.

• Core DEAR Centre Team: Director, Deputy Director, Centre Coordinator (Advisory Board Secretary), other core members e.g. DEAR Centre PGR Research Assistants (while in post).

• DEAR Centre CollectiveLink opens in a new window (DCC):Members of the internal committee which supports the implementation of DEAR Centre work, who are invited to the meeting as representatives of DEAR. This includes any representatives of the DEAR Doctoral and Postdoctoral Group
• Co-chairs: Two Advisory Board members will be invited by the Directors (in consultation with the DCC) to serve as co-chairs for Advisory Board meetings. Members will be selected with demonstrable experience of Chairing and advising a research centre advisory board or similar structure. The Co-chair role is for one three-year term, non-renewable (though a return to the position of chair is possible with a one-term gap).Since the Board operates across two meeting slots to accommodate time zones, if possible one co-chair will chair each meeting slot. In the absence of any chair’s availability for a meeting, the Director/s will invite another member of the Board to step in as chair for that meeting. Any concerns that chairs may have should be reported to the Directors in the first instance.

• Advisory Board members: Key representatives who have substantial academic research expertise (potentially in addition to other relevant expertise e.g. in relation to policy or institutional practice) that is relevant to doctoral education and/or academia research. The full set of members is selected paying heed to diversity across geographical location, identity characteristics and career stage. Members may include members of staff on any contract type, including academic and professional services staff, as well as doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. Depth of expertise with relevance to the core themes of the DEAR Centre will be prioritised.

Membership of the Advisory Board is on a three-year term which is renewable once (i.e. two terms).Members may return to membership after a break of one or more cycles if appropriate. At the end of the first three-year term, members will be asked to state their decision to remain on the Advisory Board or stand down. Members may also choose to step down during the three-year term, in which case a new member will be invited to join the Board. Members are recommended by the Directors and DCC members, and discussion of invitations will take place in DCC meetings. The Advisory Board will consist of c. 20 members. Members of the DCC are displayed on the People pageLink opens in a new window, filtering colleagues by selecting the "Advisory Board" option

Ways of working

• Meeting focus. Each meeting will have a thematic focus which is designed to stimulate debate about the development of the Centre. In addition, at each AB meeting, the membership will be invited to review the current DEAR Centre strategy, reflect on the alignment of activities over the past 12 months with that strategy, and offer suggestions either for future activities aligning to the strategy or for updates to the strategy itself. This is to be done with reference to the Centre's key aims and objectives. A report on Centre activities will be shared with the AB in advance of the meeting with the meeting papers.

• Meeting frequency. There will be one meeting per academic year, at the start of the DEAR Centre year (October), for 1.5 hours. Given the distribution of members across time zones, there will be two meeting slots held, one in the morning and one in the evening (UK time). The agenda and papers will be the same and the notes will be combined into one document. There may be other communications and consultations circulated by email where these are required, and/or meetings scheduled with relevant AB members for any specific topics relating to particular members.

• Quorum. A meeting can only take place if the DEAR Director and/or Deputy Director are present and if >50% of AB members (excluding the DEAR core team and DCC members) are present across the two time slots. Given there are two time slots, a minimum of two AB members (excluding the DEAR core team and DCC members) should be present for a time slot to operate.

• Meeting logistics. Meetings will be scheduled as online only. Notification of meetings will be sent out as far in advance as possible and changes to these will be avoided where possible. The agenda and papers will be sent out by email one week in advance of the meeting at a minimum. The AB Secretary will produce notes from the meeting (combining the notes from both slots) and circulate these within one month following each meeting, and again with the papers for the subsequent meeting.

Role and responsibilities of Advisory Board members

• Take a proactive role in the Board by regularly attending and contributing to meetings and other DEAR events and initiatives, and progressing and completing assigned actions. To support with reporting responsibilities of DEAR where required.

• Advise the DEAR Centre on the current international concerns and topics with relevance to the work of the DEAR Centre; engage with and challenge the ideas and insights produced by DEAR Centre research.

• Provide a sounding board, feedback and suggestions for development with regard to the leadership, innovation and research significance of the DEAR Centre, including in response to DEAR Centre Annual Reports.

• To promote the work of the DEAR Centre within Board members’ networks and to promote Board members’ work and activities in the DEAR Centre networks and platforms.

• Assist in connecting the DEAR Centre with relevant institutions, organisations, policy bodies and so on.

• To assist in identifying potential risks and challenges for DEAR and advise on solutions and strategies.

Principles of Advisory Board membership

• Board members are expected to maintain confidentiality regarding any sensitive information that may be shared.
• Members should adhere to ethical standards in their Board role, disclosing any conflicts of interest and abstaining from discussions where such conflicts arise. It is appreciated that conflicts of interest may arise from time to time. Where this is the case, it is trusted that Board members will show due discretion. If need be, the Director/Deputy Director should be informed.
• The Board and its members will operate in a transparent, open and honest way. The Board will apply EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) principles by fostering a culture of respect and ensuring diverse perspectives are represented in decision-making processes.

Review of ToR

The Board Terms of Reference document will be reviewed annually by Advisory Board members.