ACoRN Governance Structure

The Network Convenor is supported by an Executive board, an Advisory Board and a Network Administrator. The roles and responsibilities of the boards and the administrator are described below.

Organisational Structure

Network Convenor

IEEE Transactions
Network Convenor
Lars Rasmussen
The Network Convenor is Professor Lars Rasmussen. The Convenor has responsibility for the overall scientific and administrative aspects of the network. The Convenor chairs the Executive Board and acts as an interface to the Advisory Board. The Convenor is responsible to the Australian Research Council.

Responsibilities

The Network Convenor is responsible for executing the decisions of the Executive Board and for supervising the life of the network.

Executive Board

Membership

The Executive Board consists of the Network Convenor and eight Executive Board Members. The members of the Executive Board are appointed in terms of two years by the Network Convenor .

Responsibilities

The Executive Board will make strategic decisions on the activities to be undertaken and on the distribution of funds among the various activities. The Executive Board will examine and evaluate the annual programs submitted through the planning procedures. The individual programs will potentially be revised and integrated into a Program of Activities, which, in turn, will be presented to and discussed with the Advisory Board for final revision and approval by the Executive Board.

The Executive Board are responsible for the following portfolios:

  • Representation of Discipline areas and Application areas;
  • Planning, monitoring and reporting on the programs of activities;
  • Strategic directions for promoting collaboration and inter-disciplinary research;
  • Development and implementation of coherent and integrated research plans among researchers working on topics of common interest;
  • Implementation, monitoring and reporting on the program for protege/mentor arrangements;
  • Planning, monitoring and reporting on the financial management of the network;
  • Promoting a sense of community and identity, leading to a culture of technical excellence across the network.

These responsibilities are partitioned into a set of sub-portfolios of responsibilities and assigned to individual Executive Board Members.

The current Members of the Board and corresponding portfolio of responsibilities are detailed below:

Name Theme/Technical Society Program Responsibilities
Prof. Lars Rasmussen
University of South Australia		 Network Convenor
  • Coordination;
A/Prof. Abbas Jamalipour
University of Sydney		 Rural Communications
  • Researcher Mobility;
A/Prof. Tad Wysocki
University of Wollongong		 Broadband and Optical Fixed Networks
  • Researchers Mobility;
A/Prof. Jamie Evans
University of Melbourne		 Fundamentals of Emerging Media
  • Conferences and Workshops;
Prof. Lang White
University of Adelaide		 Systems and Networks
  • Knowledge Management Systems;
Prof. Alex Grant
University of South Australia		 Information and Communications Theory
  • Knowledge Management Systems;

Meeting Arrangements

The Executive Board will meet in person at least once every quarter, and otherwise once a month via teleconferencing.

Advisory Board

Membership

The Advisory Board consists of six internationally respected senior scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the theory and practice of telecommunications. The Board will be appointed in terms of two years by the Network Convenor. The current Board Members are:

Responsibilities

The Advisory Board will provide advice and guidance drawing from their extensive experience in research and research management. They will also provide opportunities for National and International networking beyond existing ACoRN boundaries.

The Advisory Board will act as an independent body to evaluate the Network Program of Activities and the annual activity reports.

Meeting Arrangements

The Advisory Board will meet in person once a year with the Convenor. Other members of the Executive Board may also be invited to attend under the discretion of the Convenor.

Network Administrator

The Network Administrator, an employee of the same institution as the Convenor and with experience in the management of large research programs, is responsible to the network convenor for the administrative management of the Network.