Published in the Research School of Physics Event Horizon
Vol45 Issue13 30 March–3 April 2020

HDR

Aim

We can still use this time to stay productive and positive.  Most of all let someone know what you are doing, whether that is a colleague or supervisor.  Please stay in touch, and most of all use this time to be inventive and plan for the future.

Contacts

• communitywelbeing@anu.edu.au
• Your supervisor or mentor
• Your Departmental Administrator
• Your Head of Department
• Associate Director (HDR): Lan Fu Lan Fu Lan.Fu@anu.edu.au
• Deputy Convenor: Stuart Szigeti Stuart.Szigeti@anu.edu.au
• HDR Team: Luda Mangos and Karen Nulty  hdr.physics@anu.edu.au

Updates

• The Heads will meet to discuss a “community chest” to be used for assistance packages.
• Students looking to defer or now have lost employment should speak to Convenors about solutions to prove financial assistance.
• The ANU Dean HDR has confirmed that all HDR students will have the access to research program and scholarship extensions of 6 months – more details will be provided and clarified in the coming week.
• The school HDR team is preparing an information sheet to address the possible HDR related questions due to remote working.
• To keep us all stay connected and support each other in the HDR community, a Slack collaboration hub on “ANU Physics HDR Family” has been setup. Soon we will send the invite link to all the HDR students followed by supervisors. We strongly encourage all the HDR students and supervisors to join and connect with each other.
• The HDR team is working remotely from home to ensure continuity of our roles. Over the coming months you can continue to engage with us via the normal email (hdr.physics@anu.edu.au) and phone (the same numbers) options.
• You are able to see all your students in ISIS (not HORUS) which can be accessed via https://isis.anu.edu.au, and the HDR team will send you a list of your students (if you role is Chair or Primary Supervisor).
• If there are any concerns to report, please report them by mid-day Friday by emailing hdr.physics@anu.edu.au.

Digest of past updates

Wed, 25/3

Please be assured that the School fully understands the potential impact from the upcoming remote working period on your research projects, especially for those whose projects heavily rely on experimental facilities. We will certainly take this into consideration while making decisions on program and scholarship extensions. In the meanwhile, please also take this period of time for reflection and preparation. We can still do lots of reading, writing and thinking. They are essential parts of our research, but are often overlooked during our busy life of “doing research on experiments”. We encourage students to take this time to read literature, understand research methodologies and approaches, write up papers and thesis. We also encourage you to go ahead with your planned milestone reviews, in particular the thesis proposal review, mid-term review, and final PhD seminar. The HDR team will help facilitate the seminar organisation and presentation via zoom.

FAQs (will be updated continuously)

What can I do if I can’t work from home?

This can be for any number for reasons ranging from constant distractions or that you don’t have the necessary equipment.  In the first instance speak to your supervisor or Head.  A list of Department and School based tasks is being developed. You may well be able to lend your expertise to another group and we would rather you gainfully engage than be on leave or at loose end.

Communication channels

• A Slack hub will be set up for supervisors as an alternative means of communicating regular information and the link to join will be sent in the next couple of days.  Microsoft Teams and Zoom also offer excellent screen sharing capabilities and are the only approved tools.  Internal Physics drives, CloudStor and ANU email are the only methods you should be using to exchange data with. Please do not use any other software to share ANU data.  Cybersecurity remains a very active concern over this period.
  
  
• All Departmental Administrators are still available for assistance during the remote working period. Your Head of Department will be in touch with the whole group periodically. Departmental morning teas, meetings and seminars should still proceed.
  
  
• Supervisors will be reminded each Monday by the Director to schedule a catchup with group members, students and technical staff.  Each Friday the Director will send a follow-up email request that you report back to your Head if these scheduled meetings have occurred.  The Director will be frequently in touch with Heads to discuss their Department.