Impact Lab Governance Document
Monash Open Data Analytics
Version 1.0. This document is reviewed annually. For questions, contact the Lab Director.
Purpose & Scope
This document sets out the governance framework for the Impact Lab, an open data analytics research group operating within Monash University. It applies to all staff, researchers, students, partners, and contributors engaged in the lab’s activities.
Where this document is silent, Monash University policies and procedures apply.
Structure & Leadership
Lab Director
The Lab Director holds overall responsibility for the strategic direction, operations, and culture of the Impact Lab. The Director is appointed by the relevant Faculty Dean in consultation with senior lab members.
Leadership Team
The Leadership Team comprises the Lab Director and senior researchers. It meets regularly to oversee research priorities, partnerships, and operational matters.
Advisory Board
An Advisory Board of external experts — drawn from government, industry, and the research community — provides strategic guidance and independent oversight. The Board meets at least twice per year.
Succession
Leadership transitions are managed in consultation with the Faculty. Interim arrangements are documented and communicated to all lab members.
Roles & Responsibilities
Staff & Researchers Conduct research with integrity, contribute to a respectful and collaborative culture, adhere to open and reproducible practices, and represent the lab professionally in all external engagements.
Students Engage honestly with their research, seek guidance when needed, and uphold the lab’s standards for transparency and reproducibility.
External Partners & Collaborators Respect the lab’s commitment to open data and transparent methods, disclose any interests that may conflict with research integrity, and honour agreed data sharing and attribution arrangements.
Open-Source Contributors Follow the lab’s contribution guidelines, attribute prior work appropriately, and engage constructively with the community.
Decision Making
Day-to-day decisions are made by the Lab Director or delegated to senior researchers as appropriate.
Significant decisions — including major funding commitments, new institutional partnerships, changes to research priorities, and public tool releases — require Leadership Team consensus.
Strategic decisions — including changes to the lab’s mission, governance structure, or relationship with Monash University — are referred to the Advisory Board for input before being finalised.
Decisions are documented and communicated to relevant lab members in a timely manner.
Data & Research Integrity
The Impact Lab is committed to the highest standards of research integrity and open science. All research activities are conducted in accordance with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.
Reproducibility
All analytical workflows are documented and, where possible, publicly available. Results must be reproducible from the methods and data described.
FAIR Data Principles
Data produced or used by the lab should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable wherever legally and ethically permissible.
Data Privacy
Personal and sensitive data is handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and Monash University’s data governance policies. Data minimisation and anonymisation are applied wherever possible.
Attribution
All data sources, tools, and prior work are attributed appropriately in publications, reports, and releases.
Misconduct
Concerns about research misconduct are raised with the Lab Director or, where the Director is implicated, directly with the Faculty. Monash University’s research misconduct procedures apply.
Intellectual Property & Licensing
Open-Source Tools
Software and analytical tools developed by the lab are released under an open-source licence — by default the MIT Licence or Apache 2.0, unless a project-specific licence is agreed by the Leadership Team.
Research Outputs
Publications and reports are made openly available wherever possible, consistent with journal or funder requirements. Pre-prints are encouraged.
Partner-Funded Work
Where external funding influences intellectual property arrangements, these are agreed in writing before work commences and reviewed by the Lab Director and Monash’s research contracts team.
Attribution
Contributors to tools and research outputs are acknowledged in accordance with recognised authorship and contribution standards, including the CRediT taxonomy where applicable.
Partnerships & Conflicts of Interest
Establishing Partnerships
New partnerships are assessed by the Leadership Team for alignment with the lab’s mission, independence, and values. Formal partnerships are documented with a written agreement outlining scope, data arrangements, IP, and attribution.
Conflicts of Interest
All lab members and advisors must disclose any personal, financial, or institutional interests that could — or could be perceived to — influence their work. Disclosures are recorded and reviewed by the Lab Director. Where a conflict is material, the affected individual steps back from relevant decisions.
Independence
The lab’s research findings and tool development are not subject to approval or veto by external partners. This principle is reflected in all partnership agreements.
Funding & Financial Accountability
Funding Sources
The lab accepts funding from government, philanthropic, and industry sources consistent with its mission and independence. Funding sources are disclosed publicly where not subject to confidentiality obligations.
Financial Management
All expenditure is managed in accordance with Monash University’s financial policies and delegations. The Lab Director is responsible for budget oversight.
Reporting
Financial reports are reviewed by the Leadership Team and shared with the Advisory Board at least annually.
Review & Amendments
This document is reviewed annually by the Leadership Team, with input from the Advisory Board.
Proposed amendments are circulated to all lab members for comment before being adopted. Significant changes to governance structure require Advisory Board endorsement.
The current version of this document is maintained on the lab’s website and internal repository.