We aim to create, advance, preserve, promote and apply knowledge, critical thinking and intellectual independence to enhance understanding and well-being of individuals living with musculoskeletal conditions. We will achieve this by building excellence in our research and teaching capabilities, through our nationwide presence and mana, and through our international links.
Our mission statement
Together improving active function and wellbeing through sustained excellence in teaching and research.
Our Department themes
To achieve our mission our Department Strategy Plan 2019-2024 has five overarching themes guiding teaching and research activities:
- Improving tissue regeneration and tissue engineering in the musculoskeletal system
- Improving clinical outcomes in musculoskeletal conditions
- Improving rehabilitation for musculoskeletal conditions
- Improving pain rehabilitation and outcomes in musculoskeletal conditions
- Translational teaching and research excellence
Our key priorities and actions
We have five priority areas where we focus our actions:
1. Grow our Department's reputation for excellence and sustainability in teaching and research:
- We will establish and sustain stronger links between teaching and research
- We will grow student numbers including undergraduates and PhD students
- We will focus on diversity in recruitment of postgraduate students and research collaborations
- We will build on our national and international collaborations
2. Increase our Department's visibility and leadership:
- We will increase our profile within the University and community, and achieve visibility nationally and internationally
- We will provide regular educational activities such as seminars, summer courses and workshops
- We will maintain our Department's newsfeeds, website presence and social media in line with University media policies for responsible use
3. Achieve sustained research funding success:
- We will target competitive research funding, for example aligning goals with those of HRC, Marsden and IASP
- We will establish a mechanism for grant application planning, such as an annual meeting at the start of each year
- We will develop opportunities within the Department for grant application mentoring and reviews, using skills and experience already available within the Department
- We will THINK BIG – consider longer term project and programme goals
4. Integrate responsiveness to Māori within all teaching and research activities:
- We will develop and maintain key relationships, for example with MIHI and the Māori community
- We will collaborate on projects impacting on wellbeing for Māori
- We will promote the uptake of Te Reo and Tikanga Māori throughout the Department
5. Achieve translation from teaching and research to clinical practice:
- We will measure impact on clinical practice to enhance translation
- We will offer educational activities such as seminars, summer courses and workshops
- We will target local community, e.g., BAIL, Hui, Orthopaedic surgeons, GPs, rehabilitation clinicians, Canterbury Initiative, etc.
- We will develop bench-to-bedside targets
Alignment with existing documents
This is a living document; our Department Strategy Plan aligns with the University's Strategic Direction to 2020 (Council, August 2013); University's Pacific Strategic Framework 2013-2020 (December 2012); University's Māori Strategic Framework 2022 (March 2017); and the Division of Health Sciences Strategic Plan 2021-2027.