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Selection of Candidates for Postgraduate Research Scholarships - Managerial Policy
Responsible Officer: Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research)
Designated Officer: Manager, Office of Research
Approving authority: Vice-Chancellor and President
Approval: 5 October 2011
Last Amended:
Effective Starting Date: 5 October 2011
Any policies replaced by this policy:
Related Policies: Student Grievances and Appeals - Governing Policy
Related Procedures: Selection of Candidates for Postgraduate Research Scholarships Procedures
Due date for next review: 5 October 2016
Overview
Postgraduate Research Scholarships provide financial assistance to Higher Degree by Research candidates to assist with general living costs. The University of the Sunshine Coast is allocated a number of Postgraduate Commonwealth Scholarships (Research) annually and is required to maintain a selection policy and procedure, which is publicly available as part of the conditions attached to that allocation.
Policy
1. The University will select candidates to be awarded Postgraduate Research Scholarships in accordance with the Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines (Research), hereafter referred to as “the Guidelines”, made under section 46-20 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003.
1.1 A candidate will not be selected for a Postgraduate Research Scholarship unless the University is satisfied that the candidate meets, or will meet before the Scholarship payment is made, the eligibility criteria for Postgraduate Research Scholarships, as set out in the Guidelines.
1.2 Applications will be ranked in order of merit against the University’s selection criteria, as provided on the University’s website.
1.3 Applications will not be considered where hard copy documentary evidence specified in the application form is not supplied.
2. The University policy and application, selection and offer procedures and associated information and forms shall be available on the University web site and the candidate portal and a link provided to the Guidelines on the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science and Research (DIISR) website.
3. The Postgraduate Research Scholarship Selection Panel will rank applications according to their merit. The highest ranked applications will be offered Commonwealth Postgraduate Research Scholarships. Remaining applications deemed meritorious of award by the Panel will be offered University equivalent scholarships where possible.
4. The University reserves the right to make offers for USC funded Postgraduate Research Scholarships out of round where candidates are deemed meritorious of an award. Such candidates are required to apply for a Postgraduate Research Scholarship in the next available scholarship round. In the event that the candidate is not successful for a Commonwealth funded scholarship, the USC funded scholarship will continue for the standard duration of candidature.
5. The University will not take over the payment of a scholarship awarded to a candidate by another University, where the candidate transfers to University of the Sunshine Coast. The transferring candidate may apply for a University of the Sunshine Coast Postgraduate Research Scholarship at the next available opportunity and will be considered on the basis of the University of the Sunshine Coast selection criteria and in relation to other applicants. Such candidates will be eligible for only the balance of the initial scholarship awarded by the other University, in accordance with the Guidelines.
6. Candidates who are awarded a scholarship, but who withdraw from their program of study or are cancelled by the University for failure to re-enrol or pay outstanding fees and charges, and later re-enter, will not be able to access their initial scholarship. They must apply again for a Postgraduate Research Scholarship and if successful, will be paid only the balance of the initial scholarship.
7. Candidates who are awarded a scholarship and defer or take leave of absence in accordance with the relevant Governing Policy for their degree shall have their scholarship held for the period of deferment or leave and may take up the scholarship on their return to study, subject to proof of continuing eligibility under the Guidelines.
8. Candidates who are awarded a scholarship are required to make satisfactory academic progress. The University will monitor academic performance and may terminate a Postgraduate Research Scholarship if a candidate is identified as making unsatisfactory progress.
9. Candidates who wish to appeal decisions arising from the Postgraduate Research Scholarships selection process may do so using the procedures established by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) and outlined in the Procedures for the Selection of Candidates for Postgraduate Research Scholarships.
10. Candidates who are found to have provided misleading or inaccurate information to the University will be immediately re-assessed for their entitlement to the Commonwealth Scholarship (Research). The University is required to notify the DIISR of the suspected offence.
Definitions
In this policy the following definitions apply:
Commonwealth Scholarship (Research) means Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) or International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS)
The Guidelines means Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines (Research) made under section 46-20 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003. The full Guidelines can be accessed at http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2010L03009.
The Panel means the Postgraduate Research Scholarship Selection Panel, selected by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) to assess and rank the annual Postgraduate Research Scholarship round at USC.
Postgraduate Research Scholarship means both Commonwealth funded scholarships and University funded equivalent scholarships, including the University of the Sunshine Coast Research Scholarship (USCRS) and the University of the Sunshine Coast International Research Scholarship (USCIRS).
USCRS: means University of the Sunshine Coast Research Scholarship, a USC funded scholarship equivalent in value and conditions to the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA).
USCIRS: means University of the Sunshine Coast International Research Scholarship, a USC funded scholarship equivalent in value and conditions to the International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS).
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