GRS Research Supervision Professional Development Program

Supervisor Induction Module

Supervisor Induction Module

Thank you for taking the time to complete this short module

developed for supervisors of postgraduate research

students at UWA who are new to supervision or new to

supervision at UWA.

The module aims to induct you into the practice of

supervision , focusing on UWA policies and rules.

To be eligible for inclusion on the UWA Supervisor

Register you are expected to complete this induction. As

you continue to supervise at UWA, you are then expected to

complete the supervisor refresher module at least once

every four years.

A range of supervision seminars and workshops are also

available throughout the year. The workshops use case

studies to help you develop your supervision skills.

Module Structure

Induction Structure Unit 1

Welcome

Unit 2 Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures

Unit 3

Selecting for Success: Eligibility, Admission & Enrolment

Unit 4

Progressing through Candidacy: Commencement to Submission

Unit 5 Completing: Examination to Graduation

SUPERVISOR RESOURCES • fIRST activities, bibliographies,

case studies, tools, workshops, guides and links fIRST

• Toolkit for new supervisors Research Supervision Toolkit

• Feedback about the postgraduate research experience at UWA On Supervision, Candidature and Research (OSCAR)

• Thinkwell presentation The Seven Habits of a Highly Effective Research Student

• Tool for discussion of expectations of candidature SPORS

1.1 Welcome

1.2 HDR Cohort at UWA

1.3 Graduate Research School (GRS) Role

1.4 GRS Office & Structure

1.5 GRS Contacts

1.6 Graduate Research Coordinators (GRCs)

1.7 Faculty-based HDR Support

1.8 Supervision at UWA

1.9 Principal Supervisors

1.10 Coordinating, Co-supervisors and External Supervisors

1.11 Joint Supervision, Absences, Supervision Changes &

Conflicts of Interest

1.12 Extended Periods of Absence from Supervision

1.13 Callista: staffConnect & studentConnect

Unit 1: Welcome to Supervision

1.1 Welcome

Welcome to supervision at UWA. Since UWA awarded its first PhD, the university has developed a strong research education program. The UWA Graduate Research School (GRS) aims to support this program by helping our research students and supervisors to achieve the highest standards of practice. To achieve this aim, the Graduate Research School has a UWA Supervisor Register and a supporting Research Supervision Professional Development Program. This program aims to induct staff that are new to supervision at UWA, to support academics to develop and improve their supervisory practice, and to update all supervisors with regard to changes in the HDR environment as a result of university or national changes to policy or procedures, such as the changes driven by the 2016 ACOLA Review of Australia’s Research Training System. We hope you find this module useful and continue to benefit from other components of the program, such as the workshops and seminars. We look forward to meeting with you at these face-to-face events.

Prof Imelda Whelehan, Dean Graduate Research School

Read more about the history of UWA here

1.2 HDR Cohort at UWA

• Currently there are ~2000 HDR students enrolled at UWA

• ~63% are full time

• ~49% are female

• >25% are international

• <5% are externally enrolled

PROF-DOC

M-THES-CWK

M-THESIS

PHD

You can find national students statistics at Universities Australia

You can find how many HDR students are in

your faculty from UWA Unistats

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Doctorate by research Master's degree by research

Source: https://www.annualreport.uwa.edu.au/annual-report-2018/our-university/statistical-profile#table-1

1.3 GRS Role

The GRS is responsible for the academic administration and coordination of graduate research training by:

• developing & implementing HDR policies

• promoting HDR studies and facilitating interdisciplinary HDR programs

• serving as a focal point for HDR students

• supporting the GRS Board & scholarships committee

• administering HDR scholarships, candidature & examination

• monitoring HDR students’ completion times, supervision and skills acquisition

Joint PhD programs offer

the opportunity for UWA schools to

strengthen links with partner institutions

The GRS Board is a committee of

Academic Council and delegates authority to the Dean or Head of

the GRS.

A list of current board members is available

here

1.4 GRS Office & Structure

The Graduate Research School (GRS) is located in Hackett Hall.

The Graduate Research School sits within the Office of the DVC Research Prof Imelda Whelehan is the Dean of the Graduate Research School

Dr Sato Juniper is the Associate Director of the Graduate Research School

You can find a list of all GRS staff here

1.5 GRS Contacts

www.postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/contact T: 6488 2807 or 6488 7244 Candidature pghelp@postgraduate.uwa.edu.au

Thesis examinationpgexam-grso@uwa.edu.au

Domestic Research Scholarships researchschols@uwa.edu.au

International Research Scholarships internationalscholarships@uwa.edu.au

The GRS website has three main subdivisions that provide information for future students,

current students and staff.

Each of these subdivisions has its own splash page but there

are also multiple subpages that can be accessed by clicking

the upper RHS menu.

1.6 Graduate Research Coordinators

Each school has a Graduate Research Coordinator (GRC). GRCs are responsible, in part, for: • Discussing projects and supervision with prospective HDR candidates • Inducting new HDR students into the school • Providing counsel to HDR students at all stages of candidature • Providing counsel to HDR supervisors

GRCs are asked to read research proposals, annual progress reports and theses, and approve them on behalf of the head of school. GRCs are also required to approve any changes to the candidature of students.

You can find a list of Graduate Research Coordinators for each school here

The role of the GRC is defined in the Graduate Research Training Policy

In addition to the Graduate Research Coordinators, there are two GRS staff in each Faculty Service Delivery Centre

These HDR Support Coordinators and HDR Support Officers are responsible for managing prospective student enquiries for the faculty.

1.7 Faculty-based HDR Support

Arts, Business, Law and Education Robyn Oliver hdr-fable@uwa.edu.au

Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Heather Gordon Michelle Wright hdr-ems@uwa.edu.au

Health and Medical Sciences Jay Jay Jegathesan Estelle Dawes hdr-hms@uwa.edu.au

Science Adam Hearman Mei Han hdr-science@uwa.edu.au

Every GRS-enrolled HDR student must have at least two UWA supervisors. Each student must have a Principal and a Coordinating Supervisor. • Principal - responsible for academic leadership of

supervision. • Coordinating - responsible for academic

management of supervision. When the Principal and Coordinating Supervisor is the same person, a co-supervisor must be appointed. Students may also have additional co-supervisor(s) and external supervisor(s).

1.8 Supervision at UWA

All staff supervising HDR candidates must be on the UWA Register of Supervisors of HDR students

External supervisors who are not employed by the University and do not hold adjunct, honorary or emeritus positions are exempt from the register

The register defines 3 levels of supervision from new to supervision (L1) to experienced (L3)

1.9 Principal Supervisors

Principal supervisors must • Have relevant research expertise • Have a qualification at least equivalent to qualification being supervised • Have previously supervised a HDR student to successful completion • Expect to hold a UWA appointment for the duration of candidature • Be registered on the UWA Register of Supervisors • Be research active as defined in the UWA Register of Supervisors Research active for the purposes of supervision is defined as having produced at least 2 peer-reviewed publications or equivalent research outputs per 4 year period, relative to opportunity. The GRS does not require supervisors to have ongoing appointments but there must be a reasonable expectation that the supervisors will be able to supervise throughout the candidature. Under some circumstances, adjunct, honorary or emeritus supervisors can be approved as principal supervisors. Adjunct affiliates who are members of staff of other universities, and external supervisors, will not be approved as principal supervisors.

1.10 Coordinating Supervisors, Co-Supervisors & External Supervisors

Coordinating supervisors • UWA employee • Level 2 on the UWA Register of Supervisors

• Ensures that administrative & reporting

requirements are met • Receives all correspondence relating to the

candidature • Communicates with and between the other

supervisors • Coordinates the student’s training program

with the Principal Supervisor .

Co-supervisor(s) • UWA Adjunct, honorary or emeritus

supervisor • Registered on UWA Supervisor Register • Relevant expertise • Backup for other supervisors External supervisor(s) • Does not hold UWA adjunct, honorary or

emeritus position • Must have expertise relevant to the student’s

research program

A member of staff who is also a

UWA HDR student will not be approved to

supervise another student at the same level.

1.11 Joint Supervision, Periods of Absence, Changes to Supervision, Conflicts of Interest

Joint supervision across schools is permissible. Where a student is jointly enrolled across two schools (or centres), a principal and co-supervisor must be appointed from School 1 and a coordinating supervisor from School 2. Principal and Coordinating Supervisor Supervisors must communicate any significant change in their ability to supervise to the GRS. When a Principal or Coordinating Supervisor is absent for an extended period the GRS need to be advised who will take primary responsibility for the supervision. Supervision can be changed anytime in candidature upon request to the GRS. Supervision must be free of actual or perceived conflicts of interest. Supervision by, or co-supervision with, close relatives or those in close personal relationships is generally not appropriate. All such cases must be declared at the time that supervisors are nominated. In these cases, a senior coordinating supervisor is often appointed to provide students with an independent advisor.

Examples of conflicts of

interest can be found in the

Policy on Conflict of

Interest and Independence of Examiners

1.12 Extended Periods of Absence from Supervision

Supervisors should inform their students at least one month in advance of an intended extended absence of more than four consecutive weeks. A Supervision Plan for Extended Periods of Absence from UWA, approved by the supervisory team and student, should be developed to ensure the research progress of the student is maintained. The plan should outline the • mode, frequency and proposed regularity of contact • extent of input into supervision during absence • plan of student work to be undertaken during the absence • expectations of turnaround times for work and feedback • contingency plan should remote supervision go wrong A supervisor can choose to nominate a replacement supervisor, supervise remotely, or both. The supervisor remaining on campus normally assumes primary responsibility for supervision and may also assume the role of coordinating supervisor if required.

All Coordinating Supervisors are required to have Callista access

to monitor candidature milestones and approve GRS online

applications for suspension, annual leave, overseas research leave,

maternity leave, sick leave, changes to enrolment status, changes to

supervision, and addition of coursework units.

All supervisors are encouraged to use Callista to access the

candidature details of their students. Instructions for how to create a

report of student details are here.

1.13 Callista: staffConnect and studentConnect

A step-by-step guide for students providing instructions for how to access

their milestones is available here

You can apply for Callista access here, watch an introduction to Callista in this

video, read more about studentConnect here and email the SIMS Support

Helpdesk.

2.1 Graduate Research Training

2.2 UWA Rules for GRS & Faculty-Administered Courses

2.3 Ethics, IP and Authorship

2.4 Intellectual Property (IP) & Other Legal Issues

2.5 Academic Writing Expectations

Unit 2: Rules, Regulations, Policies & Procedures

2.1 Graduate Research Training

All UWA supervisors and students must be aware

of, and act in accordance with, the HDR relevant

University rules, regulations, policies and

procedures, most of which can be found on the

GRS webpages

• Regulatory and quality assurance • Research integrity, safety and IP • Appointment of supervisors • Admission • Provision of resources • Managing candidature & monitoring progress • Graduate research community • Thesis examination • Grievances and appeals

The Graduate Research Training policy describes many of the HDR roles and responsibilities of staff, supervisors and students

• Graduate Research School • Head of School • Graduate Research Coordinators • Advisory panels • Supervisors • Students

2.2 UWA Rules for GRS and Faculty-Administered Courses

While the GRS manages and administers most

postgraduate research degrees at UWA, some are

managed and administered by faculties.

• The rules for the degrees administered by the

Graduate Research School are available in the

UWA Handbook under Rules for higher degrees

by research only

• The rules for faculty-administered postgraduate

research degrees can be found under the

relevant rules listings for the faculties in the

UWA Handbook - Rules

If you do not know if your student is enrolled in a GRS

administered degree or a Faculty administered degree,

you can find this information in the student’s Callista record in

StaffConnect.

The Research Organisational Unit in the Candidature tab lists either the GRS or your faculty.

Rules are provided in the UWA Handbook for the following HDR courses : • Masters by thesis and coursework • Masters by research (thesis only) • Masters by research (creative work) • Masters by research (thesis & creative work) • PhDs • Doctorates • Higher doctorates

2.3 Ethics and Authorship

Issues can arise in candidature in regard to animal and

human ethics, data management and authorship of

publications.

You can find useful information to help support you

supervise students when these issues arise:

• Human Ethics and Animal Ethics

• Responsible practice of research

• Determining Authorship

The Policy on Code of conduct for the

responsible practice of research includes policy

advice on data management, supervision,

publication, authorship, conflict of interest,

research collaborations.

The Library provides many resources for students with

regards to Data management and Copyright as part of their

Research Support services

2.4 Intellectual Property (IP)

& Legal Advice

Confidentiality and IP issues can arise when projects involve external parties, such as study participants, companies, publishers, or funding agencies. If confidentiality and/or IP agreements exist for a research project, students need to be advised about these agreements and their implications prior to commencing their candidature. IP is dealt with according to the UWA Intellectual Property Policy. Unless students re-assign their IP to another party, they own the IP they create during their candidature. Supervisors with questions of a legal nature should contact the Risk and Legal Office using the generic email admin-riskandlegal@uwa.edu.au The office will not liaise directly with students and suggests students obtain independent legal advice before signing any legal documents.

The Confidentiality and

Intellectual Property Toolkit

provides a range of tools for

supervisors and students.

Data management plans

can be found in the

Research Data

Management Toolkit.

Reassignment of

Intellectual Property-

Student Deed Poll can be

used to reassign the IP

owned by a student.

All of these tools can be

found on the GRS

Confidentiality and IP

webpage

2.5 Academic Writing Expectations

Supervisors should advise students about structure, style and general editing issues but within limits. The student’s thesis must express the student’s voice and reflect their ability to write and argue with clarity. Editing advice is provided in the Use of Editorial Assistance by Students Policy.

The GRS is frequently contacted by editors offering their services for HDR students. You

can ask the GRS Graduate Education Officers to provide you with the details of

these editors.

Editing of theses by professional editors is possible but must be in accordance with the National Council of Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies policy - Editing of Research Theses by Professional Editors. The GRS does not provide funding for students to use professional editors.

There is a range of academic writing support for students at UWA. StudySmarter

and the GRS Graduate Education Officers offer a range of online and face-to-face

resources.

3.1 Eligibility & Admission

3.2 English Language Requirements

3.3 Scholarships

3.4 Research Training Program (RTP) and UWA

Safety-Net Scholarships

Unit 3: Selecting for Success: Eligibility, Admission & Enrolment

3.1 Eligibility & Admission

As the most critical decisions about candidature are often made when prospective students are assessed by potential supervisors, the GRS suggests you:

• Understand the UWA eligibility criteria. Applicants must fulfil the requirements of the University Policy on Adequate Research Preparation. While applicants with evidence of research preparation other than honours will be considered for admission, evidence of research experience and school approval will first be required. Please do not encourage students to apply if they do not meet the eligibility requirements.

• Select the best students based on evidence. Read the thesis and/or research output of the applicant. It is your responsibility to attest whether it is equivalent to a UWA H2A degree. You may need to seek advice from an academic who is fluent in the applicant’s language to give you feedback on the quality of the work.

• Select an appropriate supervisory team

Prospective students can be directed to the Future Students

page or the Future Students stamp on the GRS front page.

A step by step guide for how to apply is available here

3.2 English Language Requirements

All non-UWA applicants normally require a formal English qualification or English test result obtained within the past two years as outlined in the English Language Competency Requirements

Prospective students must achieve an IELTS (Academic) of 6.5 with no band lower than 6.0 (or other test equivalent).

Higher IELTS scores are required for Law, Education, Dentistry and Business.

Conditional offers of admission can be made if students do not meet the English language requirements. These students need to provide evidence of meeting the requirements before they enrol. Students seeking scholarships are rarely given these conditional offers because of the limited time between the offer of a scholarship and when the student needs to start. Extensive advice about living in

Perth for international students is available here

3.3 Scholarships

UWA awards ~200 HDR scholarships per year. The scholarships are awarded in 2 rounds per year that combine domestic and international applications. Application for enrolment and scholarships require completion of a single online application submitted through the UWA HDR application portal called iAthena. There are ~10x as many applicants as scholarships so the scholarships are highly competitive The ranking criteria used for many of the applications are: 1. Honours thesis mark or equivalent 2. Honours coursework WAM or equivalent 3. School assessment of research potential (with extra

points for research output and experience)

Applicants need to be available to take up offer of scholarships within the set period designated in the offer letter, which is usually 3 months.

.

The key dates for UWA scholarships can be found

here

Adevice about the iAthena scholarship application

process is available here

Each scholarship has its own set of conditions including

length, possible extensions, leave provisions, and

allowable work hours. These conditions can be found on

the relevant scholarship page on the scholarships

database

Details of the HDR Scholarships Committee and a range of matters relating to

scholarships can be found here

3.4 Research Training Program (RTP) and UWA Safety-Net Top-Up Scholarships

In 2017, the RTP replaced the APA, IPRS and RTS scholarships. The RTP gives universities the discretion to charge research course fees to domestic students but at this stage UWA will not do this. UWA students on RTP or other UWA postgraduate research scholarships are awarded a Safety-Net Top-Up Scholarship to bring their living allowance up to $29000 per annum. The students will continue to receive UWA Safety-Net Top-Up Scholarship until their combined living allowance stipend reaches or exceeds $29000 per annum. Further details of the safety net top-ups are available on the Scholarships website

4.1 Managing Candidature 4.2 Enrolment Rules 4.3 Coursework Enrolments 4.4 GRS Student Induction Processes 4.5 Student Support 4.6 Milestone Paperwork 4.7 Research Proposal 4.8 Ethics Approvals 4.9 Annual and Interim Progress Reports 4.10 Confirmation of Candidature 4.11 Summary of Paperwork & Periods of Extension 4.12 Variations to Candidature 4.13 Annual Leave, Sick Leave and Suspensions 4.14 Paid Professional Leave 4.15 GRS Travel Awards, Concur & Healix 4.16 Maximum Periods of Candidature 4.17 Withdrawal & Termination

Unit 4: Commencement to Examination

4.1 Managing Candidature

The research preparedness of commencing HDR students, the circumstances of candidature and the destinations of graduates are changing. As supervisor you will need to understand these changes and manage the needs, expectations, and commitment of your student to their degree. This involves understanding your student, their research project, their progress, and their career aspirations. You will need to be accessible to students and provide regular feedback to them and to the GRS. The GRS is here to assist you and your students achieve the best possible research outcomes and to meet the compliance requirements of UWA and the Federal Government. We ask you to read and comply with the relevant rules and policies but also to understand that there is often some flexibility in the rules and policies. Where possible, we try to meet the needs of students and supervisors. We hope that you find the following information useful with regard to candidature management at UWA. I look forward to working with you and your students.

Dr Sato Juniper, Associate Director of the Graduate Research School

4.2 Enrolment Rules

Students are entitled to a period of enrolment equivalent to 4 years full time in a PhD and 2 years full time enrolment for a Research Masters.

Students working 30 hours per week or more on their research are considered to be full-time. Full time students are expected to work these hours during the working week. Any alternate study arrangements need to be noted and approved in the research proposal and/or annual report(s).

Students in receipt of a scholarship are often required to be full time and all international students must be full time if they are on a student VISA.

Students on domestic UWA scholarships can apply to study part-time (50% only) if they have heavy care commitments or a medical condition. If a scholarship student is part-time, their scholarship becomes taxable.

External enrolment is possible provided suitable arrangements are made for supervision and access to facilities and resources. External students are required to be on campus for a minimum of 13 weeks during the total period of enrolment

4.2 Enrolment Rules

Students will be automatically re-enrolled each academic year, if they: • have made satisfactory progress • do not have any outstanding debts to the University

(such as unpaid SSAF, library fines or parking fines) • have submitted all milestone paperwork by the required

date Reminders are sent to students by the GRS prior to the re-enrolment period. Students can check their milestone status and the nature of any encumbrances in studentConnect. If students miss the automatic re-enrolment, they are required to submit the outstanding milestone to the GRS and/or address the encumbrance. A late re-enrolment fee then needs to be paid to Student Administration.

4.3 Coursework Enrolments

Within the first 10 weeks of enrolment, students who are new to UWA are required to complete the short online course Academic Conduct Essentials (ACE).

ACE appears as an ungraded pass on the student’s transcript and is a Confirmation of Candidature requirement for doctoral students.

Students who fail to complete ACE are re-enrolled in the unit until they pass.

Students who have not completed ACE will not be permitted to submit their

thesis for examination. ACE enrolment can be seen in Callista

HDR students are also permitted to enrol in up to 24 points of coursework units in the first 2 years (FTE) of candidature. Supervisor approval is required for these units and enrolment is approved and managed by the GRS. Students do not pay fees for these units. HDR students are not permitted to enrol simultaneously in another degree at UWA or another university.

4.4 GRS Student Induction Processes

All GRS-enrolled HDR students receive

a GRS Welcome bag on the first day of

their enrolment. In addition to other early

candidature resources, the bag contains

the Postgraduate Students’ Almanac

which is a useful resource throughout

candidature.

Within a month of enrolment, all HDR

students are invited to a voluntary hour

long informal induction in the GRS.

Within six months of enrolment, all HDR

students are expected to attend the

GRS Welcome, held in April and

repeated in September.

Students have a student number email

@student.uwa.edu.au They can also access a

UWA research email alias firstname.lastname

@research.uwa.edu.au

The GRS only sends student correspondence to the student

number email

Students can also request their own UWA business cards

here

Most HDR students are required to pay SSAF – details

of this payment and who is exempt is available here

4.5 Student Support

The GRS Graduate Educations Officers provide a range

of training and professional development opportunities,

including frequent seminars, workshops, retreats, writing

groups and individual consultations. Events are

advertised in a monthly GRS Newsletter sent to HDR

students and supervisors.

Students can also access services provided by

StudySmarter, Centre for Applied Statistics, the UWA

Library Research Support Services, Student Experience,

the Guild and the Postgraduate Student Association

(PSA).

The Language and Cultural Exchange (LACE)

intercultural friendship program is particularly useful for

supporting international students connect socially with

other students.

StudySmarter offer a daily writing drop-in session

providing 1-on-1 academic writing feedback

The Guild have student

assist officers that can offer academic, welfare and

financial support

The UWA libraries offer 1-on-1 inductions to HDR

students

4.6 Milestone Paperwork

HDR students can enrol at UWA any time of the year, apart from late DEC and early JAN. Important dates in candidature, the milestone dates, are calculated from the date of enrolment.

Milestones in candidature are associated with paperwork requiring approval and submission to the GRS. They include the: • research proposal • annual reports • confirmation of candidature • ethics approval (animal and/ or human if required) • travel award report (if a travel award has been awarded), • interim reports (if required) • thesis submission

Copies of the milestone paperwork is available here

Support for students to

complete the paperwork is available here

Support for how to find

milestone dates in studentConnect is available

here

Students are provided with information about milestones in the GRS Almanac, at GRS

inductions, and on the GRS webpages.

4.7 Research Proposal

Research proposals must be submitted before: • 6 months of candidature for full-time PhDs • 9 months of candidature for part-time PhDs • 4 months of candidature for full-time research masters • 8 months of candidature for part-time research masters

Students can request ≤1 month extension to their research proposal due date by emailing the GRS and copying their supervisor and GRC into the email as tacit approval of the request. The email should provide a brief description of the reason for the extension and the proposed submission date.

When ethics approval is required for the research, ethics applications are normally submitted at the same time as the research proposal but they can be submitted at different times.

Research proposals will be reviewed by a member of the GRS Board, who may approve the proposal outright, seek further clarification, or request changes. The review process takes ~4 weeks.

Students who are applying for candidature on the

following basis need to submit a research proposal

with their application: - higher degree

preliminary course completion

upgrade from a master's degree to a PhD

- partial completion of a PhD at another

institution

Students transferring from another institution can (1) reformat their proposal to meet the UWA guidelines

OR (2) complete the UWA research proposal

coversheet and attach their proposal with an

addendum that includes any additional information

required at UWA.

If a student indicates in their research proposal that they require animal or human ethics approval for their research, ethics milestones are entered into their milestones list.

UWA ethics approval is mandatory for all student work that requires ethics approval. Retrospective ethics approval is rarely possible for human research and never possible for animal research.

Students can apply for multiple, staged ethics approvals – their Research Proposal milestone will be marked as provisional until the GRS are notified all ethics approvals have been obtained.

Students should notify the GRS if ethics approvals are no longer required for their research due to a change in research direction.

Student should inform the GRS when ethics approvals have been obtained as the ethics committees do not routinely inform the GRS.

4.8 Ethic Approvals

Even when research is covered by ethics approval from another institution, approval for the student work is still normally required from the relevant UWA ethics committee. This includes hospital based research

projects with hospital or NHMRC ethics approval. See Human research ethics at UWA for more detail.

4.9 Annual and Interim Progress Reports

All students are required to lodge an Annual Progress Report every year, even if they are on suspension or studying part-time. An Annual Report Information Sheet is available here. Requests for extensions to the annual report due dates will not be approved by the GRS. Doctoral candidates are required to submit a Confirmation of Candidature form with their first annual report. Supervisors and/or the GRS may request more frequent progress reporting using an Interim Progress Report. These reports often focus on a specific issue or research issue that has impacted on progress.

Common causes of delays to GRS processing of

paperwork include: • Incomplete forms

• Missing signatures • Failure to approve

online forms

GRS forms will not be approved when any

milestone paperwork is overdue.

4.10 Confirmation of Candidature

All doctoral students are provisionally enrolled for the first year of candidature.

The confirmation paperwork is designed to: (i) give students a clear understanding of the tasks that will form their assessment in their first year of candidature – these tasks should have a reasonable time frame and should examine the research ability of the student, and (ii) ensure the GRS knows students and supervisors have discussed the likelihood of successful completion

The GRS has two mandatory confirmation tasks: (i) a non-graded pass in the ACE unit and (ii) a substantial piece of writing at the appropriate conceptual level. This piece of writing should test the student’s understanding and synthesis of research information and communicate this understanding in a form of academic writing that meets, or comes close to meeting, the academic standards required of the discipline. The substantial piece of writing is in addition to the research proposal.

Some schools have a set number of designated confirmation tasks for students.

When students transfer from another university, confirmation of candidature will be requested at a reasonable point in their UWA candidature.

An extension of up to three months can be requested for confirmation of candidature. In this period, tasks should be chosen that are (i) achievable within the extension period and (ii) sufficiently rigorous to assess if the student is likely to complete their PhD in reasonable time. The GRS does not approve requests for suspension to delay confirmation of candidature.

4.11 Summary of Milestone Due Dates & Allowable Periods of Extension

Milestone Due Date Possible Extension Period

Research Proposal • 6 months for full time doctorates • 9 months for part time doctorates • 4 months for full time Masters • 8 months for part time Masters

(or equivalent for students whose enrolment has been a mix of full time and part time)

• Upon request, extensions are normally given for 1 month.

• In exceptional circumstances, research proposal extensions can be granted for up to an additional 2 months.

Annual Reports • Every year on anniversary of enrolment irrespective of full time or part time enrolment status.

• Students on leave and suspension are also expected to lodge annual reports

• Annual report milestones cannot be replanned.

• If unforseen circumstances arise, students should discuss submission with their GRS Candidature Officer.

Confirmation Candidature (Doctoral students only)

• First annual report due date for full time students

• Second annual report due date for part time students

• Extensions of up to 3 months possible. • Unless there are exceptional

circumstances, if a student is not able to complete the agreed tasks in this extension period, candidature is terminated.

Interim Reports • Dates set by GRS with or without prior consultation with supervisory team

• Interim report milestones cannot be replanned.

• If unforseen circumstances arise, students should discuss submission with their GRS Candidature Officer.

Any proposed variation to candidature which has implications for supervision or scholarship arrangements requires submission of a variation to candidature to the GRS for approval. This includes: • Changes to school or centre • Addition or removal of supervisors • Changes to enrolment type (part-time, full-time, external) • Addition of coursework units • Changes in research direction

If research direction changes substantially from the research proposal and requires approval from a GRS board member, a new research proposal should be submitted.

Candidature variations/enrolment changes cannot normally be granted retrospectively.

4.12 Variations to Candidature

Master of Philosophy (MPhil) students can apply to upgrade to a PhD but the maximum time limit for completion of the PhD is reduced by the period of time the student was enrolled in the MPhil. Upgrade applications are normally lodged 6-12 months into MPhil enrolment. When upgrading, supervisors need to be confident the project can be extended to meet the substantiveness criteria of a PhD AND the student is likely to complete the PhD in the time available.

4.13 Annual Leave, Sick Leave & Suspension

Students do not need to inform the GRS of their annual leave if they take 4 weeks or less within Australia, but are expected to seek approval from their supervisors.

Students may take up to 2 weeks sick leave each year – many scholarships provide paid sick leave entitlements.

For sick leave of more than 2 weeks but less than 3 months, students are required to complete a leave form and attach a medical certificate noting the period the student is unable to study due to illness.

Periods of sick leave longer than three months may be managed by suspension

Suspensions of up to 12 months, but rarely less than one month, can be requested for personal or unforseen difficulties. In exceptional circumstances, the GRS Board can approve further extension of suspension, up to another 12 months. Annual reports must be submitted during periods of suspension.

International students may need to negotiate periods of suspension with their scholarship provider or sponsor. Student VISA conditions may require students to leave Australia after one month of suspension.

All enrolled students who travel overseas for their

research or for annual leave need to notify the

GRS of their travel plans by completing an Overseas

Travel form.

Approval of all overseas leave is conditional on

students having submitted their Research Proposal.

RTP and other UWA scholarship holders can apply for

paid professional development to undertake activities

such as internships, demonstrating in laboratories,

tutoring, assisting with field trips, or organising

conferences.

Paid professional development (PPD) leave conditions:

• Up to 4 weeks PPD leave per year

• Scholarships not suspended during PPD

• Unused PPD leave cannot be accumulated

• PPD leave not to be taken within first 6 months of

scholarship or before research proposal submission

• PPD leave does not change duration of candidature or

scholarship.

4.14 Paid Professional Development

The GRS travel award provides all HDR students (part time and full time, PhD and Masters) with the up to $1850 to travel internationally or interstate for research purposes during candidature, (provided they are enrolled in a course with a course length of at least 2 years).

In exceptional cases, the award may used for long distance travel within Western Australia and/or up to 3 months after submission of the thesis for examination.

GRS travel awards cannot be awarded retrospectively and reimbursement will only be given for airfares when they been booked according to the Travel Policy, through Concur.

Students and supervisors should consult the Smart Traveller website to ensure an area is safe for travel prior to applying. Students can obtain a Healix card that provides details of how to access 24/7 medical, security and traveller assistance as well as pre-departure advice. Information about Healix can be found at the UWA Approval to Travel webpages.

Students who have their travel award application approved have a travel report milestone added to their milestone list. They are required to submit a Travel Report to the GRS once month after returning from travel.

4.15 GRS Travel Award, Concur & Healix

HDR students are normally awarded four years (FTE) candidature to complete a PhD and two years (FTE) to complete a Research masters. PhD scholarships are increasingly 3 years in duration. Extensions may be possible but are usually only approved where the research has been delayed by circumstances beyond the student's control (such as equipment breakdown, change in research direction, change in supervision). The maximum duration of UWA Research Masters scholarships is 2 years. No extensions of scholarships for Research Masters are available. The GRS requests that the research proposal time line reflects these time constraints. Students can apply for up to 12 months extension of the maximum period of enrolment using the extension of candidature form. Students are still required to submit an Annual Report and an updated Completion Plan with the extension request.

4.16 Maximum Periods of Candidature

Animal and human ethics approvals have separate milestones.

Requests for extensions to

candidature for international

students need to be managed carefully

as once the student goes beyond the

period covered by their tuition

scholarship, they may be required to

pay tuition fees.

4.17 Withdrawal & Termination

Students can withdraw from their research program at any time. They need to advise their school of their intention to withdraw and submit a withdrawal form to the GRS. Scholarship holders must advise the GRS immediately of their intention to withdraw to avoid overpayment of a living allowance. International students are advised to contact Student Administration to discuss visa and fee implications of withdrawal. Candidature may be terminated at any time by the Board of the Graduate Research School for reasons such unsatisfactory progress or failure to submit an annual progress report or research proposal.

PHEME accounts, which provide access to many of UWAs central systems (including student email, library services, IT support and studentConnect) expire 28 days after a student

withdraws.

While HDR students are enrolled, suspended, have submitted their thesis, or are correcting their thesis for examination, their

PHEME accounts are active. PHEME accounts stay active for a year after students complete

their HDR course.

1.1 Examination

1.2 Nomination of Examiners

1.3 Examination Milestones & Graduation

Unit 5: Examination to Graduation

5.1 Examination

The GRS provides detailed advice about the examination process. This includes details of style and format, advice about examiners expectations of thesis as a series of papers, thesis front page proformas, and a step-by-step guide to the submission process. Electronic copies of the thesis are now required for both examination and submission of the final corrected version to the UWA Thesis Repository. Students receive official notification of 1) Thesis submission 2) Classification of the thesis 3) Completion of the requirements of the degree Students PHEME account stay active during the examination period and for a year after completion of their course requirements. This gives them access to the library, their student email account and IT services.

All stages of the submission through to

completion process can be

managed remotely if

students have left Australia

prior to completing the

requirements of their degree.

At UWA, the process for examination and classification of theses assumes that examiners undertake the task independently, without bias. Professional and personal relationships may have the potential to introduce • actual bias or resulting in reduced independence of

examination or • a perception of bias potentially leading to questions about

the independence of the examination Conflict of interest can arise between the examiner and the student, supervisor, UWA, subject matter and/or other examiners.

5.2 Nomination of Examiners

Find more about nomination here including links to the Conflict of Interest and Independence of Examiners policy and examples

of different types of conflict of interest and how they are managed at UWA here

Potential for actual or perceived conflict of interest must be

declared in the Nomination of Examiners Form

After submission of a thesis for examination, a number of new milestones appear in the milestone list. • NOM-EX Nomination of Examiners – appears when a NOM form is

submitted. The thesis will not be sent from the GRS for examination until this form has been received, checked and approved. Approval can take up to 3 weeks so delays in thesis examination can be avoided by submitting the form prior to thesis submission.

• EX-REP Examiners Report – appears for each examiner when the thesis is sent for examination.

• CORRECTION Thesis in the process of corrections – appears when the thesis is classified and changes to achieved when the final corrected version is submitted.

Students are asked to apply to graduate when they are notified of their thesis classification. They are able to graduate only if they have completed their course requirements by the cut-off dates set by the Graduation Office.

5.3 Examination Milestones & Graduation

Students can monitor the progress of examination by

checking their EX-REP milestone status.

Thank you for taking the time to read the four units of this Supervisor Induction Module. To complete this module and meet the training and development requirements of the UWA Supervisor Register you now need to complete the short Supervisor Induction Quiz. You can access the Supervisor Induction Quiz here:

Supervisor Induction Module Completion

START SUPERVISOR INDUCTION QUIZ

If you have any questions about any of the material presented in this module, please send your questions to register-grs@uwa.edu.au Further face-to-face professional development is available throughout the year as part of the Research Supervision Professional Development Program. An online Supervisor Refresher Module is also available. Completion of this module will satisfy the training and development requirements of the supervisor register for L2 and L3 supervisors.