Graduate Research School HDR Advisors Becoming an Advisor

Becoming an Advisor

Advising Higher Degree by Research candidates is a rewarding opportunity to support the next generation of researchers and contribute to JCU’s vibrant academic community. As a JCU HDR Advisor, you play a crucial role in guiding candidates to completion, fostering excellence, and promoting responsible research practice.


The Graduate Research School (GRS) is dedicated to supporting our Advisors with comprehensive resources, guidance, and ongoing professional development. We are actively reviewing and refreshing the suite of support and professional development available to HDR Advisors, so please watch this space for further updates - enhanced resources and development opportunities are coming soon!

Admission to the JCU Register of Advisors is governed by the JCU HDR Advisory Procedure, which sets out standards for quality supervision, advisory panel composition, and conflict-of-interest management.

HDR Advisory Procedure

Advisor Application

The summary of criteria for admission to the  JCU Register of Advisors is provided in the below table:

Advisor LevelResearch degree at least equivalent to that being supervisedAcademic Staff of JCUCompletion and maintenance of GRS Advisor Training and DevelopmentResearch active (relative to opportunity) as deemed by the College DeanSuccessful HDR Supervision Max # students as Primary
Primary/SecondaryYesYesYesYesNo*
*(If no for proposed Primary Advisor, an Advisor Mentor is required)		College Dean discretion (max 3-4 recommended)
Advisor MentorYesYesYesYesYes, 2 HDR (at least one as Primary Advisor and at least one a PhD completion)College Dean discretion (max 7 recommended)

An Advisor Mentor may be appointed if the Primary Advisor does not yet have a PhD completion. The role of the Advisor Mentor is to support the development of supervision practices of the Primary Advisor. Advisor Mentors must be listed on the JCU Register of Advisors.

Advisors who do not meet Register admission requirements at their current level and/or are deemed to have demonstrated unsatisfactory advisor performance by their line manager will not be approved for membership of any additional Advisory Panels until the relevant requirements and/or performance standards have been met.

To join the JCU Register of Advisors, prospective Advisors must:

1. Familiarise themselves with the criteria for admission to the JCU Register of Advisors as outlined in the JCU HDR Advisory Procedure.

2. Complete HDR online modules in LearnJCU. These modules cover essential topics in HDR supervision and are accessible via the HDR Advisor Organisation in LearnJCU. Email grs.staff@jcu.edu.au for access to the Advisor Organisation.

Download the guide: How to access the HDR Advisor Organisation in LearnJCU

3. Attend Initiate Advisor training, designed to get you started with supervision at JCU. Registration for 2026 workshops is available here.

Note: Experienced Advisors new to JCU (i.e. Advisors who are eligible to join the Register as Advisor Mentor) are only required  to complete the  'scaffolding'  portion of the training. Please email grs.staff@jcu.edu.au to attend  this portion of the Initiate  training.

4. Attend Respectful Relationships training, a mandatory session on fostering a professional, inclusive advisory environment.

Note: The workshop includes discussion of sexual assault, sexual harassment and gender-based violence, and is designed to be completed by all Higher Degree by Research Advisors. If you feel unable to complete the workshop for personal reasons, simply email or contact a JCU Respect Misconduct Officer requesting a confidential exemption.

The workshop is run by Zoom with 20-25 participants. You will need a good internet connection, working camera and speaker to participate. Registration for 2026 workshops is available here.

5. Complete the HDR Advisor Application Form and email to grs.staff@jcu.edu.au.

JCU encourages continued development of HDR advisory practice through engagement with and participation in professional development resources and events

Policies, procedures and practices for advising JCU research candidates change over time, and it is important for all Advisors to stay up to date. Therefore, we ask all who are on the Register of Advisors to update their knowledge.

Once every four years you will be asked to review current policy and procedure and complete an online quiz consisting of 10 multiple choice questions (see instructions below).

Instructions on how to access the online quiz in LearnJCU

  1. Log into LearnJCU
  2. Choose "Organisations"
  3. Choose the "Higher Degree by Research Advisor Organisation". If you do not have access to this organisation, please email the grs.staff@jcu.edu.au and you will be added (please quote your JC number in the email).

    4. Download the guide: How to access the HDR Advisor Organisation in LearnJCU

  4. Click on UPDATE: Online Advisor Training Quiz (left hand side)
  5. Complete the quiz - you must score 10 out of 10
  6. Send an email to grs.staff@jcu.edu.au to ensure your registration is extended.

Staff wishing to be nominated as Chair of Candidature Committee or Independent Academic should speak to their Associate Dean of Research Education (ADRE) or the GRS initially.

  • Chairs are generally senior staff (Level C and above) with HDR supervision experience, including at least one HDR completion. Where possible, the Chair will fulfill the role for all candidature milestones, including the oral examination.
  • Independent Academics are generally selected for their relevant discipline/specialist knowledge and can be staff at any career stage.
  • Nominations should be sent to grs.staff@jcu.edu.au.
  • Both Chairs and Independent Academics must not be current members of the candidate’s Advisory Panel, and any conflicts of interest (such as co-authorship, grants, or personal relationships) must be declared and managed in accordance with the Conflict of Interest Policy.

Personal Relationships and Conflicts of Interest

Advising at JCU - Principles for Respectful Supervisory Relationship