HDR Mid-Candidature Review Procedure

Intent

This procedure has been established to outline the steps required to undertake the Mid-Candidature Review Milestone.

This procedure Relevant HESF Standards: 4.2 Research Training.

Scope

This procedure applies to doctoral candidates for the Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) offered by the University, and associated staff involved in the procedure.

Definitions

Terms mentioned in this document and not defined here are defined in the Policy Glossary in the Learning and Teaching domain of the University Policy Library, and in the Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Requirements.

Procedure

1. Doctoral candidates are required to complete the Mid-Candidature Review Milestone when between 1.5 and 2 EFTSL (years full time equivalent) has been consumed.

2. Successful completion of the Mid-Candidature milestone requires the candidate has successfully completed all relevant Professional Development requirements. The Graduate Research School (GRS) may be contacted to confirm that all requirements have been met.

3. The candidate, through their Primary Advisor, should request the College Academic Services Officer to organise the seminar (if required – refer to clause 4.2), and a meeting of the Candidature Committee.

4. The candidate must prepare the materials required for assessment at the Mid-Candidature Review milestone as follows:

4.1 Written work - drafts of all materials prepared for the thesis including at least one substantive piece such as the draft of a chapter, manuscript, creative work or exegesis.

4.2 Public Presentation – submitted a paper to a peer-reviewed publication or made a comparable presentation at a conference external to JCU or any oral presentation of the research deemed appropriate by the relevant College Associate Dean of Research Education (ADRE). If evidence cannot be provided that the candidate has completed any of these outputs, the candidate must present a seminar or poster to the Candidature Committee.

4.3 Completed Mid-Candidature Review Assessment form MCR-FORM-01 including the record of completion of required or elective Professional Development undertaken.

4.4 Gantt chart outlining the HDR candidate’s plan for completing the research project and thesis in the remaining candidature time.

5. One week before this meeting, the HDR candidate must provide each member of their Candidature Committee, materials from clause 4.

6. If the candidate is delivering a seminar to the Candidature Committee, this presentation must be delivered in person or by live-feed and viewed by all members of the Candidature Committee. Other persons should be encouraged to attend unless such an arrangement is precluded by a confidentiality agreement. The presentation should be no longer than 30 minutes including questions, and should provide a synthesis of one aspect of the research findings. If the candidate is presenting a poster to the Candidature Committee, the poster must be evaluated by all members of the Candidature Committee and the candidate must be available for questions.

7. The Candidature Committee must review all materials provided and meet to finalise MCR-FORM-01 and any additional written feedback to the candidate. The program of professional development must also be checked against requirements and recorded in MCR-FORM-01 at this time. The Candidature Committee may recommend that the Professional Development requirements have either been “met” or “not met.”  For the other assessable components of this milestone, the candidature committee may recommend “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory”.

8. A recommendation will be made by the Chair of the Candidature Committee and the Independent Academic. The Advisors and HDR candidate should not be present when this decision is made.

9. The signatures of the HDR candidate and Advisors must be obtained to signify acknowledgement that they have been advised of the recommendation.

10. Once finalised, the MCR-FORM-01 form is to be returned to the College Academic Services Officer by the final signatory who will forward to the GRS with supporting documentation.

11. The Dean, Graduate Research will approve the final recommendation of the Mid-Candidature Review Milestone.

12. The GRS will communicate the Dean, Graduate Research’s approved course of action to the HDR candidate and the Candidature Committee.

13. Candidates who receive “unsatisfactory” for the assessable components of the Mid-Candidature Review, or exceed the maximum times stipulated in clause 3.3 without an approved extension will be subject to the HDR Progress Support Procedure.

14. A candidate who wishes to request a review of the recommendation of their Mid-candidature Review, may do so as per the Student Review and Appeal Policy and Procedures.

Related policy instruments

Higher Degree by Research Requirements

Student Review and Appeal Policy and Procedures.

HDR Progress Support Procedure

MCR-FORM-01

Schedules/Appendices

Nil

Administration

NOTE:  Printed copies of this procedure are uncontrolled, and currency can only be assured at the time of printing.

Approval Details

Revision History