HDR Minimum Standard of Resources, Facilities and Other Support Procedure

Intent

To define the Minimum Standard of Resources and Facilities and Other Support required to be provided by the College to ensure that support for HDR candidates focuses on facilitating a successful completion within a reasonable timeframe.

Scope

These requirements apply to the Colleges administering candidates for the research degrees offered by the University as defined in the HDR Requirements. In agreeing to accept a HDR Candidate, a College agrees to adhere to this procedure.

This procedure is guided by the Higher Education Standards Framework and the Australian Council of Graduate Research Good Practice Principles and Guidelines.

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.

For the purposes of this document the term College includes the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.

Procedure

1. Infrastructure

   The table below summarises the infrastructure that must be made available to HDR candidates.

   Configuration	On-campus		Off-campus
   	Full-time	Part-time	Solo	Partner institution
   Desk in a shared office with 24/7 access1	Yes	Hot desk2	Hot desk2	A3
   Normal office facilities incl. phone4, copier, printer, mail, stationery	Yes	5	5	A3
   Bench space and access to equipment required for the research project	Yes	Yes	-	A3
   Access to communal tearoom/kitchen	Yes	Yes	-	A3
   Internet and email access	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
   Computer with specialist software required for the research project if required6	Yes	Access to computer pool	-	A3
   Software privileges equivalent to staff on university owned computer(s)	Yes	Yes	-	A3
   Shared drive storage quota equivalent to staff	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
   Access to e-EGRS e-storage site and Career Hub software to store evidence of completed Research Skills  activities7	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
   Library privileges equivalent to staff	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
   Off campus library services via EZproxy8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
   Use of University vehicles, video and audio recording equipment etc, on certification by Primary Advisor of relevance to program of research	Yes	Yes	-	A3

   ¹ Afterhours access to facilities is subject to security, health and safety considerations.

   ² When visiting the Townsville, Cairns or Singapore campus of JCU.

   ³ A = as specified in partner agreement.

   ⁴ Internal and local telephone access.

   ⁵Off-campus HDR candidates can contact their Advisors or other JCU staff at JCU via the Student  Association’s free call number 1800 330 021

   ⁶ JCU expects each HDR candidate to own a computer. Please see the below link for using your own laptop.  https://www.jcu.edu.au/information-and-communications-technology/help-and-support/laptops-and-mobile-devices

   Each College should also provide on-campus access to additional computing facilities appropriate to the research project requirements of individual HDR candidates, e.g. by having a pool of University-owned computers with specialist software and/or hardware appropriate to the discipline.

   ⁷Contact Graduate Research School to setup links to this software.

   ⁸ https://www.jcu.edu.au/library/about/off-campus-and-remote-access

2. Financial Assistance

   Each College will receive funding from the RTP and must allocate amounts as indicated below.

   1 EFTSL “in time” Low Cost Masters = $1,000 to candidate SSA + $500 competitive funding pool = $1,500

   1 EFTSL “in time” High Cost Masters = $1,000 to candidate SSA + $1,175 competitive funding pool = $2,175

   1 EFTSL “in time” Low Cost PhD = $1,000 to candidate SSA + $1,000 competitive funding pool = $2,000

   1 EFTSL “in time” High Cost PhD = $1,000 to candidate SSA + $2,350 competitive funding pool = $3,350

   where “In time” means <2/4 EFTSL for Masters/Doctorate unless special circumstances have been approved by the Dean, Graduate Research as a result of illness, parenting or carer responsibilities .

   EFTSL of HDR Candidates who identify and Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander will weighted double that of Candidates not identifying.

   The ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies will receive off the top funding from the RTP as per the contractual arrangements the ARC and the university, as the other Colleges will, but must nevertheless ensure that funding is provided for HDR candidates at least at the levels indicated above.

   The method of awarding of the funds in the competitive funding pool is at the discretion of the College but must be done according to a transparent plan that must be approved by the Research Education Sub-Committee.

   Expenditure of funds in the competitive pool must be reported to the Research Education Sub-Committee on an annual basis.

   The ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies will similarly report to the Research Education Sub-Committee on their  arrangements for supporting HDR candidates.

3. Relevant Research Costs to be funded from the Standard Allocation

   The following list is not exhaustive.

   • HDR Advisory Panel (see HDR Supervision Procedure)
   • Photocopying
   • Thesis costs including printing
   • Internet charges related to the project, including reasonable recompense for charges external to JCU in the case of off-campus HDR candidates. Such recompense must be negotiated in advance on a case by case basis and approved by the relevant Head of College.
   • Essential inter-library loans and document delivery.
   • Reasonable expenses for undertaking approved research at libraries and archives external to host campus.
   • Telephone calls related to the project
   • Costs of access to service facilities.
   • Data analysis and specialised computer packages.
   • Fieldwork expenses appropriate to the research project (sufficient to enable the research to be conducted in accordance with the University’s Workplace Health & Safety Policies).
   • Laboratory consumables specific to the research project.
   • Postage associated with essential research activities, e.g. surveys.
   • Training costs to meet requirements of the University’s Workplace Health & Safety Policies.
   • Contribution towards the expenses associated with attendances at least one conference associated with the research project at which the HDR candidate is making a presentation (verbal or poster).
4. Participation in the College Research Culture

   It expected that HDR Candidates will be provided with opportunities to be involved in their College’s research culture through face to face and social interactions where possible, as well as through email and electronic forms of dialogue such as teleconferences and videoconference. Research Culture would include:

   • Involvement in a structured program of research seminars based on research being undertaken by HDR candidates and College staff or other initiatives such as HDR candidate conferences.
   • Access to any relevant distinguished visitors, either in-group seminars or on an individual basis.
   • Entry to any space (e.g. reserved tearoom) provided for College staff.
   • Opportunities for social interaction with other Honours and HDR candidates, as well as College staff to provide opportunities for collegial informal interactions.
5. Orientation

1. All research HDR candidates will have access to on-line University and College HDR Candidate Handbooks and websites that provide enrolling HDR candidates with information about the University’s policies and procedures pertaining to their candidature  e.g., the expectations and responsibilities of supervisors and candidates, the degree requirements, progress procedures, research integrity and ethics, grievance procedures, health and safety procedures and the availability of support services.
2. Each College will provide specific information about HDR candidate entitlements as described above, and how to access them.
3. The College Induction Package for on-campus HDR candidates should also include the following

• A tour of the College facilities;
• An introduction to relevant academic, technical and administrative staff, including the Associate Dean Research Education, the HDR Administrator and the liaison librarian appointed to assist the College’s HDR candidates;
• Advice on how to contact the liaison librarian appointed to assist the College’s HDR candidates;
• Information on access to relevant training opportunities, e.g. AARNET and computer training, Workplace Health & Safety;
• Information on procedures to resolve problems;
• Information on opportunities for participation in College decision making processes, including arrangements for electing HDR candidate representatives to relevant College committees;
• Guidelines on ethical and safety procedures appropriate to College disciplines. In addition, The College will provide access to relevant training to ensure that HDR candidates comply with these safety procedures and other relevant University safety policies.

6. Compliance and Reporting

   Each Head of College, through their Associate Dean Research Education, will report annually to the Research Education Sub-Committee regarding compliance, or problems with compliance, with this policy.

   The report by the Head of College will be countersigned by Associate Dean Research Education and forwarded through the Division’s Deputy-Vice-Chancellor to the Research Education Sub-Committee through the Graduate Research School by 31 December each year.

7. Performance Indicators

The Research Education Sub-Committee will review and note the percentages of HDR candidates from each College who record overall satisfaction with the suitability of resources, facilities and other support in the surveys and focus groups conducted by the Graduate Research School.

Related policy instruments

Schedules/Appendices

Administration

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

Approval Details

Revision History