Procedure for Candidature Management of JCUS-based HDR Candidates

Intent

This procedure elaborates the “JCUS-based HDRs” section of the HDR Requirements.

The intent of this procedure is:

1. to define the academic and administrative responsibilities of James Cook University Australia (JCUA) and James Cook University Singapore (JCUS) in the delivery of Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) to Candidates; and
2. to define the financial arrangements for income and expenses related to the delivery of Higher Degrees by Research at the JCU Singapore Campus.
3. to enable James Cook University (JCU) as a whole to ensure our duty of care to our HDR Candidates whilst meeting the requirements of the JCUS Accrediting Body “CPE.”

Scope

This procedure applies to HDR Candidates admitted to a HDR Course in a JCUS Course Availability.

Definitions

Terms mentioned in this document and not defined here are defined in the Policy Glossary in the Learning and Teaching chapter of the University Policy Library and in the HDR Requirements.

Advisor/s means the academic staff involved in supervision of the Candidate and their project. The definitions of Primary Advisor, Secondary Advisor and Advisor Mentor are as in the HDR Supervision Procedure.

HDR Requirements means the JCUA policy that describes the rules for management and general conditions of award of Higher Degrees by Research;

HDR Supervision Procedure means a JCUA procedure that details the requirements for HDR supervision and explains the roles and responsibilities of Advisors;

Graduate Research School means the JCUA Graduate Research School;

JCU Singapore Campus means the James Cook University campus located in Singapore;

Personal Information means information or an opinion, whether true or not and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent or can reasonably be ascertained from the information or opinion

Privacy Law means for JCUA – the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld); for JCUS – the Personal Data Protection Act 2012.

Procedure

1. Applicants to undertake a Higher Degree by Research at the JCU Singapore Campus will submit an application to JCUS according to the process in place at JCUS.  The application must include a completed APP-FORM-01.  To classify as a JCUS Candidate, the Primary Advisor of the Candidate must be a Singapore based academic staff member, and the Candidate must be an internal student based in Singapore. The Candidate may have a secondary advisor based in JCUS, or one who is based in an Australian JCU College, however in these cases, an EFTSL split may be considered.
2. JCUS will forward the application to the Graduate Research School where it will undergo an initial assessment. Following the initial assessment, the Graduate Research School will send the application to the JCUS Associate Dean Research Education (ADRE) for assessment. The application will then be returned to the Graduate Research School to be ranked on the Order of Merit list if applicable, for that year of entry, and for the Dean, Graduate Research to make the final recommendation regarding the application.  The Graduate Research School will make recommendations to JCUS regarding the acceptability of the application and whether to make an offer.
3. JCUS makes an offer to an applicant, and that offer is accepted by the applicant, the applicant will be admitted and enrolled as a Higher Degree by Research Candidate. JCUS will forward accepted offers to the Graduate Research School who will be responsible for the admission and enrolment of candidates into the Higher Degree by Research course and subjects.
4. During the candidature of a Candidate JCUA Graduate Research School will provide the administration services that would normally be provided to the Academic Colleges for HDR Candidates at JCUA.  These include:
   1. Enrolment in the time based research subject and compulsory Higher Degree by Research subjects
   2. Final processing of candidature milestone documentation
   3. Management of student records in the Student Management System
   4. Stipend scholarship administration where relevant
   5. Support for Professional Development for HDR Candidates as required for the HDR subject RD7003 Professional Development.
   6. Administration of thesis examination
   7. Advice on when the recommendation has been made that the degree can be awarded.
5. During the candidature of each Candidate, JCUS must ensure that the candidate’s advisory panel is compliant with the HDR Supervision Procedure.
6. JCUS will ensure that all Candidates agree to be subject to and to comply with all of the degree rules as outlined in the HDR Requirements and all associated procedures.
7. If the Candidate wishes to vary their candidature in any way (e.g. change Advisors, take leave of absence, etc.), the Candidate must apply for this variation in accordance with the relevant JCUA Procedure.
8. Candidates will be eligible to apply for Research Training Program (RTP) scholarships funded by the Australian Government.  The definitions of “domestic” and “international” are as for JCUA, meaning Singapore citizens will be considered “international” for the purposes of RTP scholarships.
9. Candidates will be entitled to Minimum Resources as per the HDR Minimum Standard of Resources, Facilities and Other Support Procedure. The minimum standard allocation will be direct to JCUS from the RTP Block grant, using the method used for Colleges i.e. based on equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) of the previous year.
10. JCUS will set the amounts for and receive all income from tuition fees charged to Candidates.  Should the candidate apply for a scholarship and not be awarded, JCUS’s decisions about the award of fee-subsidy scholarships to Candidates will be informed by the JCUA scholarship scoring protocol.
11. Upon successful completion by a Candidate of a Higher Degree by Research, the Candidate will be awarded a James Cook University Higher Degree by Research.
12. JCUA will count the successful completion of each Candidate towards the JCUA Higher Degree by Research completions for the purpose of the Australian Federal Government’s calculation of JCUA’s Research Training Program block grant funding income.
13. Any Research Training Program funding income received by JCUA that is attributable to a Candidate will be distributed by JCUA as follows:
    1. where JCUS has not offered the Candidate a full tuition fee exemption, the funding income attributable to that Candidate will be received and retained solely by JCUA; and
    2. where JCUS has offered the Candidate a full tuition fee exemption, a proportion of the funding income attributable to that Candidate (depending upon the amount of supervision of the Candidate provided by JCUS employees) will be allocated to support the delivery of research training at JCUS as per the formula below:
       Funding given to JCUS from JCUA upon completion of a Singapore HDR Candidate =
       (% EFTSL taught in Singapore out of the first 4 EFTSL) x (% tuition fees received by JCUS – 100) x 0.25 x completion funding at the time of completion (varies annually)
14. Any portion of the Research Training Program funding allocation or income to which JCUS is entitled, must be used by JCUS to support the research training of Candidates Australian Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines (Research) and JCU Policies.

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