Scholarship Leave
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Unless otherwise specified by your scholarship’s conditions, scholarship recipients are entitled to the following categories of leave:
Any calculation that affects your scholarship's duration or your leave entitlements assumes that you conduct your research and studies from Monday to Friday every week, regardless of your actual pattern of work. For example, if you are absent for a week, you must use 5 days of leave. Recreation Leave You are entitled to 4 weeks (20 days) paid recreation leave each year of the scholarship. Recreation leave may be accrued, but must be taken during the period of your scholarship. Your advisory team and school postgraduate coordinator must approve any request for recreation leave; your scholarship duration is not adjusted; you do not need to inform the Research Higher Degrees Unit. Sick Leave You are entitled to 2 weeks (10 days) of paid sick leave each year of the scholarship. Sick leave may be accrued, but must be taken during the period of your scholarship. Your advisory team and school postgraduate coordinator must approve any request for sick leave; your scholarship duration is not adjusted; you do not need to inform the Research Higher Degrees Unit. In addition, you are entitled to 12 weeks (60 days) of paid sick leave within the duration of the scholarship for periods of additional sick leave. You must apply on the Change of Candidature Status form for paid additional sick leave, and attach a medical certificate; your advisory team and school postgraduate coordinator must endorse your request; and the Dean, UQ Graduate School must approve your request. When approved, your scholarship stipend payments continue for the period of leave, your scholarship duration is increased, and your candidature is interrupted for the period of leave. You must make your application within 4 weeks of the end of your period of sick leave and your return to research. However, sick leave requests that will retrospectively change your enrolment status as at a census date (March 31 or August 31) cannot be approved unless they are received within three weeks of the census date (that is, by April 21 for the March 31 census date; by September 21 for the August census date). If you exhaust your sick leave entitlements and cannot return to research, you must apply for leave without stipend from your scholarship. Parental Leave If you are the primary carer for a child you may take up to 12 weeks (60 days) paid parental leave during your scholarship. If you are the partner of the primary carer for a child you may take up to 1 week (5 days) paid parental leave. Paid parental leave must commence:
The paid leave must be taken in one continuous period. You must apply on the Change of Candidature Status form for paid parental leave, and attach either a medical certificate (as proof of pregnancy) or an appropriate document containing proof of birth or adoption; your advisory team and school postgraduate coordinator must endorse your request; and the Dean, UQ Graduate School must approve your request. When approved, your scholarship stipend payments continue for the period of leave, your scholarship duration is increased, and your candidature is interrupted for the period of leave. If you exhaust your parental leave entitlement and require a longer period of parental leave, you must request leave without stipend from your scholarship. Leave without stipend (Suspension) Unless otherwise specified by your scholarship's conditions, you may suspend (take leave without stipend from) your scholarship. You must apply on the Change of Candidature Status form to suspend your scholarship; your advisory team and school postgraduate coordinator must endorse your request; and the Dean, UQ Graduate School must approve your request before your scholarship is suspended. You must suspend your scholarship for a minimum of 1 month. The normal total period of suspension permitted throughout your scholarship duration is 12 months. A request that would take your total period of suspension over 12 months would usually be approved only because of documented ill health or caring responsibilities: work commitments or other study commitments are not considered an appropriate reason for such a request. Your candidature is automatically interrupted when you suspend your scholarship unless you advise that you wish to remain enrolled while your scholarship is suspended. Note that periods of enrolment while your scholarship is suspended may affect the duration of your scholarship. Requests that will retrospectively change your enrolment status as at a census date (March 31 or August 31) cannot be approved. You can suspend your scholarship if you are in the process of transferring from the MPhil program to the PhD program, or you have submitted your MPhil thesis for assessment and have applied for admission to the PhD program. Normal limits on periods of suspension apply. If you do not resume research work or extend your period of suspension at the end of an approved period of suspension, your scholarship will be terminated. International students should contact UQ International for advice regarding visa implications for the proposed suspension. |