APAI Administration


Background

  • The Australian Postgraduate Award Industry is a specified award under the ARC Linkage Project scheme.
  • APAIs can only be appointed if listed in the ARC Letter of Offer.
  • The component of the ARC funding allocated to the APAI can only be used for that purpose, unless prior approval given by the ARC.
  • Information about the APAI scheme is available elsewhere on the Graduate School website.

Recruiting an APAI student

  • Start recruiting as soon as possible – the longer you wait, the greater the difficulty of finding suitable candidates by the due date for commencement.
  • Keep in contact with relevant schools/institutes – there may be suitable Honours students who are close to graduation or RHD applicants who are looking for a research project.
  • The ARC Funding Contract 2009 – Schedule D sets conditions regarding who can be appointed to an APAI:

D4.1 The Administering Organisation must appoint an APAI Research Higher Degree Candidate for the Project who:

  1. is enrolled in a full-time postgraduate research degree at an Eligible Organisation;
  2. has an appropriate Honours 1 or high 2A (or equivalent) undergraduate degree;
  3. is not receiving similar funding or stipend from a Commonwealth Government program;
  4. has not already completed a degree at the same level as the proposed APAI candidature or at a higher level in the same field of endeavour; and
  5. has not previously held an Australian Postgraduate Award or APAI unless it was terminated within the first six months of the earlier award.

Nominating an APAI candidate

Offer of Award:

  • Once the Dean of the UQ Graduate School has approved admission to candidature and the offer of the APAI, the RHD Unit issues a formal offer to the student by email.
  • APAI recipients must comply with the UQ Research Scholarships General Conditions and those conditions specific to APAI scholars.
  • The APAI cannot commence until
    • the agreement between the University and the Partner Organisation has been fully executed;
    • the student has signed an APAI Student Intellectual Property and Confidentiality Agreement; and
    • the student provides a Certificate by Independent Legal Adviser that they have obtained independent legal advice before signing this Agreement.

Deferral of APAI Commencement:

  • the ARC must receive an official request for deferral of the due date for commencement of the APAI if
    • no suitable applicant has been recruited,
    • the applicant cannot commence within 9 months of the scheduled commencement date of the Linkage Grant, or
    • the agreement between the University and the Partner Organisation is not fully executed within 9 months of the scheduled commencement date of the Linkage Grant.
  • RRTD lodges an official request with the ARC for a 3 month extension to appoint the APAI and/or finalise the Partner Organisation agreement for all APAIs that have not been filled.
  • Please advise RRTD if any of the following statements apply:
    • you require more than a 3 month extension;
    • you wish to stop looking for a student and convert the APAI into research costs.
  • Please advise RRTD of any difficulties with recruitment (including how widely the APAI has been advertised) so that we can provide information to the ARC that will support deferral requests.

Important Points:

  • Students cannot commence on the APAI until the Partner Organisation agreement has been fully executed.
  • Students can commence their candidature immediately, but will have to support themselves until the agreement is fully executed (schools/advisors may wish to fund the student during this period).
  • No ARC funds can be expended prior to the Partner Organisation agreement being executed, so school/advisor accounts cannot be reimbursed for any funding provided to the APAI student prior to the agreement being signed.
  • If a nominee has non-standard qualifications or potential issues with English proficiency, contact the RHD Unit as early as possible in the selection process for advice about the nominee’s eligibility for admission to the RHD program and an APAI offer.

Administration of the APAI scholarships:

  • The RHD Unit administers the APAIs and ensures that students are paid from the appropriate ARC Linkage - Project grant account.
  • Contact details: rhdunit@research.uq.edu.au; (07) 336 57932

APAI Allowances

Partner Organisation contributions towards an APAI

  • If a proposal for a Project sought on average less than $50,000 per year from the Commonwealth and included an APAI, a minimum of $6,000 cash is required from the Partner per APAI student per year for each year the student is to receive a stipend.
  • The Partner Organisation Cash Contribution must not be used to supplement the stipend unless it was provided for in the Approved Proposal for the Project.

Changes to Candidature

  • Most changes to the student’s candidature (for example, periods of interruption or changes to part time attendance) require written Partner Organisation support. Note that obtaining approval for the request from the ARC will be delayed if the written Partner Organisation support isn’t attached to the standard Graduate School form used to request the change.
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