Infrastructure Guidelines for the Support of Research Higher Degree Students in Enrolling Units


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Introduction

The University of Queensland is committed to providing infrastructure support of the highest possible quality for its research higher degree (RHD) students: that is, to the provision of all resources that are mutually agreed by student, advisors and school to be necessary for a viable and feasible research project that can be completed to a satisfactory standard in an appropriate period of time. Satisfaction with the University's RHD programs and the timely and successful completion of them are due, in part, to the provision of appropriate levels of infrastructure. Schools, Centres and Institutes play an important role in matching prospective students and their projects with available human, physical, financial, and technical resources and in the timely provision of those resources. For this reason, any academic unit enrolling RHD students must strive to attain optimal standards of resources for those students.

The supervision of RHD students has many components and a complete statement of what constitutes good advisory practice requires that each of those components be addressed. At a minimum, they include:

  • the work of individual advisors;
  • the infrastructure support available through Schools
  • the institution's policies with respect to postgraduate research; and
  • the extent to which administrative structures and procedures are designed to assist research students.

This University has already addressed what constitutes good advisory practice from the perspective of the individual advisor (see: HUPP 4.60.1 Effective Guidance: The Role of the Advisor for Research Higher Degree Candidates (PhD & MPhil) – http://www.uq.edu.au/hupp/index.html?page=25164). The current set of guidelines is concerned with the provision of infrastructure support for postgraduate research studies at the level of the School/Institute/Centre. Throughout this guideline the term "school" also refers to those organisational units such as Institutes and Centres with University approval to enrol research higher degree students.

1. Prospective RHD Students and Direct Research Costs

An essential aspect of the management of postgraduate research concerns support for the direct costs of student research. The Proposal for a Research Project form and the School Recommendation on an Application for Admission and Enrolment form each make explicit reference to funding for the project. All research projects must be designed within the context of the resources that are likely to be available to carry them out.

The university, like other research organisations, can never promise that support will be available for any program of research regardless of cost. It is essential that costs are considered carefully when decisions are made about research questions, techniques, and directions: this is especially important when any of these change during the course of candidature. It is also clear that sources of funds vary across disciplinary groups.

Nevertheless, it is assumed that when a School recommends acceptance of a student into the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Master of Philosophy (MPhil) it does so after establishing that funding for the direct costs necessary for the research project are available. Therefore, the direct costs of research (and other resource implications) must be taken into account when thesis topics are negotiated with prospective students. These issues are of crucial importance when a decision is made to recommend acceptance of a candidate who will be remote from the campus for the majority of candidature and when a candidate is proposing to amend their candidature to remote status.

All parties involved at the academic enrolling unit level including the principal advisor and the Head or Postgraduate Coordinator (if this position is responsible for RHD student resource allocation) must ensure that RHD students are only accepted to undertake projects for which adequate resources and infrastructure are available for the student's project to be successfully completed. Other resource implications include the full costs of:

  • access to resources or facilities at other organisations in Australia or overseas;
  • travel to complete fieldwork, collect data, or to visit libraries or other repositories;
  • training in techniques;
  • necessary coursework undertaken outside the enrolling unit.

Arrangements to access such facilities external to the School or University should be negotiated before commencement of candidature to avoid unnecessary delays and thus ensure continuity in the student’s research project.

2. Information to be provided to Research Higher Degree Students

2.1 School Induction – Students must undergo an induction process as soon as practicable after commencement of candidature during which they can be informed of School and University facilities and services available to them throughout their candidature. The UQ Graduate School, Library, TEDI, Information Technology Services, Student Services, ICTE, Research & Research Training Division (previously known as ORPS) and other technical and administrative units provide services and access to infrastructure for all RHD students and the School should maintain a readily accessible list of such services for students in hard copy form and/or on the School web site. The UQ Graduate School web site (http://www.uq.edu.au/grad-school/) also provides information on many services, University policies relevant to RHD students, and training programs and seminars.

Because RHD programs are offered in such a wide range of disciplines at the University, there is considerable variability in the resource needs of students across the institution and it is important that academic organisational units clearly articulate what facilities and other support (such as travel for conference presentation) will be available to RHD students who enrol with it. Access to some resources such as conference travel may be only provided on merit by application and if so, this must be made clear to students.

In addition, formal induction is required within a few days of commencing laboratory or fieldwork for occupational health and safety reasons. See HUPP 2.30.16 Occupational Health and Safety in the Laboratory (Postgraduate Students) – http://www.uq.edu.au/hupp/index.html?page=25057.

2.2 Early Meeting with Advisor(s) – It is essential that students and advisors consult prior to commencement of candidature or within a few days of commencement to discuss both general infrastructure support and project specific support. This will minimise ambiguity in what has been agreed to at the commencement of candidature.

2.3 Provision of Hard Copy Lists of Facilities – Either as part of the school induction or as part of the early meeting with the advisors, the student should be provided with a hard copy list of facilities available to all students and a hard copy list of resources specific to the student’s research project. The list of facilities for all students should also be available on the School’s web site and updated at least annually – see the School Infrastructure Pro-Forma)

2.4 Ancillary Student Services – Enrolling units should ensure that RHD students are aware of ancillary support services such as counselling, health, accommodation, English-language and academic writing support, careers/employment and child care.

2.5 International RHD Students – Enrolling units should advise international students about University provision of assistance with English language skills.

3. Infrastructure Support

3.1 All full-time RHD students should be provided with/offered shared office accommodation that includes a sole-use desk, lockable filing cabinet and bookshelf facilities. If, at times, a sole-use desk is not available to every full-time student, shared use of a desk or other satisfactory, flexible arrangements should be negotiated between the School, the advisor and the student. Schools should endeavour to provide part-time RHD students with shared office accommodation and at least shared use of a desk. It is acknowledged that some schools face challenges regarding space and accommodation.

3.2 With regard to security and safety, there should be 'after hours' (ideally 24-hour, 7 days per week) access for RHD students to their offices, labs or shared work space. 'After hours' work in any University facility must comply with relevant Occupational Health and Safety regulations. 'After hours' work in a laboratory may require more than one person to be present for safety reasons (that is, the student cannot work alone). See the Occupational Health and Safety Unit web site for additional information – http://www.uq.edu.au/ohs/

3.3 RHD students must have access to on-campus IT facilities for data analysis, writing and information access. This might involve:

  • the use of desktop computers, mainframe systems, or high performance computing time;
  • networked printing; technical advice;
  • help with academic software supported by the University.

Enrolling units may offer additional software support appropriate to the discipline and/or the project. RHD students need an appropriate level of access to research and communication tools such as the WWW and e-mail, including dial-in access. They should also be provided with a level of access to download electronic information from journals and other sources that is appropriate to their research project and their stage of candidature.Information Technology Services Planning & Policy (ITSPP) Committee and Postgraduate Studies Committee (PGSC) have jointly recommended that organizational units allocate Off Net download quotas to RHD candidates on the same basis as to academic staff.

3.4 Remotely based RHD students must have reasonable access to University Internet services and other resources required to support their research and thesis preparation.

3.5 Schools should determine annually the levels of general maintenance and consumables that will be provided to RHD students, and inform them and their advisors accordingly. Provision of resources, such as photocopying, printing, funds for research travel, outside mail, controlled STD or ISD telephone use and fax use, need to be commensurate with the requirements of research topics and thesis writing. Reasonable limits will vary from discipline to discipline, from school to school, and occasionally from project to project.

3.6 RHD students should be encouraged to present their work at appropriate national and international conferences. It is highly desirable that Schools contribute to conference participation costs: it is acknowledged that the level of support offered will vary between Schools. Ideally, PhD students should be supported at least partially by the School to participate in a minimum of two national conferences and one international conference during candidature, while MPhil students should be supported at least partially by the School for a minimum of one national conference. Students should therefore be encouraged and supported to apply for external funding to participate in conferences. Some training in presentation skills should also be provided.

3.7 Wherever possible, Schools should offer suitably qualified RHD students the opportunity to tutor, demonstrate or engage in other professional development activities, within the guidelines on work approved by the University.

3.8 Schools should encourage RHD students to make effective, efficient use of library resources. This will often require participation in general orientation sessions and tours, as well as specialist courses run by the University Library and other specialist libraries. Research topics that will involve the acquisition of significant library holdings should be discussed with appropriate Library staff before the topic is finally agreed. If the acquisition of necessary Library holdings is not feasible, funds will need to be available to permit students to spend time at other libraries where the appropriate material is available. The University meets the cost of inter-library loans that are related to the research student’s topic and approved by the principal advisor.

(This revised policy draws upon the University of Melbourne “Infrastructure Support for Postgraduate Research Students: The Responsibilities of Academic Departments” policy, which itself references the 1997 UQ policy; and the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA "2004 Statement of Minimum Resources for Postgraduate Study".)
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