A University scholarship applicant's Order of Merit score is determined by their Academic Merit Score (AMS), as modified by the school assessment of Research Potential/Performance and Match with Research Strengths.

The default is to leave the applicant’s AMS unchanged. However, in some cases the applicant's past academic performance (the basis for the AMS) is not a true reflection of their research potential/performance and/or of the match with research strengths. In those cases, the school can recommend a more appropriate modifier.

Any recommendation on research potential/performance must be made on the basis of documented research performance and/or identified research potential, including (but not limited to) the applicant's

• performance in the research component of their degree,
• overall position in their Honours class,
• contribution as an author to research publications,
• participation in research projects,
• highly relevant work experience, and
• other information provided in their academic CV.

The school can also take into account written reports from other sources, including

• reports by honours supervisors and other academic staff on the applicant’s work,
• referees' reports,
• reviews of the applicant's written work, published and unpublished, and
• assessments of the extent to which research and scholarly work undertaken to date is publishable (either alone or with other work).

Any recommendation on match with research strengths must be made on the basis of the applicant's proposed research area and the quality of the research environment in which the applicant will work.

The school assessment includes assigning a modifier of up to +/-10% for both assessable areas. The two modifiers are not cumulative, but are instead averaged out before the modifier is applied to the AMS. If the Dean of the UQ Graduate School accepts the school assessment, the AMS is adjusted by the recommended modifier when calculating the Order of Merit score.