1. Purpose
The purpose of these guidelines is to transparently communicate to applicants the selection criteria and scoring matrix used to assess Higher Degree by Research (HDR) scholarships at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC).
USC awards several HDR scholarships through competitive selection rounds each year. The opening and closing dates are published on the USC website.
Applicants are expected to refer to this document and to the relevant HDR scholarship advertisement on the USC website when preparing their application.
The HDR Scholarships Selection Panel will use these Guidelines to assess HDR scholarship applications.
2. Eligibility
To be considered for a scholarship, applicants must be accepted into a Higher Degrees by Research program at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
3. Selection
In the competitive selection process, USC may give priority to students who:
3.1 are enrolling in an HDR for the first time,
3.2 have not previously completed a Research Doctorate or equivalent,
3.3 have not previously completed a Research Masters degree or equivalent, unless intending to undertake a Research Doctorate,
3.4 have not previously held an Australian Postgraduate Award, Australian Postgraduate Award (Industry) or an Australian Government-funded Postgraduate Research Award (excluding an IPRS or International RTP Fees Offset Scholarship) previously unless it was terminated within six months of the commencement of benefits,
3.5 have not previously been awarded, or currently be in receipt of, a scholarship stipend or other scholarship designed to offset HDR fees.
3.6 Stipend recipients are expected to prioritise their study and enrol on a full-time basis. Part-time study will be considered on a case-by-case basis for exceptional circumstances such as medical reasons or carer’s responsibilities. Part-time applicants may apply but will be required to change to full-time study load upon commencement of the scholarship unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated.
3.7 for Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarships, recipients must not be in receipt of an equivalent award, scholarship or salary related to their course of study that provides a benefit greater than 75% of the annual RTP stipend rate at the time of award. Income unrelated to the student’s course of study or income received for the student’s course of study but not for the purposes of supporting general living costs is not to be taken into account.
4. Criteria
Each selection criteria will be weighted according to the percentage listed. The scoring matrix used by the HDR scholarship selection panel can be downloaded under Appendix A of this document.
4.1 Criterion 1 - Academic Achievement
|
Weight |
40% |
|
What is the purpose? |
Assess the quality of the candidate's academic performance. |
|
Who should respond to this criterion? |
Student applying for scholarship |
|
What information should be included on the response to this selection criteria? |
|
4.2 Criterion 2 – Research Capability
|
Weight |
20% |
|
What is the purpose? |
Assess evidence of research preparedness and capability |
|
Who should respond to this criterion? |
Student applying for scholarship |
|
What information should be included on the response to this selection criteria? |
|
|
Points to note |
|
4.3 Criterion 3 - Research Project and Environment
|
Weight |
20% |
|
What is the purpose? |
Assess the quality of the research project and environment. |
|
Who should respond to this criterion? |
Student with input from their Supervision panel |
|
What information should be included on the response to this selection criteria? |
|
4.4 Criterion 4 - Supervision Team
|
Weight |
20% |
|
What is the purpose? |
Assess the quality of advisory team including record of successful supervision, appropriate advisory load, complementary expertise. |
|
Who should respond to this criterion? |
Supervision panel |
|
What information should be included on the response to this selection criteria? |
Describe how the student/project will be supported by the supervisory team in terms of mentoring, supporting candidate development, time allocated to the project, supervisor expertise and capacity (i.e., the amount of time and resources that the supervisor can allocate) |
3.6 Additional for Project-specific HDR scholarships
Project specific HDR scholarships may have additional or varied selection criteria to what is listed here . Always refer to the published advertisement on the USC website for specific scholarship criteria.
4. Appendix
Appendix A: Higer Degree by Reasearch Scholarships - Scoring Matrix