Research Higher Degrees

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Prepared by Tony PattiFaculty of ScienceApril
2008

• Research Higher Degrees
• Induction Seminar
• 2008

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Prepared by Tony PattiFaculty of ScienceApril
2008
Welcome! Organisational Structures and Key
People Responsibilities as Research Students
Requirements of Research Students
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Faculty of Science
Welcome to the Team! Research (HDR) Students are
the Key People in maintaining this Facultys
Reputation and success in Research Be
professional, plan, communicate, participate,
network, work hard, travel, enjoy this stage of
your life at Monash
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Organisational Structure
HDR Higher Degree by Research
Your School
MRGS Monash Research Graduate School
Faculty Office
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SCHOOLS - KEY PEOPLE

• At School Level
• Supervisor(s)
• Resources and Infrastructure for
• your Project (equipment, consumables, travel
  funds, etc)
• Supportive and Stimulating research
• environment (a research team, seminars, etc)
• Other important people in your School
• Postgraduate coordinator
• Research Student Administrator
• Head of School
• Fellow students and staff

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Key People - Supervisor

• Your supervisor(s) are key people for
• Giving guidance for your project
• Providing or facilitating access to
• necessary resources
• Providing opportunities for networking
• Giving you general support in many ways

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Key People - Supervisor

• Supervisors have Responsibilities to you
• Clearly spelt out in the Monash University
  Doctoral
• Regulations and these also apply to the
  faculty
• Masters Degree Regulations
• See
• http//www.mrgs.monash.edu.au/research/doctoral/in
  dex.html
• http//www.sci.monash.edu.au/postgrad/mscresearch.
  html

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Supervisor - Student relationship

• Postgraduate Students have Responsibilities too!
• Also spelt out in the Monash University Doctoral
  
• Handbook and apply to the faculty Masters
  Degree
• Regulations
• http//www.mrgs.monash.edu.au/research/doctoral/in
  dex.html
• Candidate Responsibilities include
• Proper conduct
• Adherence to University regulations
• Keeping good records of original data

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KEY PEOPLE

• Other important people in your School
• Postgraduate coordinators
• Dr Alison Green (School of Applied
  Sciences and Engineering)
• Prof John Hamill (School of Biological
  Sciences)
• Dr Andrea Robinson (School of Chemistry)
• Dr Peter Betts (School of
  Geosciences)
• Prof John Lattanzio (School of Mathematical
  Sciences)
• Dr David Paganin (School of Physics)
• Postgraduate Student Administrators
• Irene Hall
  (School of Applied Sciences and Engineering)
• Carol Logan
  (School of Biological Sciences)
• Monika Walker/Sharlie Cousland (School of
  Chemistry)
• Robert Oakley
  (School of Geosciences)
• Linda Mayer
  (School of Mathematical Sciences)
• Jean Pettigrew
  (School of Physics)

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Structure - Role of the Faculty
Key People in the Faculty Office Mr Tom Keegan
Research and Research Training Manager Mr Brian
Walsh - Postgraduate Research Administration
Officer

• Intermission of Candidature (support)
• Confirmation of Doctoral Candidature
• (certain procedures required)
• Examination Processes
• Scholarships 1st phase (selection and
  support)
• Other general candidature issues

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Structure - Role of the Faculty

• Faculty HDR Student Seminars that complement
• MRGS exPERT seminars (see Seminar on
  Increasing Your
• Productivity on April 21st highly
  recommended)
• Travel Grants (recommendation financial
  subsidy)
• Note Overseas travel requires Travel Approval
  from MRGS as well
• as a Travel Plan that needs the Deans Approval
  two separate documents submitted well in advance
  of intended travel.
• See Faculty Postgraduate Website
• http//www.sci.monash.edu.au/postgrad/index.html

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Structure - Role of the Faculty

• Research Degrees Committee - Faculty of Science
• Consists of
• One academic representative from each School of
  the Faculty, generally the
• Postgraduate Coordinator
• The Associate Dean Research (Prof Steven
  Langford)
• The Associate Dean Graduate Studies as
  Convenor (A/Prof Tony Patti)
• One postgraduate Student Rep elected from the
  Faculty Postgraduate
• Committee
• The Faculty Research and Research Training
  Manager (Mr Tom Keegan)

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Avenues of Support for Raising Concerns
Supervisor Postgraduate Coordinator and/or
Student Representative on the Faculty
Postgraduate Committee Head of School
Associate Dean Graduate Studies
The Dean
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Monash Research Graduate School
Application Procedures Scholarships Travel
Grants Intermission of Candidature Reporting
absences overseas including conferences Annual
Reports Confirmation of Doctoral
Candidature Examination Process Provision of
Seminars Statistical support (exPERT
series) Formulate and oversee Policies,
Procedures and Rules Postgraduate Publication
Awards General Research Training Issues in the
University
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Requirements in First Year as an HDR Student

• Faulty of Science Requirement of all New PhD
  students
• - Research plan (typically a minimum of 1500
  words) 3 - 6 months
• after commencing.
• MSc candidates this is expected at 3 months
• All new PhD students will normally enrol
  as
• probationary candidates, unless already
  holding a
• Masters degree or for students in the
• School of Physics where initial enrolment
  will be
• in an MSc.

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Requirements in First Year as an HDR Student

• Confirmation of Candidature A University
  Requirement
• (through MRGS)
• All Science PhD candidates are required to have
  their candidature
• confirmed.
• Requirements include a written progress report
  and an oral presentation
• A recommendation for confirmation of candidature
  comes from a
• Panel that includes your supervisor(s).
• Confirmation of PhD candidature can occur after 9
  months and
• is generally completed by 12 months.

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Requirements in First Year as an HDR Student

• Annual Reports
• Also Required by Monash Research Graduate School
• Every year MRGS requires an Annual Report.
• This report will also be closely scrutinised
  at the school level
• and by MRGS. Annual Reports are normally due
  in early August
• Students in their first 6 months of candidature
  are not required to
• submit an Annual Report.
• The Annual Report is not the same as the
  Confirmation of
• Candidature report - but be smart in your first
  year!

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Requirements in First Year as an HDR Student
Please take it very seriously. Students whose
candidature is not confirmed due to poor
Performance will be asked to complete a Masters.
In extreme cases of very poor performance, your
Candidature can be terminated.

• Start planning now!

Ensure you have something to show for the first
year and there is a clear research plan for the
remaining two years. You need to convince the
Panel that you a capable research student
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Requirements in First Year as an HDR Student
For MSc Candidates The Faculty requires a
progress report after 9 months of candidature.
This report will be closely scrutinised at the
school level to assess your progress and identify
any problems. MSc candidates intending to
upgrade to PhD follow the MRGS Confirmation of
Candidature Procedures and should begin the
process after 9 months
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Factors influencing Success as a Research Student

• - Good Supervisor(s) Student
  relationship
• - Good planning of research projects
• - Organisation and focus
• Utilising resources and opportunities
• Writing as you go

• Remember Scholarships will only fund you for
• 3.5 years maximum for PhD (with 6 month
  extension)
• 2 years maximum for Masters (with 6 month
  extension)
• Candidature is for four years
• Complete in Good Time and have a Good Time!