Information for setting up a scholarship
This document provides general guidelines and conditions of award regulating the administration of Scholarships funded by Curtin Schools/Departments or external funding bodies.
- Availability of Funding
- Nature of the Award
- Eligibility and Minimum Academic Standards
- Advertising/Publicity
- Application Forms
- Selection
- Terms and Conditions
- Taxation
- Intellectual Property
- Notification to Applicants
- Contact the Scholarships Office
Availability of Funding
Prior to advertising approval should be obtained from the Head of the Area. The budget should be checked to determine that there are sufficient funds in the account to support the level of stipend to be specified.
Nature of the Award
Scholarships may be established in three categories:
- to provide full scholarship support for a student
- a scholarship that is supplementary to a primary award as a means of attracting high calibre students to a particular research area
- an award to provide continuity of funding for a student for a limited period following the expiry of a primary award.
It is not possible for a student to hold two major scholarships simultaneously. However, many major awards allow candidates to receive an additional supplementary scholarship. Supplementary awards should not exceed 75% of the value of the primary award. It should be noted that some scholarships and supplementary awards cannot be held in conjunction with other awards. Eligibility to hold two supplementary awards should be verified prior to offer.
Research grant holders should be aware that international students are liable for tuition fees that may be in the vicinity of $20,000 per annum. Payment of fees cannot be made through scholarships funded from ARC grants.
Eligibility and Minimum Academic Standards
Candidates must have enrolled full-time, or be eligible to enroll full-time, in a Higher Degree by Research at this University.
Advertising/Publicity
The Scholarships Office will undertake internal promotion, including promotion on the Scholarships website and E-News only. Should you wish your scholarship to be advertised externally through print you will need to contact University Marketing.
To advertise a scholarship/award please complete the Web Advert Template. If there is to be a formal application process, advertisements should contain the following information:
- Essential qualifications and experience, including special requirements;
- Brief details of the research project;
- The conditions of award eg, the stipend to be paid and any additional allowances provided such as relocation expenses, conference travel or costs towards thesis production, tenure of the award (including extensions if applicable);
- Please note, the advertisement should only state that a scholarship is tax-free if the purpose of the scholarship is one of the three outlined in the section on Taxation.
- The address for receipt of applications, the name of the contact person; and
- The closing date.
Application Forms
Enrolling Areas should use the Application for Admission to a Higher Degree by Research as the application form. This will be added to the web advert so interested applicants can download it.
Selection
The school or department in which the applicant is enrolled, or intends to enroll, would normally undertake selection. When an external funding body is involved selection, where appropriate, may be made in consultation with the funding body.
Notification to Applications
Where a Department or Faculty has undertaken the advertising, and made the selection for a scholarship in open competition, the Department/Faculty must notify unsuccessful applicants. Letters to unsuccessful applicants should be issued promptly and a contact person should be designated to deal with any appeal by unsuccessful applicants.
It is the responsibility of Departments to ensure that the candidate(s) selected will be accepted into the degree program specified before the Letter of Offer is forwarded.
The Manager, Scholarships, Office of Research and Development should be notified of the name of the successful applicant or applicants and the following details which are to be included in the letter of offer:
- the name of the Supervisor/Head of Department establishing the award;
- the degree for which the award has been allocated;
- the value of the award, the duration and the commencement date (if applicable);
- any additional allowances;
- additional conditions not contained in the general regulations.
The original letter is sent to the student and copies to the Supervisor(s) and Head of Department. Two copies of the Conditions of Award, and a Starting Advice Form must be included with the letter of offer. The candidate will be expected to return one copy of the signed Conditions of Award and the completed Starting Advice to the Manager, Scholarships, Office of Research and Development.
Payment will not commence until the student is enrolled and all documents have been received.
Terms and Conditions
It is an Auditors requirement that all scholarships are governed by a set of Conditions of Award. Please edit these Conditions to suit your purpose and return them to the Manager, Scholarships, Office of Research and Development for approval.
The proposed level of study of the recipient of a postgraduate research scholarship should be at the Master's by Research or Doctoral level.
Please be aware that allowances such as relocation costs, additional sick leave, maternity leave and costs towards thesis preparation may be given, but are not a compulsory benefit. These allowances will increase the cost of the award to the enrolling area.
In the case of a full scholarship it is expected that the level of funding will be sufficient to support the student for the duration of their degree (or the balance thereof for enrolled students).
The tenure of an award is normally up to two years for a Master's by Research student and three years for a Doctoral student (or the balance thereof for enrolled students). Provision may be made for an extension of up to six months for PhD candidates.
Prior Continuation of a scholarship is subject to:
- satisfactory progress as determined by the enrolling school or department in an annual review of progress at the end of each academic year (Annual Progress Report). Where it has been determined that an award should be suspended, or terminated, due to unsatisfactory academic progress, the candidate shall have the right of appeal.
- a decision by an external agency, where the duration and funding may not necessarily be within the control of the University. In the event that funding or a particular scholarship by an external agency is withdrawn, for any reason, the University shall not be liable for the provision of alternative scholarship support.
Taxation
Details of the proposed scholarship may need to be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation for determination of the tax status of the scholarship under the Income Tax Assessment Act. Applications to the Deputy Commissioner, Australian Taxation Office, will be made by the Manager, Financial Services for scholarships to be exempt from taxation unless it is deemed that:
- it is a condition of the scholarship that a candidate is required to undertake activities that may be considered to be of use, help or benefit to the provider, then the student is rendering a service by agreeing to undertake those activities;
- on completion of the degree for which the scholarship is awarded a candidate is required to become, or shall be or continue to be, an employee of the funding body; or
- an award is received by a student where the scholarship is not provided principally for educational purposes.
Intellectual Property
It is the responsibility of supervisors and department heads to refer to the University's policy on Intellectual Property available online at http://www.policies.curtin.edu.au/research.html.
Contact the Scholarships Office
For any queries regarding scholarships for Higher Degree by Research programs please contact:
Mrs Delia Giggins
Manager, Scholarships
Office of Research and Development
Curtin University of Technology
Building 100, Level 1
Ph: +61 8 9266 3119
Fax: +61 89266 3793
Email: scholarships@curtin.edu.au
For any queries regarding scholarships for undergraduate or postgraduate coursework programs please contact:
Dr Elizabeth Henry
Manager, Scholarships
Student Central
Bentley Campus
Tel: + 61 8 9266 2992
Fax: +61 8 9266 4108
Email: undergraduate_scholarships@curtin.edu.au
