Candidature
The University will regularly communicate important information to you both in writing and by email, so it is very important that you keep your contact details up-to-date. This is your responsibility; not receiving a letter or email asking you to do something is no excuse for not having done it and in many cases will have far reaching consequences for your candidature.
Insurance and Confidentiality
The University provides all research students who have an active enrolment, with the following insurance cover, for approved activities and travel:
- Personal Accident Insurance,
- Travel Insurance,
- Public Liability,
- Professional Indemnity,
- Directors and Officers Liability.
Supervisors
From the time of commencing your candidature until your degree is awarded or your program discontinued, you will have a panel of supervisors comprising a principal and at least one co- or external supervisor, appointed by the Head of School.
Postgraduate Coordinator
After your supervisors, the Postgraduate Coordinator (PGC) is likely to be your most important source of support. He or she is responsible for overseeing the work of all postgraduate research students within the School. As you progress through your candidature, you should get to know the Postgraduate Coordinator quite well.
Life as a Research Student
The relatively unstructured nature of research is very different from the study mode that you would have experienced as an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework student; there are fewer fixed deadlines to meet and much longer periods of time between them.
Research Conduct at the University of Adelaide
Students and staff members engaged in research are expected to be committed to exemplary standards of professional conduct and integrity.
The broad elements that guide the conduct of research include:
- the maintenance of high ethical standards and intellectual honesty
- validity and accuracy in the collection and reporting of data
- appropriate storage and retention of data
- adherence to the Health, Safety & Wellbeing requirements of the Discipline
- abiding by the University’s guidelines for the authorship of publications
- avoidance of real or apparent conflicts of interest
- the appropriate recognition and assignment of intellectual property, copyright and technical/editing assistance and
- adherence to any confidentiality agreements and contractual agreements.
Monitoring Academic Progress
Students are reminded that the maximum period of candidature is four years full-time equivalent (FTE) for a PhD and two years FTE for a Masters by research degree. This must be taken into account in planning your research project. Extensions of candidature should not be expected except under the most exceptional circumstances.
Students should aim to complete the entire research, writing up and examination process within candidature. There are several formal Candidature Milestones (milestones) which you will have to meet. These help you manage and communicate your progress, and provide a structured forum for your progress to be assessed by the University.
Planning, communicating and tracking your progress is essential in successfully completing your candidature and delivering your thesis.
Re-Enrolment
Re-enrolment is an automatic process provided that you have satisfactorily completed and lodged the annual review of progress by the due date and have no outstanding financial obligations to the University. Clause 4 of Chapter 89 of the Statutes of the University states that a student may not re-enrol unless ‘all outstanding fees and all other financial obligations due to the University have been discharged or arrangements for their discharge have been approved’.
Changing Conditions of Candidature
By accepting an offer of admission to a higher degree by research, you are accepting the conditions of candidature prescribed in that offer. These include your attendance status, field of study, supervisors and your mode of attendance. To change the conditions of your candidature, you will need the permission of your principal supervisor, the Head of School or Postgraduate Coordinator and the Graduate Centre.
The existing details of your candidature are available for you to view on Access Adelaide under the 'Research candidature' menu item.
Grievances, Complaints and Problems
The procedures for resolving grievances during your candidature are detailed in the Student Grievance Resolution Process. Within the University, there are three stages that a grievance may go through before it is resolve
- Stage 1: Informal Discussion;
- Stage 2: Formal Review; and
- Stage 3: Appeal.
Suspension
By accepting an offer of admission to a higher degree by research, you are accepting the conditions of candidature prescribed in that offer. These include your attendance status, field of study, supervisors and your mode of attendance. To change the conditions of your candidature, you will need the permission of your principal supervisor, the Head of School or Postgraduate Coordinator and the Graduate Centre.
The existing details of your candidature are available for you to view on Access Adelaide under the 'Research candidature' menu item.
Termination
By accepting an offer of admission to a higher degree by research, you are accepting the conditions of candidature prescribed in that offer. These include your attendance status, field of study, supervisors and your mode of attendance. To change the conditions of your candidature, you will need the permission of your principal supervisor, the Head of School or Postgraduate Coordinator and the Graduate Centre.
The existing details of your candidature are available for you to view on Access Adelaide under the 'Research candidature' menu item.
