Overseas Conference Leave

Development & Training

Authorised: 2 March 2001

1. General

2. Criteria for Approval and Financial Support

3. Eligibility

4. Period of Absence

5. Financial Support

6. Appeals

7. Exceptional Cases

Frequently Asked Questions

 

1. GENERAL

Mar 01

 

1.1 The University has an Overseas Conference Scheme (OCS), under which eligible members of staff may be given approval and financial support to enable their participation in international conferences¹. The Scheme is particularly intended to assist younger members of staff to establish personal contact with colleagues overseas and to share new ideas through presentations to and participation in international conferences.

 

 

1.2 The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), who has responsibility for the Scheme will provide each Faculty annually, with an allocation of OCS funds, based on the number of full-time equivalent academic staff in that Faculty in the preceding year (excluding casual staff).

 

 

1.3 Each Faculty will appoint an OCS Committee (which may be the Faculty Research Committee) with responsibility for:

• developing guidelines and managing support for participation by staff of that Faculty in international conferences, within the limits of the funds available to it;
• making decisions on each OCS application from within the Faculty, including the level of financial support to be offered in the light of the criteria set out in section 2 below;
• reporting annually to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) on the operation of the Scheme in that Faculty with details of the number of applications received, a list of those approved, indicating the financial support given and a statement of expenditure and commitments against the Faculty’s OCS allocation.

2. CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Mar 01

2.1 General Criteria

Approval and support under the Scheme will only be given when the applicant has been invited to give a paper, present a poster or to participate in some equally substantial way in an international conference.

2.2 Faculty Guidelines

2.2.1 Each Faculty OCS Committee will develop guidelines for approving and supporting OCS applications from within that Faculty. Faculty guidelines will require the approval of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)².

2.2.2 Faculty Guidelines will specify:

• when the Faculty will invite applications each year;
• the criteria the Faculty will apply (in addition to 1.1 and 2.1 above);
• the level of financial support the Faculty will provide and the frequency with which a staff member may receive such support;
• reporting requirements.

3. ELIGIBILITY

Mar 01

All members of the academic and research-only staff appointed on the academic salary scale are eligible to participate in the OCS, provided they are not postgraduate students³.

 

4. PERIOD OF ABSENCE

Mar 01

 

4.1 The period of absence under the OCS is expected normally to comprise the duration of the conference(s) concerned and travel time, but an applicant may seek additional time for other relevant professional activity.

 

 

4.2 The period of OCS leave will not normally exceed 15 days for one conference or 21 days for more than one conference⁴.

 

 

4.3 Up to three periods of OCS leave may be granted in any calendar year⁵.

5. FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Mar 01

The maximum financial support that may be granted under the OCS in any two consecutive years, will be $2400 in the case of a new sub-professorial staff member in the first four years of appointment and $2000 in all other cases⁶.

 

6. APPEALS

Mar 01

 

An unsuccessful applicant may appeal to the Executive Dean of the Faculty seeking review of the decision on the grounds that it was made by the Faculty Committee on the basis of an improper process. The Executive Dean may refer such an appeal to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) for decision. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) may appoint an ad-hoc committee to advise on an appeal.

 

7. EXCEPTIONAL CASES

Mar 01

 

In exceptional cases the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) may approve an application on criteria and conditions that vary from those set out above, provided the exception is in the interests of the University and justified by the circumstances of the particular case.

 

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Notes

1. A staff member whose application is not approved under the OCS is not precluded from seeking permission from the Departmental Head to attend the conference and
     financial support from other sources.

2. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor will normally seek the advice of the University Research Committee on Faculty guidelines and that Committee will be asked to review all
     Faculty guidelines every two years.

3. Where the applicant’s position is funded from a source external to the University, approval and determination of financial support must be contingent on the conditions
     of appointment and the wishes of the funding agency.

4. If a staff member requires a longer period of approved leave the additional time may be debited against the staff member’s Special Studies Program entitlements, or be
     taken as some other form of leave.

5. A period of leave that includes more than one conference counts as one period.

6. This amount is not cumulative, ie it does not accrue or carry forward.

Contact Information:
For further information contact your Faculty OCS Committee.

Authorised by the Vice-Chancellor: Aug 1997
Amendments: Apr 2000, Aug 2000, Mar 2001