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Curtin University
Research

Guidelines for research students

During candidacy

Supervision

The relationship you establish with your supervisor/s is crucial to the successful completion of your research and thesis. Working on establishing a good relationship with your supervisor is the first stage of your program of study, and one which will have a profound influence on how easily and successfully your research proceeds. It is essential that clear and open discussion toward the clarification of roles and expectations takes place as soon as possible. The best time to begin this process is during the preparation of your candidacy application.

Clarification of the student's and the supervisor's roles involves working toward a mutual understanding of the responsibilities and expectations each of you have, as well as becoming aware of the other's knowledge, skills, personality and style. It is important that this happens early on in the process of candidacy to allow for the possibility of a change in supervision if the candidate and supervisor are not compatible or if the requirements of supervision fall outside of the supervisor's domain of knowledge and expertise. The other major benefit of clarifying roles at an early stage is that it creates a firm foundation upon which the student-supervisor relationship may be built, which may save both candidate and supervisor from undue worry, unnecessary work or ill-directed effort.

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The supervisory relationship

Together with your supervisor, you should develop on-going regular procedures concerning the progress of your research and ensure that appropriate goals are set and achieved. The guidelines for establishing the supervisory relationship are a good starting point for the process of negotiating the supervisory relationship with your supervisor or Thesis Committee. This will allow you to make roles and expectations explicit and can provide a means of monitoring progress. It should also be flexible and open to revision.

Not all supervisors or candidates are comfortable with the idea of having a written agreement concerning the supervisory relationship. Irrespective of whether or not you and your supervisor want to put something on paper, there are a number of things that you should discuss and reach some understanding. Foremost of these is a timeline for research and thesis completion, which outlines a series of intermediate goals and gives some ideas about how progress will be assessed and feedback provided. 

It is important to establish some guidelines very early on which specify how frequently you will hold formal meetings, how they will be initiated, and what records will be kept. One thing to consider is that the need for formal meetings will change as candidacy progresses, perhaps with more frequent meetings in the early design stages and less frequent meetings during the data collection and analysis phases. It is important to lay down some clear guidelines specifying what action to take if one party cannot attend a scheduled meeting as well as making provisions for ongoing evaluation of the frequency and success of meetings.

Keeping records of supervisory meetings is important for both parties, and it is advisable to agree to a format early on. These records might take a format similar to the minutes of a committee meeting, covering briefly what issues were discussed; what progress has been made and how this matches up to expectations; any concerns or issues for clarification raised by either party; when the next meeting will be held; and what sort of progress is expected within that period of time.

Other issues that need to be addressed include joint authorship (via the Information Regarding Authorship and Joint Authorship for Higher Degree by Research Students and Their Supervisors) of any papers arising from the research, editorial support (via the Guidelines for the Editing of Research Theses by Professional Editors), expectations on the time to return submitted work and so on.

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Annual Progress Reports (APR)

Annual progress reports are a very important part of the process of earning your degree. They enable you and your Thesis Committee to assess the progress of your research project and plan the next stage of your research. They are also the means by which you justify to the University the continuation of your research project and your continued enrolment. Your APR, submitted online, is a questionnaire-style report to which you must also attach a one-page summary of your progress. If you wish, you may also submit a document, in confidence, detailing any concerns that you may have regarding your candidacy. Your supervisor is also required to fill out a similar summary of your progress.

The APR is one of a number of avenues available to you as a candidate to raise any concerns you might have about the level and standard of your supervision, or your ability to complete your research project according to plan. If you have been experiencing any problems or can foresee some difficulties arising then you should raise these issues at this point. If your program of study is not progressing according to plan you must make note of this fact and provide some discussion of intervening factors. The reason for this is that if, in the future, you need to apply for an extension of time to complete your program (especially for scholarship holders), your application will be assessed in relation to your annual progress reports. You will not be able to make reference to extenuating circumstances in previous years if these have not been mentioned in your APRs (see section on extension of time to complete and Rule 10: for Doctoral Degrees by Research, Section 4(c)(ii) and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 4(c)(ii)). This is of particular importance if you are receiving a scholarship which usually provides funding for a limited period.

You are required by the Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 9(b)-(d) to complete an online APR in August each year. Please note that if you fail to submit an APR by the due date your enrolment may be terminated in accordance with Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Sections 9(c) and 16(a)(iii)).

See the annual progress report page for more information.

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International Sponsored Student Reports (ISSR)

This additional report is to be completed by international students who are sponsored by an external organisation.Your ISSR, submitted online, is a questionnaire-style report to which you must also attach a one-page summary of your progress. It is very similar to the Annual Progress Reports detailed above, but with fewer questions and some alternate questions that are specific to international students. If you wish, you may also submit a document, in confidence, detailing any concerns that you may have regarding your candidacy. Your supervisor is also required to fill out a similar summary of your progress.

Like the APR, the ISSR is one of a number of avenues available to you as a candidate to raise any concerns you might have about the level and standard of your supervision, or your ability to complete your research project according to plan. If you have been experiencing any problems or can foresee some difficulties arising then you should raise these issues at this point. If your program of study is not progressing according to plan you must make note of this fact and provide some discussion of intervening factors. The reason for this is that if, in the future, you need to apply for an extension of time to complete your program (especially for scholarship holders), your application will be assessed in relation to your annual progress reports. You will not be able to make reference to extenuating circumstances in previous years if these have not been mentioned in your annual progress reports (see section on extension of time to complete and Rule 10: for Doctoral Degrees by Research, Section 4(c)(ii) and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 4(c)(ii)). This is of particular importance if you are receiving a scholarship which usually provides funding for a limited period.

You are required by the Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 9(b)-(d) to complete an online ISSR in March each year. Please note that if you fail to submit an ISSR by the due date your enrolment may be terminated in accordance with Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Sections 9(c) and 16(a)(iii)).

See the international sponsored student report for more information.

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Writing your APR/ISSR report/s

The form questions

The questions on the Annual Progress Report and International Sponsored Student Report cover issues relating to your progress, the amount and standard of supervision you are receiving, and the extent to which your enrolling area provides facilities and services. These questions are filled out confidentially.

You will also be asked to confirm your enrolment load for the following period (i.e. full-time or part-time) as part of the report.

Before submitting your report/s online, you should meet with your supervisor to discuss your progress and the timeline for the completion of your research. At this time you should also review the level of face-to-face contact and establish objectives for the coming year. While it is likely that you will consult with your supervisor in preparing the one page summary, the form should be completed alone.

See the annual progress report page and/or the international sponsored student report for more information.

The summary

The one-page summary outlines the progress you have made in the previous twelve months and includes a revised plan and timeline of work yet to be completed. In writing the summary you should look carefully at the research plan you developed during your application for candidacy as well as the timelines and commitments contained in any previous annual progress reports. You should outline any barriers or setbacks experienced in undertaking your program of study and make note of any expectations which have proved to be unrealistic, as this may influence your ability to complete your proposed research on time and as planned. If, towards the end of your program of study, it becomes impossible for you to complete your thesis on time, your annual progress reports will be used to assess your Application for Extension. This is of particular importance if you are receiving a scholarship which usually provides funding for a limited period.

The confidential document

If you wish, you may also submit a document, in confidence, detailing any concerns that you may have regarding your candidacy. These comments will not be presented to the Higher Degree by Research Review Board (for the APR) or the Head of Enrolling Area for review (for the ISSR) and will be considered separately. Where the Head of Enrolling Area is your supervisor, the confidential statement will be considered by the Postgraduate Coordinator or an appropriate alternate who is not a member of your Thesis Committee.

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Enrolment status

Once you have submitted your APR and/or ISSR, the Faculty Graduate Studies Officer will send this, together with any report completed by your supervisor, to your Head of Enrolling Area. If your Head of Enrolling Area is your supervisor or the Chairperson of your Thesis Committee it will be forwarded to the most appropriate person, such as your enrolling area's Postgraduate Coordinator.

Your Head of Enrolling Area (or an appropriate alternative) will evaluate these submissions and, after the Higher Degree by Research Review Board (APR)/Head of Enrolling Area Review (ISSR), recommend to the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee that your enrolment status be classified as 'Good Standing', 'Conditional', 'Absent Without Leave' or 'Terminated' (Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Sections 9 & 10).

On receipt of the Enrolment Advice you should check it carefully to ensure that all details are accurate. If you find any error, you should contact your faculty's Graduate Studies Officer as soon as possible. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are correctly enrolled, and that your Faculty Graduate Studies Officer has your correct address (see the section on notification of change of address).

Please note that recommendations for a change to your academic status can be made by your Thesis Committee at any time of year. Normally your Supervisor and/or other members of your Thesis Committee shall discuss the recommendation with you prior to you receiving formal notification (letter,Official Communications Channel message, etc.) of the change.

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Variation to candidacy

Your candidacy details must be officially varied whenever you wish to amend the title of your thesis or to change the composition of your Thesis Committee. Following discussions with your supervisor, these changes may be recommended by the Head of Enrolling Area on the Variation to Candidacy Details/Nomination of Examiners [.pdf - 35 kB] form. The Faculty Graduate Studies Committee then assesses your application.

Please note that if the change of title reflects a major change of focus you must provide a new candidacy application and research proposal which complies with the Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 6(d).

Scholarship holders should check the conditions of their scholarship by visiting the Scholarships website before varying their candidacy.

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Time allowed for the completion of your degree

Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research Section 4(b) allows you between 2 and 4 years equivalent full time student load (EFTSL) for a doctoral degree and between 1 and 2 years EFTSL for a master (by Research) degree.

Please review the Research Training Scheme information contained in the Admission section of these guidelines.

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Leave of absence

A Leave of Absence may be granted for periods of one to twelve months (Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 4(i)), although in exceptional cases a further period may be approved by the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee on the recommendation of your Head of Enrolling Area.

Please note that international onshore students cannot take leave of absence except in exceptional circumstances (serious illness and bereavement) because student visas cannot be maintained if students are not studying. Please see the Application for Leave of Absence [.pdf - 35 kB] form for further details.

You are required to lodge an Application for Leave of Absence [.pdf - 35 kB] form prior to the start date of your proposed period of leave. Applications for retrospective periods of Leave of Absence may be considered, but only in exceptional circumstances (Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 4(i)).

If you are a scholarship holder you should note that you are usually only funded for a specific period of time (usually 3 years for a doctoral program) during which it is expected that your research should be completed and your thesis submitted. Under these circumstances it is recommended that if there are periods during which you are unable to actively engage in your research you should apply for a leave of absence and discuss your circumstances with your supervisor and Thesis Committee. You are also  advised to check the conditions of your scholarship and you must advise the Manager, Scholarships in the Office of Research and Development before going on leave.

The University prefers that you do not take leave before approval of your candidacy because it is important to maintain continuity of the process between enrolment and candidacy and for you to demonstrate your commitment.

The Faculty Graduate Studies Officer will inform you when your application has been approved or rejected. If the leave is approved, the Faculty Graduate Studies Officer will then amend your enrolment as appropriate.

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Annual leave

You are entitled to 20 days annual leave each year, calculated on a pro-rata basis, but you must obtain your supervisor's permission prior to taking any leave. If this permission is withheld, it is suggested that you discuss the problem with your Head of Enrolling Area. Annual leave may not be accumulated from year to year. Scholarship holders should check the conditions of their scholarship to confirm the amount of annual leave they are entitled to and are required to notify the Manager, Scholarships in the Office of Research and Development before taking any form of leave.

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Sick leave

If your illness affects the continuation of your studies over an extended period of time you should complete an Application for Leave of Absence [.pdf - 35 kB] form and submit it, along with your medical certificate, via your supervisor/enrolling area, to the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee for consideration. If you are ill for an extended period, but you do not formally apply for a Leave of Absence then your sick leave will not be recognised and you will still be required to complete your program within the prescribed time limits. Approval of retrospective leave will only be considered in exceptional circumstances (Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 4(i)). If you are a scholarship holder you will also need to contact the Manager, Scholarships.

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Travel and Insurance

Travel

During the course of your enrolment you may have reason to travel directly related to your thesis research. Travel you undertake may be for data collection or fieldwork purposes, or if you attend a conference. (Details relating to funding to support Consumables and Fieldwork, and Conference Travel for Doctoral students are found in the documents outlining Essential Facilities. For further information about fieldwork, visit the Fieldwork Education @ Curtin website.)

International students please note that your OSHC medical insurance does not cover you when you are on fieldwork, attending conferences or other approved university business outside Australia so you must also obtain approval for travelling overseas as detailed below.

Travel must be approved by the University in accordance with Curtin’s Travel Policy and Procedures, and also registered for insurance purposes with the University’s Risk Management area. This includes the booking of all travel funded in total or in part by the University through Curtin's Travel Management Company, Campus Travel. To contact Campus Travel please send an email to curtin@campustravel.com.au or call +61 8 9266 2747. For specific travel information, such as links to forms to be completed to request travel bookings, and contacts to register travel for insurance purposes, view the Travel section of the Risk Management website.

Students are covered by Travel Insurance if they are travelling overseas on a Curtin-approved trip. The Risk Management area pay for the annual premiums each year so there is no cost to the individual student or enrolling area. The policy extends to spouses and dependant children only.

All students travelling overseas must complete, and have signed, a Student Overseas Travel Approval form. Once completed, you must give the completed and signed form to the relevant Travel Facilitator in your area so they can update the Travel Risk Management System and approve your travel. You must also complete an Student Personal Accident Acknowledgment form.

As part of this process, you must advise if the destination is high risk and this can be determined by checking the travel information via http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/. You are also required to also carry the contact details for a company who provides medical and security assistance with you when you travel internationally, International SOS. Your Travel Facilitator will provide you with this contact information.

If you have any queries about travel, please contact the Risk Managment area via the contacts listed at http://corporaterisk.curtin.edu.au/contact.cfm.

Insurance

Insurance related to the following areas is offered through Curtin.

If you have any queries about insurance, please contact the Risk Managment area via the contacts listed at http://corporaterisk.curtin.edu.au/contact.cfm.

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Extension of time to complete

The time constraint of the period of enrolment (2-4 years full-time for doctoral candidates, and 1-2 years full-time for master (by Research) candidates) commences from the date of initial enrolment. The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations' (DEEWR)Research Training Scheme (RTS) Guidelines allow a maximum of four equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) (equivalent to four years full-time study) for each doctoral candidate, and a maximum of two EFTSL for each master (by Research) candidate. (Refer also to change of status to conditional and change of enrolment to Thesis Overtime, Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 4(c)(ii).)

If the anticipated date of submission of your thesis extends beyond the limits prescribed in the section on Duration of Study (having taken any Leave of Absence into consideration) you should apply for an extension. The most appropriate time for you to submit a Request for Extension of Time to Submit Thesis form [.pdf - 29 kB] would be when submitting your annual progress report. However, an application for extension may be made and submitted to the faculty's Graduate Studies Officer at any other time of the year.

Extensions of time are only granted under exceptional circumstances. The candidate must be able to demonstrate a good reason why they were unable to complete their research project on time; that they have made a concerted effort throughout the duration of their research to keep the project on schedule; and that intervening factors have been taken into account appropriately in Annual Progress Reports. Factors and issues from previous years that are alleged to have significantly hindered completion are unlikely to be considered if they are not mentioned in the relevant annual progress reports.

Scholarship holders should be aware of the conditions of their scholarships, which usually only apply for a limited period of time, as this may mean that you will not receive funding for the extension period. For more information visit the Scholarships website.

Important Note: If you remain enrolled beyond the time allocated for the completion of your degree you may be charged fees.

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Changing between full- and part-time enrolment

It is important that you consult with your Thesis Committee before changing your enrolment from full-time to part-time, or from part-time to full-time. You should advise them of your reasons for changing your enrolment and discuss the manner in which this will affect your candidacy. Listed below are a number of issues you should consider.

Scholarships

If you are a scholarship holder it is essential that you check the conditions of your scholarship before changing your enrolment. Most scholarships are available only to full-time candidates, and changing to part-time could result in you losing your scholarship. If such a change does not result in you losing your scholarship, it is likely to change the rate at which you receive scholarship funds. In any case, it is important for you to contact the Manager, Scholarships before changing your enrolment.

Census dates

If you plan to change your enrolment it is advisable that you do so before the relevant DEEWR census dates. If you fail to do so your current enrolment will be deemed to be correct for the census period. Contact your faculty's Graduate Studies Officer for further information about these dates.

Supervisory load

Before changing your enrolment from full-time to part-time, or from part-time to full-time, it is advisable to consult with your supervisor(s) to see how this will affect their ability to provide supervision.

If you are a full-time candidate changing to part-time, your change of enrolment is likely to lessen the immediate workload of your supervisor, but it will mean that supervision will extend over a longer period. If your supervisor is due for long-service leave or retirement, is planning to change jobs or has committed him or herself to other projects, then this may impact on their ability to continue to provide adequate supervision over the anticipated period of candidature. If this is the case, you and your Thesis Committee may need to find an another supervisor or make alternative arrangements.

If you are a part-time candidate changing to full-time your change of enrolment is likely to lead to an increase in your supervisor's workload. Under these circumstances it is possible that your supervisor may be unable to provide an adequate level of supervision. If this is the case you and your Thesis Committee may need to find an another supervisor or make alternative arrangements.

Changing your enrolment

When you have resolved these issues and are ready to change your enrolment you will need to amend your enrolment via your faculty's Graduate Studies Officer.

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Transfer and conversion between higher degree by research programs

Transfer process

If you wish to transfer between higher degree by research programs, the procedure you need to follow will depend upon whether or not you have attained candidacy (i.e. whether you have provisional or confirmed candidature) in the course within which you are currently enrolled. Scholarship holders must contact the Manager, Scholarships in the Office of Research and Development before transferring between programs.

Provisional candidature
If you have not attained candidacy you must apply for admission into the new program using the Application for Admission - Higher Degree by Research [.pdf - 289 kB] form (Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 7(a)(i)). You will subsequently submit your application for candidacy to the appropriate enrolling area according to the procedures outlined on the form.

Confirmed candidature
If you have attained candidacy then you need to submit a revised Application for Candidacy/Conversion of Candidacy [.pdf - 393 kB] form (Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 7(a)(ii)) to the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee.

Transfer time limits

Provisional Candidature and Confirmed Candidature
Regardless of whether or not you have attained candidacy, the time allowed for the new degree will be the same. If the new degree is at the same level as the original degree, then the recorded commencement date and the "funded EFTSL consumed" date of your new degree will be the same as the original degree (e.g. from doctoral degree to doctoral degree or from master degree to master degree).

Conversion from a master degree to a doctoral degree

If you have obtained candidacy and wish to upgrade from a master (by research) program to a  doctoral program you must submit a revised Application for Candidacy/Conversion of Candidacy [.pdf - 393 kB] form to your Faculty Graduate Studies Committee. The recorded commencement date for the new program shall be that of your original degree (Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 7(a)(ii)).

The Chairperson of your Thesis Committee and your supervisor will be required to certify that your proposed program of study is expected to produce an original contribution to your discipline that is of a standard internationally recognised for a research doctoral degree (Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 7(b)). This applies to you irrespective of whether you have provisional or confirmed candidature.

The Faculty Graduate Studies Committee shall advise you whether or not the application is successful and arrange for the enrolment to be amended as necessary.

Conversion from a doctoral degree to a master degree

If you have obtained candidacy and wish to downgrade from a doctoral program to a master (by research) program you must submit a revised Application for Candidacy/Conversion of Candidacy [.pdf - 393 kB] form to your Faculty Graduate Studies Committee. The recorded commencement date for the new program shall be that of your original degree (Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 7(a)(ii)).

If your initial enrolment was prior to September 2000, you will have a total of three years full time equivalent to complete the master degree.

If your initial enrolment was during or after September 2000, you will have a total of two years full time equivalent to complete the master degree.

The Faculty Graduate Studies Committee shall advise you whether or not the application is successful and arrange for the enrolment to be amended as necessary.

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Termination of enrolment

Provided that you comply with the University's Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research and meet your responsibilities as a candidate, including making satisfactory progress in your research, this section should not concern you. However, if your performance is unsatisfactory or if you do not comply with the Rules, your enrolment and candidacy may be terminated as detailed in the Guidelines for the Process of Termination of Enrolment of Higher Degree by Research Students [.pdf - 22 kB] in accordance with Section 16 of the Rules.

Please note that if you are formally notified by the University Graduate Studies Committee of the University's decision to terminate your enrolment and you do not appeal in writing to the Dean, Graduate Studies, Office of Research and Development within the specified time (21 days), your enrolment will be terminated automatically (Rule 10: Degree of Doctor by Research and Rule 11: Degree of Master by Research, Section 17(a)-(d)). This notification, like many others, will be sent via an Official Communication through OASIS with a hard copy sent to the current postal address in the University's records (see the section on notification of change of address).

In addition, if you are an International Onshore student studying within Australia on a student visa, as a consequence of your academic status being determined as Terminated, you are potentially in breach of Student Visa Condition 8202 ‘Achieving Satisfactory Course Progress'. A breach of your Student Visa Conditions may lead to the cancellation of your student visa by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and a 3-year exclusion on further visa applications to Australia. If you choose not to lodge an appeal the University will be required to report you for a breach of your visa, in accordance with the relevant legislation, as soon as practicable after the 28 day appeal period expires. If you lodge an appeal, but your appeal is unsuccessful, you will be reported to DIAC for a breach of your visa as soon as practicable after the outcome of your appeal is determined. If you have any questions about any of this, please contact the International Student Visa Officer on (08) 9266 3399.

If you require advice about appeal procedures please contact your faculty's Graduate Studies Officer.

For independent advice about appeal procedures contact either the Research Officer for the Curtin University Postgraduate Students' Association (CUPSA) and/or the University's Professional Standards and Conduct Unit.

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