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Grant Schemes for Research Students

The School Research Committee administers a range of research grants to support research students. These include:

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Post Graduate Research Student Scheme (PRSS)

Overview
The aim of this scheme is to provide direct support for currently enrolled postgraduate research students. Schools or Departments award eligible applicants funding on a competitive basis according to the University’s general guidelines. Selection committees will consider (1) quality of the applicant and track record relative to opportunity and stage of candidature, (2) demonstrated need for funding, and (3) priorities.

Eligibility criteria
Currently enrolled (including international students).
* Enrolled PhD students, full-time or part-time, are eligible to apply for funds under the PRSS provided their candidature does not exceed eight full-time semesters (or part-time equivalent) at the closing date for applications.
* Enrolled Masters by research students, full-time or part-time, are eligible to apply for funds under the PRSS provided their candidature does not exceed four full-time semesters (or part-time equivalent) at the closing date for applications.
* Satisfactory progress towards timely completion of the degree.
* Justification for the need and proposed use of funds.
* Support by the applicant’s supervisor/s.
* Any achievement related to the applicant’s research

Please ensure you read all the criteria and detail for this scheme carefully. This Scheme is highly competitive and students should not assume that submitted applications will automatically receive funding.

Eligible students may apply for a minimum amount of $200 and a maximum amount of $1,200 (up to $3,000 for presentations at conferences in Europe, Africa, North and South America. And up to $2,000 for conferences held in other overseas countries

Items that can be funded
* Conference expenses – for the purpose of presenting a paper or poster
* Expenses in connection with the use of specialist services, or a visit to use specialist facilities or to learn specialist technique/s directly related to the students’ research.
* Field expenses
* Purchase of specialist books, periodicals, software that are not normally available or difficult to obtain in the School of Public Health or the University’s Library.
* Purchase of computers or other equipment
* Thesis production expenses to a maximum amount of $600 for a PhD thesis or $300 for a Masters thesis.

Timing of expenses
The expenditure/proposed expenditure must have been incurred or will be incurred during this calendar year.

Direct research costs will not be supported.

Timing
Announced May of each year.

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Research Student Grants Scheme

Overview
The purpose of this grant scheme is to provide research students with funding for items that are essential to their research candidature. It is intended to support research students who are faced with research-related expenses that they personally must pay for during their candidature and is not intended as additional support for research projects which are receiving support from the supervisor or his/her research group.

This scheme can be used to supplement funds awarded through the Postgraduate Research Student Scheme (PRSS) for expenses related to presenting at conferences or undertaking field work.

Essential criteria
* Students must be enrolled in a PhD or MPhil degree in the SPH.
* Applicants must make a case as to why these expenses are essential to their research candidature.
* Applicants must have a letter from their supervisor supporting their application
* Applicants must declare what other forms of support they have access to (e.g. other grant schemes, research grant funding or scholarships) and applications will be ranked on a needs basis
* Students must apply for PRSS first. Applicants who have not applied for funding of conference or fieldwork expenses from the PRSS must justify why they have not done so
* Students must provide a budget outlining expenses. Costs must be minimised, e.g. early registration, special fares.
* Any funds awarded through this scheme must be spent and claimed by mid December 2012.
* Applicants may make more than one application to this scheme per year, but additional applications will receive a lower ranking.
* Applicants must not have been enrolled for more than eight full-time equivalent semesters.
* Successful applicants must keep original receipts of expenses claimed.

Timing
Announced May of each year.

IMPORTANT
For students claiming top-up PRSS funding for presenting at conferences or conducting fieldwork:
* Expenses incurred must exceed funding available through the PRSS ($1,200 for a conference in Australia or for field work; $2,000 for an international conference);
* Students must provide a brief outline of their conference presentation, and proof that they have already presented, or that they have been invited to present; or provide a justification as to why the field work is essential to their candidature.
* Payment of fieldwork costs associated with the employment of assistants will only be funded in exceptional circumstances. Such applications must be accompanied by a statement from the student’s supervisor about the appropriateness to the student’s candidature of employing people to provide assistance with the research project.

Amount awarded
The maximum allocation to an individual student per year is $1,200.

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Remote Student Grant Scheme

This scheme is specifically for remote students whose supervisors are based in Sydney. This scheme will provide help with the costs associated with meeting face-to-face with Sydney-based supervisors or to attend training courses not available locally.

The timing of these visits would ideally coincide with some of the postgraduate seminars that will be held during the year. The scheme will operate by reimbursing you for travel and accommodation costs.

Criteria:
* Students must be enrolled in a PhD or MPhil degree in the SPH.
* Applicants must be based outside of the Greater Sydney area (including Wollongong, Blue Mountains and Newcastle).
* Applicants must have a letter from their supervisor supporting their application.
* Applicants must declare what other forms of support they have access to (eg other grant schemes, research grant funding or scholarships) and applications will be ranked on a needs basis.
* Any funds awarded through this scheme must be spent and claimed by December 2010.
* Applicants may only make one application to this scheme per year.
* Students must provide a budget outlining expenses. Costs must be minimised e.g. early registration, discounted fares, moderate accommodation.
* Original receipts of all expenses claimed from the School must be kept.

Budget:
Maximum of $1,000 per year.

Timing:
Announced twice annually: Semester 1 and Semester 2 (if there is money left over from the first round).

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Collaborative Research Student Scheme

Overview
A funding scheme is available to foster the work of collabortive research student groups with the School. These groups will be able to apply for funds, on a competitive basis, to support their operations. Funding may be provided for items such as payment of honoraria for guest speakers, domestic airfares, taxi fares etc.

Criteria:
* The application is from an established group.
* The group has a good history of meetings & attendance.
* Funds will be used to improve education and cohesion of the group.
* If the funds are to be used for an educational event, the application must state the minium numbers of students that need to be registered to make the event worthwhile and identify registration and possible fee arrangements to ensure student commitment.

Budget:
Maximum of $2,000 per year

Timing:
Once a year - late October

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Guest Visitor Scheme

Overview
Funds are available for international or local (ie within Australasia) guest speakers to run a 2-3 day course on topics of interest to students and staff. Members of the School are asked to nominate people and courses they are most interested in. Nominations will be taken from individual academics as well as from groups of research students, providing they have the support of an academic member of staff. Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis.

Criteria:
Essention criteria for nomination include:
* Demonstrated interest in speaker and topic.
* Submission of detailed budget.
* Agreement by applicatn to organise all aspects of the visit, including accommodation, room bookings, advertising and registration etc.
* Agreement by applicant to refund to the SRC the amount of money awarded under this scheme if the workshop has made a proft in excess of the amount, and to pay the 20% levy of any remaining profit to cover costs incurred by the School.

Desirable criteria for nomination include:
*Ability of visit to take place before the end of each year that the scheme is applied for.
* Good cost-effectiveness, demonstrated for example by the potential for the visitor to attract a fee-paying audience, or an overseas visitor to attend the University of Sydney while in Australia/ New South Wales for another purpose.
* Likelihood that the workshop will make a profit.

Budget:
The maximum amount that will be awarded is $7,300. Note that this budget must include any additional administrative costs associated with running the course and the cost of hiring University venues.

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Cross-cultural public health research award

Provided there is a candidate of sufficient merit, the Award is made annually to support research on public health issues affecting Indigenous Australians or refugees or recently arrived migrants to Australia. This Award is open to Public Health students of the University of Sydney and the University of Western Sydney.

The award will be offered annually and more than one award may be made in any one year.

Applications will be assessed by a panel of three academics, two nominated by the Research Committee of the School of Public Health at The University of Sydney and one nominated by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Western Sydney.

Criteria for assessment
a) Academic merit and research potential (taking into account the applicant’s career stage) as assessed from:
* Number of publications published or in press and/or marks for any coursework subjects completed
* Progress with research since degree commenced
* Quality and relevance of the research proposal

b) Financial need:
* The difference the award would make to their ability to undertake their research
* Other sources of funding they have received
* Attempts they have made to acquire other sources of funding

Conditions of award
* The award is open to full and part-time students for the degrees of Master (by research), PhD, or MD in public health in the School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, or at the University of Western Sydney.
* The award is open to scholarship and non-scholarship holders
* The award is tenable for one year only, but a student may apply again in a subsequent round
* A report must be submitted to the Head of the School of Public Health at The University of Sydney within 12 months of the award being granted.

Budget
Maximum of $5,000