Principles for infrastructure support

Principles for infrastructure support

High-quality training of graduate researchers requires appropriate facilities and resources. Completion rates, submission times, satisfaction with the graduate research program and research outcomes are all closely related to infrastructure provision. Academic units should ensure that graduate researchers are only admitted to candidature where appropriate facilities and resources are available to support their research studies. See the Selection and Admission Policy for more information.

Offers of admission

During their interviews with applicants, prospective supervisors are expected to discuss the facilities and resources that will be required to complete the research project, such as support for fieldwork, testing, technical support, statistical services, equipment access, etc.

Academic units must ensure that graduate researchers are only accepted into areas where facilities and resources are available to support the project. This includes, but is not limited to, departmental infrastructure, computer rooms, labs and workshops, specialist library collections, databases, and high performance computing. If funds are required for graduate researchers to spend time at other institutions or gain remote access to resources vital to their research project, departments must ensure that an appropriate source of financial support is identified.

Information for graduate researchers

Departments should ensure that graduate researchers are familiar with departmental, Library and other University resources available to support their research activities.

The University will provide an orientation for graduate researchers new to the University.

Academic units must provide a comprehensive induction for all new graduate researchers. The induction should include information about the facilities and resources available for graduate researchers and how these may be accessed.

Academic units should ensure that graduate researchers are aware of ancillary student support services such as Stop 1, counselling, health, researcher development portal, careers and employment, child care, academic skills, and English language support where required.

Specific facilities and resources

All full time graduate researchers should be provided with shared office accommodation that includes a sole-use desk, lockable filing cabinet and bookshelf facilities. Part time graduate researchers should have access to a work space, and at least shared use of a desk. It is acknowledged that some departments face major space and accommodation problems. The University is committed to improving the availability of office facilities for all graduate researchers.

With due regard to security and safety, there should be 'after hours' and ideally 24-hour access for graduate researchers to their offices, labs or shared work space.

Graduate researchers must have access to on-campus computer facilities, internet and email.

'Off campus' graduate researchers must have reasonable access to University internet services and other resources required to support their research and thesis preparation.

Departments should each year determine what levels of general maintenance, consumables and travel support will be provided to graduate researchers, and inform their graduate researchers and supervisors accordingly. Provision of infrastructure such as photocopying, printing, mail, telephone use and travel costs for research, should be commensurate with the requirements of research topics and thesis writing.

Graduate researchers should be encouraged to present their work at conferences, and academic units are encouraged to contribute to conference registration and attendance costs. Academic units should contribute toward doctoral candidate attendance to present at national conferences at least twice or at an international conference at least once during candidature. Research masters candidates should be supported for at least one national conference.

Where possible, academic units should offer suitably qualified graduate researchers the opportunity to tutor, demonstrate or engage in other professional development activities, provided these activities do not impact negatively on timely completion.