Merge Application Form and Supporting Documents in a Single PDF and Email To

Faculty of Science
Higher Degree Research Student Conference Fund /

Funding assistance to participate in conferences is available for students enrolled in Higher Degree Research in the Faculty of Science. Conferences must be international in scope and of direct relevance to the student’s research.

There are two opportunities to apply for funding throughout the year. Applications will only be considered by the Associate Dean Research and the Faculty Research Management Committee if lodged by the closing dates below.

Merge application form and supporting documents in a single PDF and email to:

2017
ROUND 1 / ROUND 2
Applications CLOSE:
(NOTE: Applications must be emailed as a single PDF to by close of business on the date indicated. Hardcopies will not be accepted.) / For Conferences held in:
March 2017
to
August 2017 / For Conference held in:
September 2017
to
February 2018
10 February 2017 / 31 July 2017

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

·  Late, incomplete and retrospective applications will not be considered.

·  Applications will be accepted without confirmation of conference involvement, however funds will only be issued once the student has supplied confirmation of the acceptance of the paper.

·  Funds will be transferred to a school account. Students will need to liaise with the appropriate Faculty School representative for access to the funds.

·  The scheme will be administered by the Associate Dean Research and Development (ADRD) and Research Team. The funding allocations are final.

FACULTY OF SCIENCE

Higher Degree Research Student Conference Fund

Policy:

a)  Two rounds of funding will be available annually under this scheme, notified through the “sci-research-student” e-mail. Out-of-cycle applications will be considered where there are extenuating circumstances and applicants will be expected to demonstrate this (i.e. why they did not apply during the normal round).

b)  Up to $2,000 can be awarded to support attendance at an international conference[1]. Funds awarded must be fully acquitted upon return (i.e. with original receipts) under the University Travel Policy.

c)  Students must be the presenting author of either an oral or poster presentation. The paper must describe the results of work undertaken by the student.

d)  It is expected that the work presented at the conference shall be submitted for publication within 12 months of the conference. This might be as part of a Special Edition of a journal arising from the conference, or a regular edition of a journal.

e)  Students applying for additional funding through other schemes such as the VC’s Postgraduate Conference Travel Fund, may still apply for Faculty funding for the same conference. However, they should note the requirement to acquit the expenditure with original receipts.

f)  The scheme will be administered by the Associate Dean Research and Development (ADRD), who will approve expenditure for student travel from this account. (Note that only the Dean[2] has delegated authority to approve international travel.)

g)  Applications for support should include all required fields in the application form and attachments.

h)  Retrospective applications will not be considered under this policy.

i) A maximum of $20,000 will be made available for student conference support, divided approximately equally between the two rounds. In the event that the dollar value of applications exceeds the available funding, the ADRD will have the option of reducing the per student allocation, and/or giving preference to:

a.  students in their final year of candidature

b.  applications that provide strong justification for the benefits of attending the conference

c.  applications from students supported by research strengths

j) Successful applicants may be required to give either an oral or poster presentation at Faculty research events.

To be eligible for conference funding the student must:

·  Complete all sections of the Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Student Conference Fund Application form and attach all required documentation.

·  Be enrolled in a MSc by Research, or a PhD in the Faculty of Science, on a part-time or full-time basis.

·  Be within the maximum period of their candidature (4 years FT equivalent for doctoral study, or 2 years FT equivalent for masters study) at the time of the conference.

·  Have submitted all required progress reports (Sessions Reviews of Progress and Stage Reviews) to date and have no “Unsatisfactory” progress reports.

Not eligible to apply are:

·  Students who have submitted their thesis for examination.

·  Students who will have exceeded the maximum period of candidature (4 years FT equivalent for doctoral study and 2 year FT equivalent for masters study) at the time of the conference.

·  Students who are also members of the academic staff (full-time and fractional) at UTS.

·  Students on Leave of Absence from candidature during the time of the conference.

·  Students who are not presenting at the conference (attendance-only conferences are not funded)

·  Students who have already been funded in the same calendar year.

Faculty of Science Higher Degree Research Student Conference Fund
Application Form /
STUDENT DETAILS
Family Name: / Given Name(s): / Student No.:
PhD Thesis *
Masters by Research * / School: Maths and Physical Sciences *
Life Sciences *
Principal Supervisor: / Status (FT or PT):
Thesis title:
Have you previously received funding from the Faculty of Science Higher Degree Research Student Conference Fund? NO / YES If YES, year:
Please note applicants may only receive funds once per calendar year.
If YES, has the work presented been submitted for publication in a refereed journal: YES / NO
and a copy emailed to : YES / NO
If you have previously received Student Conference Funding, the publication copy must be submitted before further funds may be granted.
Will you be on Leave of Absence from candidature during the Round for which you are applying? YES / NO
Please note students may not be on Leave of Absence from candidature during the time of the conference.
Have you exceeded the maximum period of your candidature? YES / NO EWS Date:
Please note students who have exceeded their maximum period of candidature will not be eligible for funding.
Are your required Progress Reports submitted and Satisfactory? YES / NO
Applicants must have submitted all required progress reports to date and have no “Unsatisfactory” progress reports.
THE CONFERENCE
Country/City: / Conference Dates:
Conference Title:
Registration fees :
(A$ ) / Accommodation:
(A$ ) / Travel :
(A$ ) / TOTAL BUDGET:
(A$ )
Is additional funding for the conference expenses being requested from elsewhere? YES / NO
If YES, indicate funding source and amount:
Is this funding confirmed? YES / To be confirmed
THE PRESENTATION
TYPE (Please tick ONE box)
  Verbal Presentation (PowerPoint) or Workshop (seminar)
  Poster
  Panel
Has your presentation been confirmed by the conference organisers yet? YES / NO

AGREEMENT

I declare that all the information on this application and in the documentation attached is correct and complete.

I have read and understand the requirements of this scheme. I also understand that the Faculty of Science reserves the right to seek verification of the information supplied by me.

______

Name of Applicant Applicant’s signature Date

PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR

* I support this application and confirm relevance of the conference to the applicant’s research.

* I have attached a statement supporting this application.

* (If applicable) I confirm the student has applied for or has confirmed additional funding as per the Conference section of this application.

The research undertaken falls within the objectives of the following UTS Research Strength:

______

Name of Principal Supervisor Signature Date

CHECKLIST OF ATTACHMENTS - FOR APPLICANTS

Please attach the following:

* Conference brochure/website page.

* Conference registration details.

* Written acceptance of the paper/abstract/poster from the conference organisers (if available).

* Estimated budget to support claim for funds – e.g. including registration, travel and accommodation costs.

* Evidence to support travel and accommodation costs.

* Statement outlining the relevance and benefits of the conference to your research (half to one page in length)

* Statement of support from principal supervisor (half to one page in length).

FACULTY OFFICE USE ONLY

* All required documentation attached.

* Applicant meets all the eligibility requirements.

Application approved: * YES * NO

Amount of funding approved: ______

______

Associate Dean Research Signature Date

Selection Criteria

The Faculty of Science Student Conference Travel Fund is a competitive funding scheme. The number of applicants selected for funding will vary each round depending on the number of top tier competitive applications, the amount requested per applicant, and the Faculty budget.

To be eligible for conference funding the student must:

·  Complete all sections of the application form, attach all required documentation and submit by the due date.

·  Be within the maximum period of their candidature (4 years FT equivalent for doctoral study, or 2 years FT equivalent for masters study) at the time of the conference.

·  Have submitted all required progress reports to date and have no “Unsatisfactory” progress reports.

The following selection criteria are considered when selecting the successful applicants.

·  Students are encouraged to seek additional funding from alternative sources to support their travel. If you have applied for funding elsewhere, please include this information in your application.

·  If the student did not receive funding in the previous calendar year, this will be taken into consideration.

·  The student’s stage of candidature will be considered in the following order of preference:

o  Completed Stage 3 assessment

o  Completed Stage 2 assessment

o  Completed Stage 1 assessment

·  The type of presentation will be considered when assessing applications in the following order of preference:

o  Verbal Presentation (PowerPoint) or Workshop (seminar)

o  Poster

o  Panel

·  The Student Statement letter attached to the application should be a half page to one page in length. It should include specific detail into the relevance of the conference and provide clear examples of the benefits to your research at UTS. The Supervisor Support letter should also support your attendance.

[1] An international conference is defined as one that has significant international participation, not necessarily one that is held overseas. Normally this would require organisation by a recognised professional association with international standing, and participation by a number of invited internationally renowned speakers.

[2] Currently, Directors of Research Institutes also have delegated authority to approve overseas travel. For the purposes of this policy, the Dean of Science will be the only recognised approving authority.