Higher degree by research - COVID-19 advice - About UQ

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Commencing and Future HDR candidates
Current HDR candidates
Progression/research activity
Scholarships
Examinations
Placements and career development activities
Support and advice

Commencing and Future HDR candidates

What do I need to do to be able to commence as a HDR candidate?

You don't need to be on campus to commence but you do need to be in Brisbane or located near your campus/place of study.

1~2 weeks prior to the research quarter commencing, your HDR Liaison Officer (HLO) will be in contact with you to confirm your details and provide information on the commencement process

International students will also be asked to provide an Australian home address, and a declaration that you have arrived in Australia to your HDR Liaison Officer to let them know you are ready to commence. You are unable to commence your candidature from overseas. Your HLO will activate your enrolment at the beginning of the Research Quarter. If you have a scholarship managed by UQ, this will also commence for you to begin receiving payments within 2-4 weeks.

Contact your advisor to plan and start your research activity. If campus access changes your advisor will be able to guide you on ways to continue your research off campus if it becomes necessary.

If you have any queries, please contact us at graduateschool@uq.edu.au.

I am an international student due to start in the next research quarter but the recent travel ban for non-Australian citizens and non-residents prevents me from doing this. What do I do?

I am not currently in Brisbane, but I am in Australia, can I still commence?

If you are an international candidate you will be able to commence once you arrive in Brisbane or your campus of study. Please consult this information regarding current Queensland border restrictions. You may have to quarantine once you have arrived and student services can assist with services to support you in quarantine, and let you know of any grants you may be eligible for. For details please see the Student FAQ tab.

If you would prefer to defer your studies please contact us at graduateschool@uq.edu.au

The best way to reach us and get advice is to contact your HDR Liaison Officer (HLO) via phone or email. You can find the contact details of our staff on our contact us page.

Have the scholarship dates changed as a result of COVID-19?

Current HDR candidates

Progression/research activity

How should I maintain and manage my research?

You should maintain regular contact with your advisors and develop a plan to maintain progress, including a plan to work off campus if required. This may involve you discussing how to rescope or reorder your work if needed. Plan with your advisors how you will maintain contact, if off campus, and how you can receive feedback from your advisors. Zoom might be a helpful tool to use.

If your research has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, you and your advisors should discuss adjustments to your project, and any associated field work and data collection, so that you can continue to make progress. This will be a challenging process, that may significantly change your project. However, with continued restrictions as a result of the pandemic, and uncertainty about when they will be lifted or reinstated, it is important to plan ahead and be prepared.

Be flexible, and be kind to yourself during this process. This is challenging time. If you feel like you need additional support you can access a number of sessions through the CDF or an appointment with student services.

To help keep track of your progress and any difficulties you encounter, all HDR candidates are asked to complete monthly (previously fortnightly and changed to monthly from 20-7-20) Research Progress Reports. These are 1-2 pages and the template can be found online. These reports are designed to help you and your advisors review progress and any impacts and disadvantage you experience. You should upload these to your project record in the Research Data Management (RDM) and share it with your advisors. Follow the online instructions on how to set up and use the RDM. While the RDM is not mandatory, it is highly recommended, and you may be asked to provide an RDM link if you need to present your reports at any stage.

It is also important that you keep these records of your progress, and any challenges you face, to help us assist you later if other options or an extension need to be explored.

What do I do if I’m unable to access campus or there is a campus closure?

You should discuss your research project with your advisors and plan upcoming research activity to enable you to work from home if necessary.

Check your computer to ensure you have the software you need. These guides to working from home, and remotely accessing UQ IT systems, may prove useful.

Seek approval from your enrolling unit (School or Institute) to relocate any IT equipment you will need at home (a monitor or desk top computer etc).

If the campus is closed, all HDR candidates will be expected to work from home during that period, unless otherwise on approved leave or interruption. If you are unable to continue with your current research plan from home, speak with your advisors to make adjustments to enable you to continue to make some research progress. If you are sick, you may be eligible to apply for leave.

Whilst working at home remember to maintain regular contact with your advisory team and lodge monthly Research Progress Reports in your Research Data Management (RDM) record.

My milestone is coming up, what do I do?

If possible, you should proceed to undertake your milestone as this will help document your research progress to date, and provide you with valuable feedback on any adjustments you propose. The format of this may need to be adjusted and your PGC can advise you on this matter. In recent months many HDR candidates have found Zoom is effective to host a milestone meeting, and provides additional flexibility.

Your milestone process is about your progress in candidature and will take into account any adjustments you have had to make, and provide you with guidance on how you can adjust your research activity going forward. Use the milestone as a tool to assist you with planning the remainder of your research project.

I think I need a milestone extension, what do I do?

You should discuss your situation with your advisors and update your research plans and timelines to accommodate the current situation. If possible, you should undertake your milestone if you can, to help you obtain advice and plan the remainder of your candidature.

For more information on research continuity see the research support website on preparing for disruption to research activities.

Plan or reorder your activities if you can to maintain some progress. It is optimal for you to continue to proceed where you can, noting limitations you encounter and any disadvantage you experience in the Research Progress Reports. This also helps ensure you can continue to receive your scholarship, if you have one.

In cases where you can’t make any progress it may be necessary to consider an interruption. Please discuss this with your Advisors and contact the Graduate School to discuss your options.

What if I can't do my fieldwork, can I get an extension to my candidature and scholarship?

This is the time to discuss the impact of the inability to undertake fieldwork with your advisor and develop an alternative plan. Restrictions on travel are not predictable at this time, and this appears like it will continue for an extended period of time so rescoping your project may be needed to enable you to progress. This is not an easy process, and will take some time. Once you have your new plan in place please submit your requests for an Extension of Milestone or an Extension of scholarship.

Remember that if your progress has been affected, document this in your fortnightly Research Progress Reports with a description of the impact on your candidature. This information may support a request for an extension of candidature or scholarship if required. It is very important to continue to try to maintain research activity, making progress where you can.

I can make no progress on my project and would like to interrupt my candidature. What do I do?

If, after discussion with your advisors, you conclude that it isn’t possible to continue your candidature at present you may consider an interruption to your studies.

Please be aware that an interruption will suspend your scholarship payment and, for international candidates, may impact your visa status. The Graduate School can advise you and discuss this option with you. Just make an appointment with one of our team, specialising in candidature progression. However, please note the University is unable to provide advice on visas. While we have heard that there has been some relaxation on visas we recommend you contact the Department of Home Affairs if you need advice related to your visa status.

I want to return to my home country, or my home country has advised me to return home. What do I do?

I am a health professional and have been asked to return to work to assist with the COVID-19 crisis. What should I do?

I have an industry-aligned/sponsored project. What should I do?

We recommend advisors communicate with research partners regularly to highlight current circumstances and any impact occurring to the timing of the delivery of project key deliverables due to COVID-19 working arrangements.

Advisors should discuss with partners any revised research plans and record with their Research Partnership Manager agreements to vary these plans. If they have concerns about delivery against contractual deliverables or believe that you may not be able to continue with a project, it is advisable to work with your advisor and discuss with your research partnership manager (RPM) in the first instance.

What should I do if I have already paid for my travel?

I am an international HDR candidate. What happens if I interrupt and return to my home country, will I be able to return?

This would depend on the Australian Government protocols in place at the time. If you interrupt your study ensure you check the Department of Home Affairs website for updates. Before interrupting we recommend you also review the protocols of your home country to ensure you are able to enter when you plan to travel. We recommend you make an appointment to talk with one of our Graduate School team to discuss your options first.

I am worried and need some support. Who can I talk to?

If you have concerns or need support, contact: Student Services: + 61 (07) 3365 1704 or toll free (within Australia): 1800 512 391. Email: student.services@uq.edu.au or make an appointment online.

If you are well enough to continue to set goals and make some progress, please continue to document this in your Research Progress Reports, noting a health-related impact if applicable.

Please consider taking leave if you are severely impacted and require a break and support from mental health services.

I am experiencing financial hardship. Is there assistance available?

What do I do about the equipment I need to effectively work from home?

I need access to print collections to continue my research. How do I do this?

What options do I have to change my enrolment at this time?

Try to maintain some progress where you can to keep your project going and also ensure you retain your scholarship if you have one. For some, reducing to part-time or taking an interruption at this time might be a better option, depending on circumstance. These options are not usually available to international candidates but there is some temporary flexibility for international candidates to be able to enrol part-time and also to remain on shore whilst on interruption.

If you need to change your candidature status, please discuss with your Advisors and contact our Graduate School team to discuss your options.

Scholarships

What will happen with my scholarship payment?

Your HDR scholarship will continue and you will receive payments as usual as long as you remain actively enrolled, even if you are working from home.

All PhD candidates who have a UQ scholarship expiring, and who are eligible for the first scholarship extension, will have this automatically applied to ensure payment continuity. You do not need to apply for this extension. You will receive an email to confirm this, if applicable.

If your scholarship is funded by an external body or sponsor, please consult your terms and conditions or seek advice from the funding body.

What if I get sick and can't work on my thesis?

What about my Career Development Scholarship Extension request?

The CDSE continues to support candidates in their development activities. Placements can be conducted remotely, and workshops can be taken online. Candidates who meet the criteria can still apply for the CDSE. If you had a placement scheduled through the Graduate School that was impacted by COVID-19 we will work with you on a case by case basis regarding the second scholarship extension.

My research has been impacted by COVID-19 and I need more time on my scholarship, what should I do?

This will depend on how your research has been impacted. If you have additional caring responsibilities, or have been ill, and are on a UQ scholarship, please take sick leave. We have worked to increase the flexibility around sick leave so that it can also cover for caring responsibilities if needed. You have access of up to 10 days of sick leave each year, and up to 60 days additional sick leave throughout your candidature. You will need to apply for this via my.UQ.

If you are unable to make any progress at all in your research, then an interruption may be your best option. Book an appointment with our specialists on HDR progression for a chat about whether this is the right option for you.

If you have worked to adjust your research, but still find you need more time to write up and complete then the COVID Impact HDR Scholarship extension may be an option. The COVID Impact HDR Scholarship extension is designed to support you, if you have documented this impact on your research (as reflected in the HDR Research Progress Reports lodged in the Researcher Data Management system), and as a consequence require additional support to complete your thesis.

Examinations

I am worried that my examination outcome will be delayed. What should I do?

We are monitoring all examinations closely. Some examiners, depending on their local situation, are finding it difficult to respond within the usual timeframe but we will be making every effort to progress the examination process, including inviting an additional examiner if it looks like there will be an issue.

You can help reduce delays by ensuring the early nomination of examiners (after the completion of the thesis review milestone) and ensuring that your advisors have established that those they have nominated are willing and able to act as an examiner. The oral examination option has already proven to be very successful when conducted over Zoom, and these should not be delayed.

Placements and career development activities

What should I do about my placement?

Can I still access Career Development Framework (CDF) Sessions?

We are in the process of moving many CDF courses to an online format where possible. In very few cases, workshops may need to be cancelled and affected students will be informed. Please check the CDF website for the latest updates. Almost all CDF sessions are able to be conducted online, and will remain in this format until at least the end of 2020.

With the overwhelming popularity of the online sessions we will also be making sure that, even once the pandemic restrictions ease, that we continue to have some remote options.

Am I still able to make an appointment with a careers advisor?

Support and advice

How can I get in touch with someone?

We encourage you to first look at the UQ FAQ website, if you do not find the answer to your query there you can get in touch in a number of ways.

If you have questions about your candidature you can book a Zoom/Skype or phone appointment with a Graduate School staff member by using student hub. You can find a direct link to book an appointment on our contacts page. Make sure you use your student login details to access the system. You can also send your query to us by email and our team can get back to you.

If you have queries or need support and advice please contact

Student Services: operating Monday to Friday 8am – 7pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am – 6pm Telephone: +61 7 3365 1704 email: student.services@uq.edu.au

The UQ Union is also a source of support and information, in particular the Association of Postgraduate Students (APS).

How do I stay connected?

Information for

Connect with Student Services

student.services@uq.edu.au

+61 (07) 3365 1704

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1800 512 391

If you need urgent medical advice call 000.

Visit the Australian Government Department of Health website
Call the Australian Government Department of Health 1800 020 103
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For health advice over the phone call 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84 - Queensland only)
UQ Health Care can be contacted for appointments.

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UQ Support

Staff and their immediate family members can access the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) on 1300 360 364. Contact HR: askhr@uq.edu.au or +61 (07) 3365 2623 (9-5, Monday to Friday)
Students should contact Student Services: +61 (07) 3365 1704 or email student.services@uq.edu.au.

Higher degree by research - COVID-19 advice