Graduate Centre

Minumum Resources Policy

Policy on Minimum Resources for Research Candidates

Murdoch University is committed to providing an exciting, vibrant, stimulating and rewarding research learning experience within a supportive environment.

By acceptance of admission of a research candidate, the School and Faculty of Study agrees to provide a sufficient level of support to enable the candidate to successfully complete their research degree within the normal duration for the higher degree. This support includes adequate supervision, adequate resources and facilities, suitable accommodation and infrastructure.

The resources required for the specific research programme to be completed by the candidate are proposed by the candidate and endorsed by the supervisors in the programme of study, and by signing this document, the designated officers of the School and Faculty commit to provide the resources specified.

Throughout the candidature of postgraduate research candidates, Schools and Faculty are expected to provide adequate office, studio or laboratory space on request, and adequate infrastructure equipment and facilities to complete the research programme specified and agreed in the programme of study. In particular every candidate should be provided with the following, if required for the programme of research:

Adequate space and quality of accommodation appropriate to the discipline, on request; for example a full time student located at a Murdoch campus would be expected to be provided with a desk and chair as a minimum.
Building access to appropriate buildings for 24 hours per day;
Laboratory access where necessary. The amount of bench space and access to relevant equipment should be adequate for the research conducted.
Bookshelves and lockable filing cabinet or other appropriate space within the accommodation requested;
Full library services including access to inter-library loans and document services;
Shared access to an internal telephone extension and a reasonable level of access to a telephone for research-related local calls. Permission may be required for STD/ISD calls for research-related purposes.
Controlled fax access;
Shared mailbox and mail-out facilities;
Access to tearoom facilities;
Access to washroom facilities;
Reasonable access to shared postgraduate computing facilities including: computers, network printing, email, and internet facilities, IT support and commonly-used research related software where appropriate;
Reasonable provision for access to school stationery, including school letterhead where necessary;
Opportunities to participate in School, Faculty and University induction programmes;
Opportunities to participate in research training programmes;
Support to assist with participation in at least one conference in Australia or overseas. This support may be partial, depending on the cost of participation;
Provision of documents outlining University and Faculty policies for the conduct of research programmes;
A level of financial support appropriate for the project outlined in the programme of study, and subject to annual change as the research progresses. Where changes in the research programme require an additional level of commitment of resources, these should be agreed in advance with the person or organisation requested to provide the resources. Financial support may include costs of travel, accommodation laboratory, documents, equipment software and consumables required for the research programme.
Candidates located outside of the Perth metropolitan areas will be provided with resources and infrastructure appropriate to their needs, as outlined in the programme of study

The Research and Development Board will periodically review the provision of resources to research degree candidates.

Approved by the R&D Board 27th July 2005

This page was last updated on Friday, October 23, 2009 10:44