Scholarships & funding

Scholarships

A very small number of Faculty Scholarships are offered each year to applicants who have been accepted into candidature. These scholarships are only available to cover most living costs. They cannot be used to pay tuition fees. For more information, please contact the Coordinator, Postgraduate Studies ().

Information on other scholarships can also be found at the Research Office's website.

Funding

Postgraduate Research Support Scheme (PRSS)

PRSS provides direct support to currently enrolled postgraduate research students to provide an opportunity to add value to your candidature by participating in a relevant professional activity that contributes to your career and adds esteem to the University. For example, PRSS will support students to present their research at national and international conferences and workshops, undertake specialist fieldwork or to use specialised equipment or facilities. Requests for equipment, computers and textbooks should be directed to the FRSS (Section 2.4.2).

Funds under this scheme are administered by the Faculty on a competitive basis according to the University guidelines. PhD students may apply up to three times during their candidature, MScAgr students may apply once. Up to $1200 may be requested for facilities and fieldwork, or $2000 for support to present at a conference. For eligibility and guidelines, see www.usyd.edu.au/su/reschols/policy/prss.htm which will take you to further sites for detailed explanations of the scheme.

An application form will be sent to all postgraduate students at their University assigned email addresses. Applications should be discussed with your supervisor before being submitted.

For 2009 the following points should be noted:

• The scheme for the Faculty will be administered by Dr Damien Field (Ph: 9351 2527 or email:
• There will only be one round. The closing date for applications is 1 September 2009. Late applications will not be accepted.
• Funds available under this scheme vary from year to year. The actual amount awarded to the Faculty will most likely be known in April.

Funding to students is based on the scheme guidelines. It is competitive. Priorities for funding in 2009 include:

• Overseas conferences - a paper or poster must be presented (usually only one overseas conference attendance and presentation will be supported during the period of the candidature);
• Other conferences - a paper or poster must be presented;
• Expenses in connection with the use of, or a visit to use specialist facilities or to learn specialist techniques directly related to the students’ research;
• Purchase of specialist software or books that are unavailable from the library; and
• Expenses related to field trips that are above the normal discipline allocation for such activities.

The applications received for funding under the scheme will be assessed by a committee and the successful applicants will be notified to lodge their claims for items in early October. Reimbursement to the student will be made by cheque on presentation of original receipts. Thus, the earliest time for receipt of a cheque will most likely be late October.

Faculty PG Research Support Scheme (FRSS)

Subject to current government and university policies, the Faculty will financially support PG research expenses. Students who receive substantial maintenance funding from outside sources (eg CRCs, ARC, GRDC, CRDC etc.) are not normally eligible for FRSS support. FRSS is designed to assist with the normal expenses of student research projects, including equipment, computers, chemicals, consumables, textbooks, journals, fieldwork and thesis preparation. The administration of these funds is the responsibility of the supervisor reporting to the Research Group Leader (Postgraduate Coordinator).

Funding will be made available in 2009:

• for PhDs (3 years), for Masters (1.5 years)
• for provision of a desktop computer from year 1 funds
• for $400 thesis preparation expenses in the final year
• at half the rate of full-time for part time students (but double the length of funded time)

Supervisors must account for the expenditure of funds to the Research Group Leader (Postgraduate Coordinator) by 14 December. Supervisors must make a request to carry forward to 2010 funds greater than $500 by 14 December, otherwise the funds will be unavailable. The Research Group Leader (Postgraduate Coordinator) will report the summary of expenditure (and any requests for carry over to the Associate Dean by 18 December 2009.