Graduate research funding

Funding available for FIT Graduate Research Students.

This funding is in addition to scholarships

1. FIT Graduate Research Candidature Funding Scheme (CFS)

The Faculty of IT allocates designated funding to each of the Faculty’s currently enrolled Graduate Research Students (PhD and MPhil) to support your candidature. These funds can be used for; Travel, Fieldwork and data collection, Specialised training and Specialised equipment to support research being conducted as part of your candidature.

PhD students are allocated Faculty funding of up to $4000 in total for the duration of their candidature.
MPhil students are allocated Faculty funding of up to $2000 in total for the duration of their candidature.
An MPhil student who upgrades to a PhD additional funding is allocated to bring the total up to $4000.

1.1 Applications

Applications to use this funding must be submitted 6 weeks in advance. If you have accessed this funding previously you must first check if you have adequate funds remaining. These funds cannot be committed (i.e. used) until the expenditure is;

supported by your supervisor/s and has their signed approval, and
signed approval has been given your FIT Graduate Research Coordinator (Caulfield and Clayton)
signed approval has been given by the Associate Dean Graduate Research

1.2 Eligibility criteria

To be eligible to apply for this Faculty funding the applicant must:

be currently enrolled as a PhD or MPhil candidate at Monash University
have completed the Confirmation of Candidature process
if a full-time PhD candidate be less than 33 months full-time equivalent enrolled in candidature, on the date of the conference.
if part-time PhD candidate be less than 33 months full-time equivalent enrolled in candidature on the date of the conference
if a full-time MPhil candidate, be less than 24 months full-time equivalent enrolled in candidature on the date of the conference.
if a part-time MPhil candidate, be less than 24 months full-time equivalent enrolled in candidature on the date of the conference
be presenting a paper or poster at a AStar or AConference
be principal author of the paper being presented, which must cover original, ongoing research, be largely your graduate research work, report recent findings and be directly related to the applicant’s thesis topic
be attending a conference, seminar etc. that can be clearly demonstrated as significant to your research (evidence of this will be required)

PLEASE NOTE:

If you wish to access funding for travel but do not meet all the eligibility criteria; and if the purpose of the expenditure is supported by your supervisor/s you can, with their support, make a case to have your application considered.

1.3 How to apply

Check your Eligibility
Discuss the proposed purpose of the funding with your Supervisor/s and seek their support and approval in writing
If you have already accessed this funding check if you have adequate funds remaining
Seek guidance on your application from your Graduate Research Student Services Coordinator if required
Complete the Application Form (DOCX, 23KB)
Obtain all necessary signatures of approval – Supervisors/Resources and Operations Manager/Associate Dean Graduate Research
Ensure you have followed all Faculty and University guidelines that apply.

1.4 Purposes the funding can be used for;

1.4.1 Travel – to be used to support the costs of travel (including fares, accommodation and conference registration) for graduate research students who are travelling interstate or overseas in order to present papers at a conference, collect data or undertake other activities relevant to their research.

PLEASE NOTE: When planning to utilise the FIT Candidature Funds for Travel purposes and you are also applying for funding for a Monash University Graduate Education Postgraduate Travel Grant you are required to contribute a designated amount of your FIT Candidature Funding. For example:

if you are applying for a maximum central grant of $1175 you must also contribut $940 from your FIT funding.

For more information see Monash University Graduate Education Funding

When planning your travel other relevant information can be found at Travel at Monash

1.4.2 Fieldwork and data collection – Funds can be used to undertake fieldwork, surveys, data collection, interviews etc. Refer to the Eligibility criteria.

1.4.3 Specialised training – Funds can be used to support the costs of specialised training crucial to undertaking your research. Refer to the Eligibility criteria.

1.4.4 Specialised equipment – Funds can be used to support the costs of specialised equipment crucial to undertaking your research. Refer to the Eligibility criteria

1.4.5 Hardship funding – Students experiencing financial hardship which is jeopardising their ability to continue with or complete their candidature may be eligible for assistance. Please refer to your Graduate Research Student Services Coordinator in the first instance.

2. Quality Conference Travel Fund (QCTF)

Introduction

The purpose of the Quality Conference Travel Fund (QCTF) is to increase the quality of the Faculty of Information Technology’s (FIT’s) graduate research outcomes and publications. The QCTF provides discretionary funding to individual GR students once they have expended the Monash Postgraduate Travel Fund and FIT Graduate Research Candidature Funding Scheme allocations.

Funding Details:

Funding will only be provided for travel to a top conference for the purpose of presentation of a first-authored graduate research student paper. A list of top conferences can be found at FIT Quality Conference List.
Funding for a single paper is capped at $3,500 and will be pre-approved at the time of paper writing, but may also be approved for already submitted or accepted papers.
Funding is available for travel during the candidature before submission as well as between submission and graduation; specifically in conjunction with a Postgraduate Publication Award (PPA) for the writing up of the corresponding paper.
Applications are open all year round until the available funding is allocated. Funding will be approved on a first-come-first-served basis.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply for this Faculty funding, the applicant must:

Be currently enrolled as a PhD or MPhil candidate at FIT, Monash University.
Have completed Confirmation of Candidature (funding is also available for travel between thesis submission and graduation).
Have exhausted the Monash Postgraduate Travel Fund and FIT Graduate Research Candidature Funding Scheme.
Be the first author of the paper being presented at a top conference in accordance with the FIT Quality Conference List.

Please note: Following the introduction of QCTF, the Supplementary Funding Scheme (SFS) will no longer be available for conference travel.

Application process

Check if you have exhausted the Monash Postgraduate Travel Fund and FIT Graduate Research Candidature Funding Scheme.
Check if the conference is in the FIT Quality Conference List.
Discuss the proposed paper with your main supervisor and seek their support and approval in writing
Prepare a proposal for the paper detailing the planned contribution and the state of work, a travel plan and budget.
Complete the application form.
If pre-approval is granted, you must provide written confirmation from the conference organiser to the FIT Graduate Research Team, stating that the paper has been accepted. Failure to provide this within two weeks of the published notification date will result in the funding being forfeited.
Should the notification of acceptance be delayed, you must provide the revised date to the FIT Graduate Research Team together with appropriate evidence (email from the conference organisers or URL of the web site that states the revised notification dates) to avoid your funding being forfeited.
If the paper is accepted, apply for study away without travel grant. (If you have submitted your thesis, this step will not be applicable to you.)

3. FIT PhD Supplementary Funding Scheme (SFS)

The purpose of the FIT PhD Supplementary Funding Scheme (SFS) is to support better quality outcomes and timely completions. The SFS provides discretionary funding once the University Post Graduate Travel Fund and FIT Graduate Research Candidature Funding Schemefunds are expended. Applications for funding between $1,000 and $5,000 will be considered. When requesting supplementary funding applicants will need to justify their request by providing details of how it will support better quality outcomes and timely completion. Successful applicants are required to report on how they used the SFS to add-value to the quality of their thesis and ensure timely completion.

Examples of activities that might attract Supplementary Funding include;

participation in doctoral symposium;
working on the PhD project in a research lab elsewhere;
bringing a research leader in the field here to work with the PhD student and supervisors;
specialised intensive training.

Please note: Funding is not available under this Scheme to support editing or proof reading or printing thesis.

2.1 Eligibility

Applications for Supplementary Funding can only be made once the University’s Postgraduate Travel Fund and the FIT Research Student Candidature Funding Scheme are exhausted.
Graduate Research students must be:

18 months to 30 months into candidature (equivalent full time)
Have completed their Mid-Year Candidature review in a timely manner
Funds cannot be committed until the funding is approved

These funds cannot be committed (i.e. used) until the expenditure is;

supported by your supervisor/s and has their signed approval, and

signed approval has been given by the Associate Dean Graduate Research
signed approval has been given by the Deputy Dean Academic Resources or their delegate

2.2 How to apply

The application must be supported by your supervisor/s;
The application must include:
- evidence of substantial writing underway
- a journal publication strategy linked to writing-up plan and/or a plan for capstone publications post thesis
- an itemised budget with justification of each item.

Submitting the your application
- Complete the application form (DOCX, 0.21 MB)
Applications must be submitted to the Graduate Student Services office by 5pm on the closing dates for each selection round dates. There are four selection rounds each year

Round 1 - 1st January (or first working day of the year)
Round 2 - 1st April
Round 3 - 1st July
Round 4 - 1st October
No late applications will be accepted.

Reporting

Successful applicants are required to report on how they used the SFS to add-value to the quality of their thesis and ensure timely completion. Use this template Supplementary Funding Scheme (SFS) report (DOCX, 0.2 MB)

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