DVCR Completion Scholarship

Applications for DVCR Completion Scholarships are to be submitted at specific times, normally four rounds per year. The application dates for the application rounds to be held in 2020/2021.

Round Opening Date: 5 October 2020

Please note: Applications submitted outside these specific dates will not be considered.

Purpose
UNE does not offer extensions to RTP Stipend Scholarships. Instead the University funds DVCR Completion Scholarships for all Doctoral students, not just RTP recipients.

Eligible Doctoral students include those enrolled in the Doctor of Education, Doctor of Health Services Management, Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology), Doctor of Industry/Professions and the Doctor of Philosophy.

DVCR Completion Scholarships are funded by the University of New England to encourage timely Doctoral completions. DVCR Completion Scholarships are not a candidature extension scholarship, but are linked to and support a specific outcome, the submission of the Doctoral thesis. DVCR Completion Scholarships will only be awarded to those Doctoral students who can clearly demonstrate that their thesis will be submitted within the scholarship period.

Students must submit:

• A detailed Doctoral Thesis Completion Plan (including the identification of a clear and measurable Mid-Point Milestone to be achieved) and the likelihood of the thesis being completed and submitted for examination within the scholarship period;
• Statements of support and endorsement from the Principal Supervisor; and
• Endorsement from the Head of School.
• Endorsement from external funding body or attached grant (if applicable)

Payment of Award
The maximum value of the award is $8,010 (maximum four month scholarship period), and this would be paid in three equal instalments of $2,670 (if appropriate, tuition fees of international applicants will also be covered).

The first instalment will be made upon approval of the award, at the beginning of the scholarship period, the second instalment will be paid upon submission of the Mid-Point Milestone Report to the Research Services Directorate and the third instalment will be paid upon submission of the thesis for examination.

Payments will be made as close to the designated milestone date as possible, but processing time for milestone forms and coinciding with the University payroll deadlines must be taken into account.

Conditions of the Scholarship
Successful applicants will be required to sign an acceptance form agreeing to the following:

• Successful applicants will be required to enrol full-time over the period for which the scholarship is awarded.
• The DVCR Completion Scholarship will normally commence the day after the current submission date.
• International Students will be liable for any tuition fees outside of the term of the Scholarship.
• Leave of absence will not be available during the period for which the scholarship is awarded unless there are exceptional circumstances.
• During the term of the scholarship, progress must be monitored on a regular basis by the Principal Supervisor, in accordance with timelines outlined in the completion plan.
• Failure to make satisfactory progress in line with the timeline may result in the cessation of scholarship payments.
• Lodgement of a HDR Thesis Presentation form is required by the date indicated in the timeline for the period for which you were awarded the scholarship.
• Submission of a completed Mid-point Milestone Scholarship Report to the Research Services Directorate showing progress made by the Mid-Point Milestone date indicated in the Doctoral Thesis Completion Plan and timeline initially submitted. In this report applicants will need to document the progress made and indicate the timetable for submission by the thesis deadline. The Principal Supervisor and Head of School will need to confirm the details indicated in the report by signing the form before it is returned to the Research Services Directorate. Acceptance of this form will trigger payment of the second scholarship instalment. Failure to submit the form by the date indicated in the timeline for the period for which the student was awarded the scholarship will result in immediate cessation of the scholarship.
• Submission of the thesis for examination is required by the deadline indicated in the completion plan. Extensions to the submission date past the four month scholarship period will not normally be granted.

Note: Successful applicants who are attached to an external funding body or grant are responsible for advising the appropriate organisation of the extension to their candidature and new thesis submission date.