Faculty of Science
Funding and Grants
Faculty of Science HDR Research and Conference Funding
Higher degree research candidates (MPhil and PhD) can access financial support to assist with their research, where a clear need for such support is evident. The total amount of funding per student will be governed by the budget for higher degree research project support set by your department. The Head of Department will make that determination in consultation with the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science.
Students will be allocated funds to support their research, subject to approval of a project outline, fully justified budget and timeline. For PhD candidates, this support is normally available for 3 years (6 years for part-time, pro rata); requests for a fourth year of funding will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and must be fully justified with reference to an amended project outline and budget. For MPhil candidates, the corresponding limits are 1.5 years full-time and 3 years part-time.
A range of activities are supported with this funding, depending on the nature of the research. The principal guideline is that the money should be used to facilitate the candidate's research and timely completion of the degree. Examples include (note this is not an exhaustive list):
- Fieldwork expenses - e.g. travel, accommodation, food, vehicle hire
- Fieldwork equipment - e.g. recording equipment/data loggers, transcribers
- Other minor equipment - e.g. scanners, technical software
- Laboratory consumables - e.g. chemicals, gases, etc.
- Analysis costs - e.g. DNA sequencing, NMR, etc.
- Conference registration fee
- Thesis preparation costs - e.g. printing, binding. This is mainly applicable for non scholarship holders. Scholarship holders' thesis production costs may be reimbursed under the particular scholarship conditions of award and where tax invoices are supplied within 12 months of the thesis submission and within two years of the scholarship expiring. The thesis allowancedoes not cover writing assistance costs (eg. proofing or editing). Original receipts and proof of purchase are required. Please note thesis allowance is not available to all scholarship holders: this depends on the conditions of your award.
- HDR Conference Travel – New Policy from 2012!!
International conference: in addition to one funded by the MQ PGRF (see below), candidates can apply for funding to present at a second international conference during candidature, to be funded by the Faculty. The application process (forms, closing dates, supporting documents, approvals) are the same as for the MQ PGRF. If you have already been awarded an MQ PGRF, please tick the Yes box to the question asking whether you have previously received PGRF. This will indicate to the Panel that you are seeking Faculty funding to present at a second international conference. Please contact the faculty HDR Team for further advice, if required.
All items purchased with these funds remain the property of Macquarie University.
At the commencement of candidature, and each year at the time of annual progress review, you should discuss your needs for project support funding with your supervisor as part of your research planning. To access the HDR project support funds, you are required to submit a budget, making full justification for all funding requested, related to the aims and methods of your research. You and your supervisor need to agree to the budget and submit it for approval to the Head of Department (or delegate - normally the Departmental Director, HDR). Once approved, the amount requested for the year will be transferred into an individual account for you to use to support your research. Any travel bookings, purchases, or reimbursement of expenses incurred by you in carrying out your research will be drawn against that account and will need to comply with the University's financial policies and with the normal financial procedures of your department. However, it will not be the responsibility of the departmental finance officers to check whether the expenditure is in keeping with your budget - you will need to provide them with an approval form signed by your supervisor. All travel requires submission of a fully completed travel pack.
You will also need to report each year, at the time of your progress review, on how the funding was spent and what outcomes were achieved. Further funding is conditional upon satisfactory progress with your research. Any changes to your budget necessitated by a change in the research project activities can be accommodated at any time by a revised budget signed by you, your supervisor and the HoD or delegate.
Macquarie University Postgraduate Research Fund (PGRF)
The PGRF is the main source of central funding for enrolled research candidates in addition to the substantial Faculty funding. The limit of a PGRF grant is currently $5,000 and it is normally available once only during the period of candidature. The normal expectation is that an applicant will be in their later second year or third year of doctoral enrolment, or early second year of MPhil enrolment, with significant research results achieved. You should plan to apply for PGRF funds to present a paper or poster at an international conference, and/or to visit overseas research institutions when preparing your project management plan.
There are two rounds each year. Full details and application forms are available by following the link.
PGRF 2012 Dates
- Round 2, 2012: application closes on 9/3/11 (for activities 1/7/12 to 31/12/12), notification of results - 20/04/12
- Round 1, 2013: application close date17/8/12 (for activities 1/1/13 to 30/6/13), notification of results - 21/09/12
The PGRF scheme is administered by the Faculty. Please make sure your application and relevant documents, including your supervisor’s report, reach the Faculty’s HDR Team before the closing date.
External Research Grants
Your supervisor will be able to advise you about other organisations, some philanthropic, from which you may be able to obtain additional funding for your research. Typical examples accessed by HDR students in the past include Australian Geographic, Seaworld, PADI, Royal Botanical Gardens, Environmental Trust, etc. Also check on the Research Office website.