Frequently Asked Questions:

• What financial support is available for living expenses?
• What financial support is provided?
• Are teaching assistantship available?
• How do I select a supervisor and project?
• Where will I be based?

What financial support is available for living expenses?

Most students are supported by a competitively obtained scholarship, for Australian students this is most commonly an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA). To obtain such a scholarship you need to have a strong academic record. More Information.

Often project-specific scholarships are available and these are advertised in newspapers and on the University web site.

Scholarships vary considerably in the costs and allowances that are covered. It is important that you carefully read the conditions of the award. Note that most scholarships do not cover the Student Services and Ammenties fee, which must be paid up fully before you may graduate.

International students are not eligible for an APA, and there are few scholarships available for living expenses. The International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) only pays for fees and must be applied for before commencing study.

What financial support is provided by the School?

The NCMCRS provides funds for research activities, the amount of which is negotiated with the Director through your supervisor.

If your project is associated with a well-funded research program, then financial support for research is negotiated with your supervisor.

The NCMCRS is unable to provide any support for living expenses, therefore international students must carefully consider how they will support themselves once they arrive.

Some financial assistance is provided by the NCMCRS to travel to a conference during your candidature.

Are teaching assistantship available?

No. However, we do provide and encourage students to take opportunities to do casual teaching and marking for units taught by the NCMCRS during the 26 weeks of undergraduate teaching. For students on scholarships and visas there are restrictions as to how many hours paid work you can undertake. Given that there are time limits associated with your candidature, care needs to be taken to make sure that employment does not compromise your program of study.

How do I select a supervisor and project?

It is important that you take on a project that can you can get really passionate about, because 3.5 years is a long time. It is also important that you choose a topic that we can provide adequate supervision and logistic support.

We recommend that you have a look at the web pages that list the research programs and academic staff (see menu bar at top). When you contact a staff member make sure that you be informed and have some knowledge of the research area. Generic requests for a project are not likely to get a response. Once you start a dialogue with a potential supervisor project ideas will start to be developed.

Where will I be based?

This is dependent upon the project, most of our students are based in Launceston. We have some students based in Hobart, either as part of a collaborative project with TAFI, CSIRO, or a Hobart campus based science School. A small number of students are based on the mainland and working with industry on particular projects. Off-site students are required to spend some time each year in the NCMCRS and the NCMCRS is committed to ensuring that these students have access to academic and pastoral care.