Research internships
The look and feel
As a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidate you will be able to gain practical knowledge and professional experience within an industry or community setting through a research internship.
Educational opportunities related to your area of research.
Generally lasts for a minimum of 3 months, consisting of at least 60 full-time equivalent days of engagement in R&D within an industry setting.
Involve supervision from a suitably qualified and responsible person within the industry setting.
Each internship is governed by an Internship Agreement, which will outline the roles and responsibilities of the industry, business, or community partner (research end-user), the University, and the candidate. The Agreement will also cover the provision of a scholarship (if relevant), intellectual property, publication, confidentiality, privacy, health, and safety.
Eligibility requirements
To participate in a research internship, you must:
- Be enrolled and remain enrolled in an HDR for the entire period of the internship. Participation in a research internship will therefore require successful admission into an HDR degree. Please visit Research degrees for further information on how to apply, and on our available HDR projects.
- Be able to complete the internship before the completion of your HDR degree.
- Have the approval of your Primary Supervisor.
The application process
To ensure you have the support and guidance that you need, please discuss internship opportunities with your proposed Primary Supervisor in the first instance.
When setting up your own research internship, a standard University of Tasmania Internship Agreement will be used to articulate the details of the research internship, including each party’s roles and responsibilities.
Research internships may also be organised through program-based internships.
Program-based internships
The Australian Postgraduate Research Intern (APR.Intern) Program is a national, research internship program spanning all sectors and disciplines.
With Primary Supervisor support, APR.Intern will place you as an enrolled HDR candidate within an industry setting and you will receive a $3,300 internship scholarship, each month, as supplementary financial support.
Through the APR.Intern website you can:
- Search and apply for advertised internships;
- Submit an Expression of Interest to be considered for future opportunities, which are tailored to a personally submitted profile; and,
- Subscribe to an electronic newsletter and/or an internships alert bulletin so that you remain in touch with new industry opportunities.
As part of the application process, an APR.Intern Internship Agreement will be reviewed by the University and will require Pro Vice-Chancellor for Graduate Research endorsement prior to commencement of the research internship period.
For further information, including program benefits, eligibility requirements, and resources, please visit APR.Intern.
Key considerations for all research internships
HDR candidates will normally continue to progress through their candidature.
If in receipt of a scholarship, HDR candidates will normally continue to receive their scholarship throughout the research internship period.
HDR candidates can commence their internship at any point during their candidature, with a fully endorsed Internship Agreement. It is preferred that the Agreement be finalised prior to the first 18 months of candidature. The research internship period must be completed before completion of your degree.
Intellectual property will be addressed in the Internship Agreement and is dependent upon the Internship.
The University will maintain your public liability, personal accident, medical malpractice (as relevant), and travel (as relevant) insurance policies, during the term of the Internship Agreement.
If you are an international candidate on a visa, you are responsible for ensuring that any internship is appropriate for your individual visa type and visa conditions. Candidates who are unsure of their conditions or obligations are encouraged to seek independent advice from an International Student Advisor and the Immigration Department.
Industry PhD Programs
Industry PhD Programs entail HDR projects which are co-developed between the University, the candidate, and the research end-user. Through these programs, candidates become involved with the research end-user from commencement, acquiring unique and practical research skills and perspectives.
Each of these programs should include a research internship component, which may require a separate Internship Agreement in addition to the underlying Collaborative Agreement of the program.
The CSIRO’s Industry PhD (iPhD) Program connects universities, industry partners, and the CSIRO to co-develop an industry-focused, impact-driven PhD project.
Applications to participate in this program are co-developed between the University’s Primary Supervisor, the industry partner, the CSIRO, and the HDR applicant if known. If successful, the normal admission process will apply: The Primary Supervisor will be required to submit an HDR Project and, upon being advertised, the applicant will be required to apply for admission into the HDR program against the advertised project.
If you have a project in mind, please search for potential supervisors by accessing Experts Search, and under Availability clicking on "Masters by research or PhD student supervision" to refine your search. If successful in connecting with a supervisor, they can assist you in refining your project and submitting an enquiry to CSIRO on your behalf.
We also advertise a suite of HDR projects on our Available projects for research degrees, which may include a pre-approved CSIRO iPhD project. We therefore encourage you to also visit this site for suitable projects.
Further information
Further information on the program, including program benefits, eligibility requirements, and resources is available at CSIRO Industry PhD Program.
Further information on our admissions process is available at Research degrees.
The National Industry PhD Program is a government-led initiative, administered by CampusPlus, which supports PhD candidates to undertake industry-focused research projects, and to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to better translate university research into commercialisation outcomes.
The program consists of two streams:
- Industry Linked PhD stream: This stream is for outstanding PhD candidates to undertake research projects co-designed by the participating university and industry partner, with opportunities to be embedded in an industry setting and participate in a 12-week training program.
- Industry Researcher PhD stream: This stream is for highly capable industry professionals who are supported by their employers to undertake PhD projects in partnership with a university while retaining industry employment and salary benefits.
Applications to participate in this program are co-developed between the University’s Primary Supervisor, the industry partner, and the HDR applicant if known. If successful, the normal admission process will apply: The Primary Supervisor will be required to submit an HDR Project and, upon being advertised, the applicant will be required to apply for admission into the HDR program against the advertised project.
If you have a project in mind, or are an industry professional, please search for potential supervisors by accessing our Experts Search internet page, and under Availability clicking on "Masters by research or PhD student supervision" to refine your search. If successful in connecting with a supervisor, they can assist you in refining your project and initiating the application process on your behalf.
We also advertise a suite of HDR projects on our Available projects for research degrees, which may include a pre-approved National Industry PhD Program project. We therefore encourage you to also visit this site for suitable projects.
Further information
Further information on this program, including program benefits, eligibility requirements, and resources, is available at Government National Industry PhD Program and Campus Plus National Industry PhD Program.
Further information on our admissions process is available at Research degrees.