HDR policies & procedures

At ANU there are rules and guidelines that govern your responsibilities and requirements as a student. Some of these are specific to higher degree research (HDR) candidates, while others apply to ANU students and staff more broadly.

The most important of the HDR policy documents is the Research Awards Rule; the federal legislation which underpins the ANU HDR policy framework of policies, procedures and guidelines.

While the Rule takes precedence over the ANU HDR policy framework, these policies provide more detailed guidance relating to stages of your progress throughout your degree.  

Links to all policies and related procedures, guidelines and information can be found in the Resources box, but you should be aware of the following:

HDR Admissions

The standards for Higher Degree by Research (HDR) admissions  are outlined in the HDR Admissions policy.  The HDR Admissions procedure details the eligibility and selection of candidates for admission to a HDR program supporting a transparent application process.  

HDR Scholarships

The Commonwealth Scholarship Guidelines (Research) 2017 require that the processes, policies and conditions of Research Training scholarships are readily and publicly available in a Policy that covers Research Training Program (RTP) scholarships.  The Research Training Program Fee Offset Scholarship is relevant to all domestic HDR candidates. HDR Candidates who are supported by a RTP Scholarship (stipend and/or tuition fee offset which includes all domestic HDR's) can find further details regarding RTP scholarships within the ANU HDR Scholarship Policy and Procedure.  

HDR candidature & supervision

HDR candidates ultimately are responsibility for their own candidature however the ANU has responsibility for supporting candidates throughout their program with the university. These policies (and related procedures and guidelines) provide guidance on:

• attendance requirements;
• your supervisors and supervisory panel;
• external status;
• joint or dual award PhD programs
• change of research topic and transfers;
• leave and extensions of program.

They also outline responsibilities of HDR candidates, such as satisfactory academic progress and milestone completion as well as responsibilities of supervisors and the university.

All HDR candidates are required to submit regular reporting milestones, and the milestones themselves are outlined in the HDR Candidature Progression Procedure.

HDR submissions & examinations of theses

The submission and examination of your thesis is the culmination of years of research, work and collaboration.  The Submission and Examination of theses policy framework provides guidance on the various aspects of submission and examination for HDR candidates, including the:

• thesis submission process;
• nomination of examiners;
• submission of a Thesis by Compilation or Thesis by Creative Works;
• examination process; and
• thesis deposit and Open Access.

HDR Research Integrity, Ethics Approval and Misconduct

As a student you should familiarise yourself with any ethics approvals you may need for your research as soon as possible. Research at ANU must not commence until all relevant approvals have been obtained.

You are also required to undertake a research integrity course which deals with common issues in research.

At ANU any student misconduct, including research misconduct, is addressed by the ANU Discipline Rules.

There are also a number of policies specifying how research misconduct matters involving ANU staff are handled, and these can be found below.

HDR Leave, Travel and Fieldwork

Leave for HDR students is dealt with under Candidature and Supervision, while travel and fieldwork are governed more generally (see below under General Policies).

General Policies

There are other policies and procedures that apply to all students and staff at ANU but which are relevant to HDR students:

• Collection, storage, and disposal of human tissue in research: The requirements of ANU for ethical approval of research studies involving the use of human tissue;
• Conflict of interest and commitment: An overview of the principles and means for handling conflicts of interest or conflicts of commitment;
• Fieldwork health and off-campus work safety: the procedure for fieldwork and off-campus work safety;
• Intellectual property: A description of the ownership, management, and use of intellectual property created by ANU staff, students, and visitors;
• Prevention of discrimination, harassment and bullying: To inform staff and students about specific behaviours not accepted at the University;
• Social media participation by ANU students: Guidelines for ANU students who create or contribute to blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual worlds or any other kind of social media;
• Student complaint resolution: Information on the process of the resolution of student concerns about their experience at the University;
• Travel policy: Information on duties of care, efficient use of resources, and maintaining records of travel approvals;
• Travel procedure: Information on University and individual responsibilities when travelling on behalf of ANU.

Research Integrity and Misconduct

• Code of research conduct policy: Sets out the responsibilities of ANU researchers to conduct research responsibly and ethically;
• Managing misconduct, serious misconduct and suspension: The process for the management of misconduct and serious misconduct involving staff, in accordance with the Enterprise Agreement;
• Research misconduct and serious research misconduct procedure: Sets out the procedures related to managing allegations of research misconduct and serious research misconduct involving staff;
• Responsible conduct of research policy: Outlines the expectations upon ANU researchers to foster and maintain a research environment of intellectual honesty, integrity, and scholarly rigour.

Or you can browse the ANU Policy Library.