Graduate Research School
Expression of Interest Guidelines
Scholarships to Support Industry Engagement PhD Projects
Purpose
Industry engagement projects link PhD scholarships with research in industry, community and government. This
new dimension, to train our graduates in a research environment that gives them upfront career options which
will allow them to follow a research career, or one in the broader economy, where they’ll be viewed as valuable
assets with high levels of skill and creativity, complements ECU’s doctoral training and drives engagement with
industry.
We are seeking expressions of interest from supervisors for industry engagement projects that can be assigned to
an HDR scholarship.
Selecting industry partners
A suitable partner may be from industry, a community organisation or a government agency. The selection of an
industry partner should be strategic; they should complement and build on ECU’s research strengths. The level to
which this alignment exists will be reviewed in the assessment of EoIs.
Although not a necessary requirement, industry engagement projects with funding are highly beneficial because:
1. Higher paying scholarships (for example $40,000 pa scholarship versus $27,000 pa) help attract high
quality students.
2. organisations that are financially invested in a project may be more committed to the outcome.
As is the case for ECU’s Industry Collaboration grants, it is expected that the external partner will contribute
significantly to research direction and support, including cash and in-kind support appropriate to the project.
If your project is successful, an agreement will need to be signed between ECU and the industry partner. The
Graduate Research School will provide successful applicants with a template agreement.
Process for Industry Engagement Scholarships
1. Submit an EOI to the Graduate Research School (l.ayling@ecu.edu.au)
2. The EoIs will be reviewed by the Research Advisory Group.
3. If selected, submit the signed partner agreement letter to Graduate Research School.
4. Provide information to the Research Scholarship Office (Student Services Centre) regarding the establishment
of the scholarship, and advertising on the ECU webpage.
5. If required, provide information and image to the Graduate Research School regarding the creation of a
marketing flyer for promoting the scholarship within your networks.
6. Review the eligible scholarship applicant, and nominate your preferred candidate.
Scholarship funding
The ECU scholarship stipend is valued at the ECU APA level.
Eligible Scholarship Applicants
Scholarships will be advertised on the scholarship page: http://www.ecu.edu.au/scholarships/scholarships-bypathways/higher-degree-by-research, and students will apply for the industry engagement scholarships as per the
usual scholarship application process.
Graduate Research School I Web: http://intranet.ecu.edu.au/research/for-research-students/
Graduate Research School
Applications are assessed by Research Scholarships, and those that are deemed eligible will be forwarded to the
supervisory team for selection of the preferred candidate. It is recommended that the supervisory team
interviews the candidate, and selects the most suitable candidate based on:
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research background and relevance to the proposed area of research;
commitment to the project;
ability to work with external partners, and
communication skills
Timeline
Round 1
Call for EoIs
1 September – 30 November
Signed agreement due by
31 January
Scholarship advertised
1 February – 31 March
Unallocated scholarships from round 1 will be rolled into round 2
Round 2
Call for EoIs
1 April – 30 June
Signed agreement due by
31 July
Scholarship advertised
1 August – 30 September
Unallocated scholarships from round 2 will be rolled into October merit round
If you have an industry partner interested in supporting an industry engagement scholarship that does not align
with these rounds, please contact the Graduate Research School.
Graduate Research School I Web: http://intranet.ecu.edu.au/research/for-research-students/