Evaluation of applications

In the first instance expressions of interest must be lodged on the attached form at the Research & Graduate Studies Office by 31 October each year. A scholarship applicant who is not already a higher degree candidate at the University of Ballarat will be required to lodge an application for candidature before the scholarship application will be considered. Such an application must be submitted by 31 October. The onus will be on the applicant to provide all documentation required for consideration of candidature and scholarships. As applications are received at the Research & Graduate Studies Office they will be recorded and forwarded to the relevant School Research, Research Higher Degrees & Ethics Coordinator for consideration of eligibility for teaching assistantships, stipend supplementation or, in the case of overseas applicants, eligibility for an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship or a Special Overseas Student Scholarship.

An application for a scholarship will be considered by the Research Higher Degrees Sub-Committee on 6 December each year only if:

• the person is eligible for the award of a scholarship (see above section on eligibility),
• the scholarship application is complete, and the person is eligible for admission to higher degree candidature at the University of Ballarat,
• at least two referee reports are available in relation to the scholarship application (Note: The applicant will nominate referees, and be responsible for calling for reports from referees). Students are requested to forward their 'Referee Reports' to nominated referees as soon as possible. These 'Referee Reports' are included in the Application Form for Candidature.  Student must complete (Sections A & B) in the Applications for Candidature, all application forms must reach the Research & Graduate Studies Office on or before the 31 October each year. Nominated referees are requested to return their completed reports to the Research & Graduate Studies Office. Referee reports must reach the Research & Graduate Studies Office no later than 23 November each year 
• if the person is completing honours, Masters, or another award in the same year, written notification of results (e.g., a fax from Head of School) must be available no later than 20 November.  (Note: For internal applicants it will be the responsibility of the School Research, School Research, Research Higher Degrees & Ethics Coordinator to ensure this information is available).

It is in the interests of applicants to include with their application a copy of their research thesis and/or publications. This material will be returned to the applicant by the Research & Graduate Studies Office as soon as possible.

The Research Higher Degrees Committee will meet during the first week of December each year,rank the applications received from Schools, and award scholarships. The sequence of steps at that meeting will be:

• identify cases where an applicant is ineligible or the application is incomplete. 
• identify from the applicants those holding a four year undergraduate degree at first class honours level or equivalent (see above); the committee shall then award the Australian Postgraduate Award with stipends to the most highly meritorious applicants in this category.
• identify from the remaining applicants those holding a four year undergraduate degree at first class honours level or equivalent and award the remaining University of Ballarat Postgraduate Research Scholarships and Part Postgraduate Research Scholarships on the basis of assessed merit.
• if some scholarships remain unallocated following the procedures outlined above, consideration will be given to applicants who do not hold a four year undergraduate degree at first class honours level or equivalent.

The University of Ballarat has one International Postgraduate Research Scholarship which will be awarded to the highest ranked eligible overseas applicant under the procedures outlined above. At most, one Special Overseas Student Scholarship may be awarded to an overseas applicant ranked sufficiently highly to be awarded a University of Ballarat Postgraduate Research Scholarship provided the School concerned has indicated, prior to the meeting, that the applicant is eligible for such an award.