HDR09 - Confirmation of Candidature - Part 1

For Research Degree Candidates.

The Confirmation of Candidature is to be completed in 2 parts:

Part 1: 

• Completion of The Charles Darwin University Supervisor Charter

• Epigeum - Research Integrity, Second Edition - Online Training Modules

• RDM Training certificate ( students who commenced from 08 July 2024)
  

Due with 3 months of course commencement

Part 2: Research Proposal and Oral Presentation – Due 6-12 months after course commencement

This form is to be completed to complete Part 1: Completion of The Supervisor Charter, Epigeum - Research Integrity, Second Edition - Online Training Modules and RDM Training certificate.

• HDR Candidates please complete section 1: "Details of the Candidate"
  

• Then once you have read, understood, and agreed with the conditions, please tick the check box, sign the form, then please submit.

• The form will then be submitted to your principal supervisor who are also required to agree to the conditions stated.

• Progress on this form can be saved and completed at a later stage.

• When selecting 'save and continue later', a link will be emailed to you, that enables you to return to complete the form.

• Once you press submit you will not be able to change your answers.

• This form is best viewed on a computer. If you are viewing on a phone or tablet, please view the pdf copy here instead.

Workflows:

Workflows have been enabled with this form to facilitate authorisations and signatures as follows:

1. Candidate completes Section 1- submits to Principal Supervisor

2. Principal Supervisor completes Section 2 - submits Research Office

3. Research Office to process form.

A copy of the form will be sent to both candidate and supervisor after both have signed.

Please take the time to thoroughly review and discuss it with your supervisor(s) before submission.

For queries about the process, or difficulties using the form, please contact the Candidate Progression Coordinator by phone at +61 8 8946 7289 or by email at r esearch.degrees@cdu.edu.au

Discuss the primary rights and responsibilities of an HDR student, to ensure a positive candidature.

Discuss the primary rights and responsibilities of a Principal Supervisor. These roles may be shared through the members of the supervisory team.

Ensure that you understand the responsibilities of each of your supervisors, and the time commitments they will make, for the duration of your candidature. 

Ensure that communications between all members of the supervisory team and the student are coordinated, and the level of involvement of all supervisors is determined and documented in conjunction with the student.

Discuss and agree with your supervisor/s a method of working together throughout the candidature.

Discuss the frequency of meetings, feedback, and email protocols.

Discuss and agree with the student a method of working together throughout the candidature. 

Discuss the mode of meetings, schedules for the submission of written work and the timing of feedback.

Tell your supervisors about your academic background, with regard to methodological, epistemological and ontological assumptions and expectations.

What is your level of information literacy expertise?

Consider what training and professional development you may need.

Tell your student about your methodological, epistemological and ontological preferences.

Consider how your background may impact on the supervisory process or the research project. Share this background with your student.

Evaluate the student’s information literacy.  Build connections with the CDU library and librarians.

Plan and develop the research project (as approved through your admissions process) in consultation with your supervisor/s, noting that all final decisions about the research project must be made by you, the student.

Plan and develop the research project with the student, including:

1. evaluating the feasibility of the proposed research field and/or research questions

2. assisting the student to determine the theoretical framework the student will use

3. discussing the potential significance and originality of the research as relevant

4. ensuring that the scope and scale of the proposed research is in accordance with the relevant AQF level (AQF level 9 for Masters by Research and AQF Level 10 for a PhD) and with all relevant time constraints

5. ensuring that adequate resources, including library resources and research infrastructure, and funding will exist to support the project

Work with your supervisor/s on:

1. undertaking a skills/knowledge needs

2. analysis to identify whether you hold the information and academic literacies to undertake the proposed research project

3. develop a plan to enhance the identified needs implement the strategies to improve the required information and academic literacies

Assist the student:

1. to undertake a skills/knowledge needs analysis to identify whether the student needs additional skills/knowledge to undertake the proposed research project.

2. Develop the strategies and support structures to enable the improvement of information and academic literacies.

Plan your research and writing program to ensure successful completion within the expected candidature duration.

Assist the student to identify how to make the most effective use of the student’s time, through such means as:

1. planning the research program

2. making use of appropriate research methods/techniques, and

3. planning for annual reviews and milestones.

Become familiar with University policies and procedures on:

1. Academic integrity

2. Research integrity

3. Animal Ethics / Human Ethics / Biosafety

4. Intellectual property

5. Management of research data

6. Authorship requirements

7. Work, health and safety

8. Sexual harassment and sexual assault

9. Student complaints

10. Export controls

11. Biosecurity requirements

Ensure that the student:

1. Obtains timely ethics clearances

2. Have completed mandatory and required training for work health and safety

3. Understand the University’s policies on Intellectual property, academic integrity and research integrity and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.  Ensure that your student understands the requirements for authorship under the Code.

4. Is informed of any confidentiality agreements associated with the proposed research

5. Complies with Australian Government’s Export Controls and Biosecurity requirements

6. Understands the support and options available for sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention and responses.

 Discuss the continuity of supervision

1. Explore the different supervisory roles and functions for each of the supervisors

2. The management of staff leave and its impact on supervision

Inform the student about any planned supervisor leave of absence that may impact on the student’s supervision. Discuss how this will be managed.

Inform the student as soon as possible if a supervisor intends to permanently cease being a supervisor.  Offer concrete strategies to enable a permanent replacement.

Maintain disciplinary literacies, and ensure knowledge and awareness of the most recent developments in the field of the research.

Keep up to date with developments in the student’s research area.

For Principal and Associate Supervisors, continue to remain research-active and meet the requirements of the Register of HDR Supervisors through mandatory training and the yearly completion of a Touchstone session.

Work with your supervisor/s to resolve problems or difficulties you or the supervisor/s identify.

1. If a problem is not resolved to your satisfaction, consult your HDR Coordinator. 

2. Contact the Dean of Graduate Studies if these problems continue .

3. Notify your HDR Coordinator and Dean as early as possible if the relationship is revealing ongoing problems. 

Assist with developing solutions to problems as they are identified whether by the student or by the supervisor/s. 

1. If a problem is not resolved to the supervisor’s satisfaction, consult the Faculty HDR Coordinator. 

2. Contact the Dean of Graduate Studies if these problems continue.

3. Gain support as early as possible if the supervisory relationship remained vexed and unproductive

Meet deadlines for written work.

Ensure the student has a realistic timetable to complete written work and meets those deadlines

Look for opportunities to develop external relationships that will benefit your research, such as industry engagements, collaborations and internships.

Support the student in developing external relationships.

Evaluate the feedback given to you through the project.  Ensure the feedback is addressed in the thesis.

Select examiners, and ensure their nomination is guided by the CDU examination processes, particularly with regard to conflict of interest.

Produce a final draft of your thesis to be reviewed by your supervisor/s.  Please ensure that supervisors have sufficient time to complete this difficult evaluation with care and precision. 

The quality of the thesis is your responsibility.

Review and evaluate the content and final draft of the student’s thesis in a timely manner. Offer clear and robust feedback to ensure the student has every opportunity to succeed in their degree.  Review the results of the text matching software and verify the authorship and integrity of the student’s work.

Ensure your thesis complies with the requirements of CDU Examination.  Ensure that if publications are included, that the role of co-authors are specified.  Run the thesis through text matching software, assess the results and discuss them with your supervisor.

Ensure that the supervisor/s have a plan in place to enable professional support and publications for the student during the examination.  Work with Graduate Studies at CDU to build this post-thesis care

Upon receipt of the examination results, make any necessary amendments, move through to re-examination if required, and / or prepare your final version to be verified by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Assist the student in the management of the required amendments and (if required) re-examination.

If you are ready to submit, please  select the  submit button.

This form will then be sent to your principal supervisor.

You will be sent a signed copy of the form once both you and your principal supervisor have signed and agreeded to the HDR Supervisory Charter. 

Overview: 

Research Integrity, Second Edition is an online learning product designed to support new and early career researchers with the responsible conduct of research. The course provides a comprehensive overview of how researchers can meet their responsibilities and obligations, drawing on the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018). Starting with the key responsibilities of researchers in the first module, the course explores the fundamentals of planning, managing, recording and publishing research. The last module covers the wider responsibilities that researchers assume as they develop their careers, from taking on different roles to communicating their findings to the public.

How to access the online module:

Steps to follow to set up an account on the system to access the course:

1. Go to this link: https://courses.epigeum.com/

2. Click on the user menu and then on “Register" and complete the form. Please use your CDU email address to register.

3. Enter Token: 3a8a57b7

4. Once registration is complete, you will receive an automatic email from technical@epigeum.com with an activation link.

5. You will need to click this link in order to activate your account.

Please check your SPAM or JUNK folder if you don’t receive this email instantly.

6. The course you are required to complete is “Research Integrity, Second Edition”

7. This course has a total of 13 modules. HDR students are required to complete the 8 Core modules as part of their Confirmation of Candidature

8. On completion of all 8 core modules, please upload certificate here

This training is only mandatory for those who commenced after 08 July 2024

Overview

RDM is about collecting, caring for, using, preserving and sharing the data supporting your research. It encompasses all practices and actions to ensure that research data are secure, sustainable, easy to find, understand and reuse.

Key elements of RDM include:

• how to store your data and back them up effectively so that they are protected against corruption and loss

• how to organise your data, using meaningful file names and logical folder structures and applying version control to modified files

• how to document your data, so that you (and others) can understand what the data are, how they were collected/generated, and how they have been processed and analysed

• how to process personal and confidential data, to ensure that sensitive data is protected

• how to preserve and share your data so that they can be consulted and re-used by other researchers, usually by using suitable data repositories

For more information, please see RDM Home - Research Data Management (RDM) - Subject guides at Charles Darwin University (cdu.edu.au)

How to access the online Research Data Management training:

1. Go to your Student Portal - Home (sharepoint.com)

2. Then go to Learnline – More information on Learnline can be found here

3. Complete the training.

4. Save a copy of your certificate and upload here

If you are ready to submit, please  select the  submit  button.

Once you press submit, the form will be sent to Reserch Degree for processing.