Funding for Graduate and Postgraduate Student Research

There is a Faculty policy on the maximum amounts of financial support that will be provided for students undertaking research as part of their Postgraduate Diploma, BA(Hons), BCS(Hons), BMus(Hons), BSocSc(Hons), BTour(Hons), MA, MA (Applied), MAppPsych, MEP, MMus, MSocSc, MPhil, PhD or DMA degree. This policy is administered by the departments.

Assistance is provided for research students doing directed studies, dissertations (or the Composition Studies (60 points) or Performance Studies (60 points) papers for the BMus(Hons)) and theses (or the Composition Portfolio (120 points) or Advanced Performance (120 points) papers for the MMus). Only Postgraduate Diploma, Honours, Masters, MPhil, DMA and PhD research students enrolled in the Faculty will be eligible for any financial support from internal funding (i.e. from the Faculty budget) for research expenses or conference attendance.

Research students, who are also staff members in the Faculty and eligible for financial support for their research and/or conference attendance from the Department or Faculty, may opt to take funding under whichever policy is the more favourable for them.

What can be claimed?

1. Research expenses reimbursement

Only direct research expenses will be reimbursed. Departments can provide their research students with details of eligible expenses relevant to their discipline and of relevant University policies and procedures. Students should make sure they are clear what they can claim before embarking on the research. In all cases, University policy and procedures must be followed.

What can be claimed will depend on the particular research. For example, some research may require access to the internet, and such research may allow students to claim some of the internet charges directly related to their research.

Some further examples:

• Travel within New Zealand for the purpose of data collection: any travel must be directly related to the research (such as visiting a necessary archive or travel to conduct interviews). Costs relating to travel overseas for research purposes will not normally be eligible, although some cases may be considered on a case by case basis.
• Photocopying of materials required to undertake the research (such as questionnaires or material required from archives) may be eligible. If so, the cost of producing questionnaires will be reimbursed up to the amount it would cost at Campus Copy (i.e., this cost sets the maximum that will be reimbursed if students produce them themselves and then provide receipts for ink cartridges and paper).
• The costs of some research materials may be eligible for reimbursement. Where the research materials are items such as books, pre-recorded tapes, or CDs, then these purchases are the property of the University and should be bar-coded by the Library and returned to the University on completion of the research.
• Tapes for recording interviews count as consumable items and these costs can be reimbursed provided the taping was a direct component of the research.
• Where special items of equipment are required for the research, the department may approve their purchase if the equipment is not available for loan or hire from the University. Equipment so purchased will belong to the department, may not be taken overseas and must be returned to the department on completion of the research. The department may approve reimbursement of the cost of hiring equipment for use in research carried out overseas.
• Specialist computer software required to undertake the research and not already provided by the department or University may be eligible. The software will belong to the department and must be returned to the department once the research is completed.

This policy assumes that required research equipment (such as experimental control equipment) is not available in the department concerned or for hire or loan from the University.

2. Conference attendance

The full costs of conferences cannot be covered and grants-in-aid only will be given. In all cases these will be made only if the student is giving a paper based on their thesis or dissertation research. The supervisor must confirm in writing that the paper is directly on the student’s research.

When students are working on externally funded projects which also provide funds for conference attendance, then they can use up to the amount specified by this policy to supplement their expenses when they are not covered entirely by the outside funds. This also applies when students are on scholarships which provide a grant-in-aid for conference attendance. In either case, students must submit budgets to the relevant departments which show the total costs incurred in attending the conference and also show how much of this is provided by the external source or scholarship.

Maximum amounts [1]

1. Taught graduate papers

• Course expenses: Incurred for taught graduate papers will not be eligible for reimbursement.
• Conference attendance: Students undertaking Postgraduate Diplomas or Honours for Bachelor's degrees comprising taught papers are not eligible for support for conference attendance.

2. Honours directed study (590) or dissertation (591)

• Research expenses and conference attendance: If the directed study or disseration consists solely of a research project, then up to $100 may be reimbursed for research expenses and/or for conference attendance to present the results of a directed study.

3. Master’s dissertation (592)

• Research expenses: Up to $250 for research expenses for a two-paper (60 points) dissertation.
• Dissertation production costs: The cost of binding and copying one copy of a dissertation will be covered only if the department has a policy of keeping a copy of each dissertation.
• Conference attendance: Up to $100 for a North Island and up to $250 for either a South Island or an overseas conference provided a student is giving a paper or poster on their dissertation and/or the student is named as one of the authors in a multi-authored presentation.

4. Master’s thesis (593)

• Research expenses: Up to $375 for research expenses for a three-paper (90 points) thesis.
• Thesis production costs: The cost of binding and copying one copy of a thesis.
• Conference attendance: Up to $100 for a North Island and up to $250 for either a South Island or an overseas conference provided a student is giving a paper or poster on their thesis and/or the student is named as one of the authors in a multi-authored presentation.

5. Master’s thesis (594)

• Research expenses: Up to $500 for research expenses for a four-paper thesis (120 points).
• Thesis production costs: The cost of binding and copying one copy of the thesis.
• Conference attendance: Up to $100 for a North Island and up to $250 for either a South Island or an overseas conference provided a student is giving a paper or poster on their thesis research and/or the student is named as one of the authors in a multi-authored presentation.

6. MPhil

• Research expenses: Up to $500 for research expenses over the whole enrolment in the MPhil.
• Thesis production costs: The cost of binding and copying one copy of the thesis.
• Conference attendance: Up to $500 for one conference while enrolled and provided the student is giving a paper on their thesis research and the student is one of the authors.

7. PhD and Doctor of Musical Arts

• Research expenses: Up to $1500 during the four years of full-time doctoral enrolment for research expenses. Where appropriate for the research, the department may choose to allow the student to claim some portion of the total reimbursement (up to the maximum amount) allowed in a shorter period. Students should be clear that once the full $1500 has been claimed, no more can be claimed, even if the thesis continues for several more years.
• Thesis production costs: The cost of binding and copying one copy of the thesis.
• Conference attendance: Up to $1500 for expenses, normally for up to two conferences while enrolled and provided the student is giving a paper on their thesis research and the student is named as one of the authors in a multi-authored paper.

Budgeting research and claiming any reimbursement:

Students should discuss with their supervisor(s) what eligible research expenses are and how to claim any reimbursement before starting research.

Students who are enrolled in more than one department for their thesis or dissertation should clarify which department will provide any reimbursement prior to starting their research. Departments may sometimes share this responsibility or one may take full responsibility.

Claims for Master's and directed study or dissertation research expense reimbursement can be made during the course of the research or once the thesis, dissertation or directed study has been submitted. Students should ask their supervisor(s) what the department’s policy is on this prior to starting their research.

Note: Some departments require students to work with their supervisors to produce a budget before starting the research. Some also require that students have their budget formally approved prior to starting, and some require this to be done before any expenses are eligible for reimbursement. Students should make sure they are familiar with their department’s procedures on these matters.

Costs should be considered during the research planning phase and the budget should be considered before finalising the research plan.

Departments have different processes for claiming a refund and for checking eligibility of the expense. All departments will require receipts before any reimbursement can be made so students should ensure they collect and retain relevant receipts.

¹ Where students are studying part-time these amounts will be reimbursed on a pro rata basis. [back]