If you need some independent, confidential advice, you can come to the Graduate Research School and speak to Shona Blair, the Student Liaison Manager.

Shona Blair
Email: s.blair@unsw.edu.au
Tel: (02) 9385 6067

The Graduate Research School organises an Orientation session for new postgraduate research students at the beginning of each semester. If you missed the last Orientation session, you can download the "Essentials for Postgraduate Research Students" booklet here.

In addition, most Schools provide an induction program for new postgraduate research students. You should ask your supervisor or School Postgraduate Coordinator about this.

If research involving humans or animals is being conducted, ethics approval must be obtained. Research involving humans may be anything from an interview, to a survey, to scientific experiments.

You should discuss your ethics approval requirements with your supervisor at the start of your candidature and reassess as required throughout candidature.

The Ethics Secretariat within UNSW Research Services manages all ethics applications and queries at the University.

The Ethics Secretariat website contains the necessary application forms, guidelines and rules for ethics procedures for research projects. If you have any further enquiries after visiting the Ethics website please phone 9385 4234.

Useful links

Animal Ethics website

Human Ethics website

You can find the policy at the Risk Management website

The Risk Management Unit oversees risk issues across the University. Services include risk consulting, business unit annual risk reviews, project risks, support of risk committees, travel advisories and insurance Subject to conditions, the University provides insurance cover for personal accidents and travel for research students enrolled at UNSW. Further information is available from the Insurance Page of the Risk Management Unit’s website. Students must log in using their student number and Unipin. For further details, go to:
Web: www.fin.unsw.edu.au/riskman/rmusplash.html

For further information please email Azita Karpour in the Risk Management Unit or phone on ph 9385 1980.

Students who are in receipt of a scholarship should check their scholarship conditions as there may be provision for some financial assistance with thesis binding costs.

Some Schools are also willing to provide assistance with binding costs, so check with your School. If you are eligible for a refund of your binding costs, you must produce a completed copy of the appropriate form along with a written receipt from the bookbinders to obtain a full refund.

Both the supervisor and the student have a responsibility to ensure an effective meeting system is established and maintained. Therefore, you are strongly advised to work out a meeting system with your supervisor from the beginning of your candidature. This way you can avoid miscommunications or misunderstandings as to who will be initiating meetings, how often you both feel it is necessary to meet etc. It is also advisable to keep some kind of record of meetings, particularly when you will be meeting next, and what you have both agreed to do before then.

Come to the Graduate Research School. We will be happy to provide you with advice.

Additionally, the UNSW "Grievance Resolution Policy for Research Students" provides formal policy on the process of resolving a dispute.

Useful university documents include the "Policy on Intellectual Property", "UNSW Code of Conduct", and the "UNSW Code of Conduct for the Responsible Practice of Research".

Additionally, the Graduate Research School can inform students about intellectual property, safety and ethical issues.