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GRS Travel Award

The intention of the Graduate Research Travel Award is to facilitate international and interstate travel for research purposes. Only in exceptional cases, and only for long distance travel, can the award be used for travel within Western Australia.

    • The Board of the Graduate Research School, on the recommendation of the Head of School/Graduate Research Coordinator concerned, may grant a candidate for a research higher degree, an award for travel within Australia or overseas directly relevant to the candidate's research work, including fieldwork, conference attendance and travel to gather research data.

    Eligibility

    1. The awards are available to full-time and part-time candidates enrolled in higher degree by research courses with a normal course length of at least two years, full-time equivalent.
    2. Subject to 3, travel awards will normally be granted only for travel within a candidate’s allocated candidature time or, in exceptional circumstances and on the basis of a case made by the supervisors and Graduate Research Coordinator, for travel up to six months* after submission of the thesis, as long as this was achieved within the allocated candidature time. *This period may be extended to six months where a student’s intended travel to present their work at a conference was prevented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
    3. In exceptional circumstances and on the basis of a case made by the supervisors and Graduate Research Coordinator, the Graduate Research School may approve the provision of a travel award to a candidate during an extension of candidature, or up to six months* after submission of the thesis after an extension of candidature provided that: (a) the extension was required as a result of research-related delays outside the control of the candidate; and (b) the intention to travel was clearly indicated in the application for extension and accounted for in the Completion Plan. *This period may be extended to six months where a student’s intended travel to present their
      work at a conference was prevented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
    4. A member of the academic staff of this or any other higher-education institution, or a person in employment which provides access to travel subsidies who is enrolled for a research higher degree, is not normally eligible for an award.
    5. An applicant's research proposal must have been approved by the relevant board (GRS or Faculty Board) prior to approval of a travel award.

    Number of awards

    • Unless the Board of the Graduate Research School permits otherwise, candidates will be eligible for only one travel award during enrolment in a research higher degree programs at this institution. However, candidates may apply for the award in up to three instalments as detailed below.
    • A candidate who has received an award and who subsequently completes their degree program is eligible to receive another award if they later enrol in a further research higher degree program at UWA.
    • Candidates who have received an award and who subsequently transfer to another UWA research higher degree program at the same or a lower level will not be eligible for a second award.

    Application

    • Although applications will normally be processed 3-6 months prior to the intended date of departure, earlier applications may be considered.
    • Awards are not offered retrospectively.

    Insurance

    • Candidates must comply with the University's Travel Insurance Policy and take additional insurance where any period of leave is not related to their degree program.

    Award amounts

    • For travel within Australia, a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $750, inclusive of fares and subsistence, can be awarded per application.
    • For externally enrolled candidates, for travel within the country in which they are recorded as studying, a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $750, inclusive of fares and subsistence, can be awarded per application.
    • For overseas travel, a maximum of $1850, inclusive of fares and subsistence can be awarded.
    • The total maximum funding available under the award for each candidate is $1850.
    • Reimbursement will be given for airfares only when the air travel has been booked according to University policy, through one of the University's preferred providers.
    • For each application approved under the travel award, within 1 month of completion of the travel for which the award was made, the candidate must provide receipts for the value of the award using the template provided.