The induction to your research degree consists of several activities designed to ensure you have a positive start to your program and have all the information needed to be an effective, safe and responsible graduate research student.
You will commence your studies at Adelaide University as a provisionally enrolled graduate research student. This is a period at the start of your program when you settle in, take your first steps in the research space and commence developing your research proposal.
Provisional candidature
Formal acceptance as a graduate research candidate is a multi-stage process. For the first 12 months of candidature (or half-time equivalent) you are enrolled on a provisional basis. During this time, you will undertake several compulsory activities, and successful completion of these will lead to the Confirmation of Candidature in your degree.
Candidature confirmation involves:
- Completion and signing of the Adelaide University Candidature Agreement
- attendance at a local induction program
- completion of the online Graduate Researcher Induction
- completion of the Initial Review
- completion of the Confirmation of Candidature Review
If your School has serious concerns about your progress or your ability to complete your degree during your provisional candidature, it may recommend terminating your candidature or, for PhD students, transferring to a Master program. These recommendations are usually made during scheduled progress reviews (such as the Initial Review or Confirmation of Candidature Review). However, if concerns arise outside these milestones, your School may review your progress at any time. For more information on the Initial Review and Confirmation of Candidature Review, see Progress Reviews.
Graduate research students who commenced at the University of Adelaide or the University of South Australia prior to transitioning to Adelaide University should refer to the Transitioning Graduate Researchers page in MyAdelaide.
AU Candidature Agreement
Your professional relationship with your Principal Supervisor and the broader supervisory panel is important to the success of your research and the timely completion of your research program. Supervisors and their graduate research students must discuss their respective roles within the first month of candidature, clarifying expectations and establishing the requirements of their professional relationship and the degree program, leading to a documented, common understanding of key research aims, key dates for progress reviews, a proposed timetable and mutually agreed upon expectations in supervision. This arrangement is to be detailed in your Adelaide University Candidature Agreement.
Your signed Candidature Agreement will need to be submitted as part of your Initial Review. You should also store a copy online in a location and format accessible to you, all supervisors, the Dean of School and the Graduate Research Coordinator. It is recommended that you use Adelaide University Box for these purposes. Box allows AU staff and students to securely share and collaborate on content from any device, anywhere.
You should think of the Candidature Agreement as a dynamic document. As you progress through your candidature you may find it appropriate to meet with your supervisor(s) to revise or amend your agreement if your research or supervisory needs change. On such occasions, a new agreement should be signed and stored in a mutually accessible location like Box. Revised agreements do not need to be submitted to the Graduate Research School but should be easily accessible in case disagreements arise.
You can access the Candidature Agreement form here.
Local induction program
Soon after you enrol, your supervisor(s) or Graduate Research Coordinator will arrange a local induction for you. This induction will provide you with an opportunity to familiarise yourself with your new research environment, the administrative procedures within your School and, of course, some of the staff and other graduate research students with whom you will interact during your candidature.
Features of your local induction program will commonly include a discussion of:
- the arrangements made for you to access the resources and facilities that will be required for completion of your research project. These arrangements will be set down formally as part of the requirements for completing the Initial Review of Progress and include:
- on-site facilities (e.g. phone, photocopier, mail, stationery), office and/or laboratory accommodation
- equipment (including computer hardware and appropriate software) and technical support (e.g. Internet access for research purposes)
- potential financial support for research materials
- health, safety and wellbeing information and training
- the schedule of your School’s program of research seminars
In Schools that have a larger number of graduate research students, the arrangements for induction programs may be quite structured, while in other areas of the University you may be inducted informally by your supervisor(s).
If you have questions after your induction, or require additional information, speak with your supervisor or Graduate Research Coordinator first and contact the Graduate Research School if questions remain.
Graduate Researcher Induction
The Graduate Research School provides an online induction program for commencing graduate researchers, which you can self-enrol in and access via AU myLearning.
The online induction ensures that all graduate researchers become familiar with the information essential to navigating a research degree at the very beginning of their research program, regardless of their location or start date. It provides a valuable introduction to life as a graduate researcher at AU and is intended to complement your School-level induction program
The induction introduces you to a range of topics and services, including:
- the roles of the Graduate Research School and your supervisors
- the timeframes for completion of academic progress reviews and your research degree
- research conduct matters, including plagiarism, use of generative AI, authorship, data management, intellectual property, and ethics
- changing your candidature conditions, such as leave, upgrades, transfers, and attendance status
- professional development opportunities available through the Graduate Research & Innovation Training (GRIT) program
- on-campus services, including the library, IT, counselling, and disability support
- strategies for keeping your research on track and what to do if issues arise
Undertaking the Graduate Researcher Induction is a compulsory requirement of your candidature and must be completed within one month of commencing your research degree. Timely completion will be verified as part of your Initial Review of Progress. You may return to the online course at any time if you need to reacquaint yourself with the induction content.
