Throughout the lifecycle of a Higher Degree by Research (HDR), students (pre-candidature) and candidates are periodically reviewed by an independent panel to demonstrate to the University that high quality research is being undertaken and in a timely manner.
This page provides all the necessary information and forms to help prepare for a candidature milestone review.
It is the student/candidate’s responsibility to be aware of their timelines and discuss this with supervisors in advance of a due date.
The timelines for each review are:
Support your fellow graduate researchers as they progress through their research degrees by attending an upcoming presentation.
Download the latest presentation schedule.
This set of Guidelines has been developed to assist research students/candidates, supervisors and professional staff engaging in the Confirmation of Candidature, Mid-Candidature and Towards Submission Milestone processes at Victoria University.
See Candidature Milestone Review guidelines for more information.
To schedule your milestone review, please liaise with your supervisor to finalise a date and time. The Principal Supervisor is responsible for organising the Panel, including the Chair.
Contact the Candidature Team to obtain a current list of approved Panel Chairs.
Refer to Candidature Milestone Review guidelines for the panel composition criteria.
The Composition of Panel online application form must be submitted no later than 20 business days prior to the presentation date.
If the preference is for an on-campus face-to-face presentation, the meeting room booking is the responsibility of the Principal Supervisor.
A Zoom/Outlook invitation will be issued by the Candidature Team following panel approval (Zoom is the preferred option for presentations).
Contact [email protected] if you require assistance completing the online panel application form.
All candidates have access to their Candidature and Professional Development funds after achieving Confirmation of Candidature.
These are two separate funds and should be itemised as such.
Refer to the budget guide (see below) that correlates to your initial commencing enrolment date:
The budget template form can be attached as an appendix item in your candidature proposal, or as a separate document:
The Research Institutes handles all budget related enquiries. If you have a question regarding your budget, accessing funds, or travel and conference registration, please email:
Refer to the following requirements, before you make a submission:
Confirmation of Candidature is the first major milestone review undertaken after enrolling into a HDR degree. This is the pre-candidature phase of research and therefore only provisionally approved until candidature has been achieved.
To help prepare for the first candidature milestone, please use the VU HDR MyPlan Confirmation of Candidature Self-Assessment Tool in consultation with your supervisor (not required for submission)
The following documents are required 14 days prior the scheduled presentation date:
The Mid-Candidature Review is the second milestone Doctor of Philosophy candidates will undertake in their Higher Degree by Research (HDR) enrolment.
Refer to the Candidature Milestone Guidelines for documents required for submission (see Appendix E Checklist for Submission of Documents).
Application forms include:
The Towards Submission Review is the final milestone undertaken in a Higher Degree by Research degree.
A thesis won’t be accepted for examination until the Towards Submission Review has been achieved. Late submission extensions are also considered at this review.
Candidates and the supervisory team will be notified by the Office of Research Training, Quality & Integrity when to schedule your presentation for this milestone.
Refer to the Candidature Milestone Guidelines for documents required for submission (see Appendix E Checklist for Submission of Documents).
All candidates are required to check the originality of their thesis with the with the Ouriginal (Originality Check) software. This will help to avoid missed citations or accidental plagiarism.
Refer to the guide to using Ouriginal.
Research Ambassadors can also provide you with support for Urkund.
The following processes must be undertaken when seeking an extension:
Your pre-candidature may be extended for a defined period up to a maximum of 12 months (EFT) from the commencement of your pre-candidature phase. To obtain an extension you must have experienced unanticipated difficulties during the pre-candidature period as a result of one or more of the following:
Complete an application for extension form.
If you need to extend your pre-candidature, please contact the Office for Researcher Training, Quality and Integrity within six months (effective full-time) of the commencement of your pre-candidature.
If you are enrolled in a Research Training Place (RTP) only and have been materially adversely impacted by COVID-19, you may be eligible to apply for an extension to candidature. Before you submit an application as part of the Towards Submission candidature milestone, please refer to the COVID-19 extension guide for further information.
If you require further information, please email [email protected].
