For Postgraduate Researchers

Useful information and resources to help you pursue a research career

1. What do you want to do?
   Think about your career plan and the kind of job you want to do.
   
2. People to talk with:
   • Supervisor
   • Other members of your department
   • Head of Department
   • Postdoctoral researhers (include those from other disciplines)
   • Researchers
   • Research Office staff
   • Careers counsellors
      
3. Find out who the key people are in your area of research  
   • Check the web pages of the university or research institute.
   • Ask for introductions.
   • Contact them - by phone, letter or in person.
   • Prepare your 'calling card' to promote yourself and your research work, in one or two pages.
   • Make yourself known.
      
4. Work on research projects of established researchers
   Established researchers applying for research funding can include research personnel (with PhDs) needed for the proposed project, either named or unnamed. You could be that named person! When unnamed personnel are included and the grant application is successful these positions are filled by advertising. Know when the results of the major grant schemes are announced. Look out for these advertisements.
    
5. When should you start looking for postdoctoral funding? 
   The funding cycle can take a period of several months, from the application stage to notification of results, with the actual funds being awarded in the year following that of the application. So start your search well in advance!
    

Research Office Resources

• Research Office GrantsWatch 
• Calendar
• Major Australian Research Funding Sources
  • Australian Research Council (ARC)
  • National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 
  • Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR)
  • Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR)
  • Australian Competitive Grants Register (ACGR) 
  • Department of Health and Ageing

• Monash University Schemes 
• Major International Funding Sources 
• Monash University London Centre
  Funding schemes for researchers travelling to and from Australia, the UK and continental Europe.
• Writing Grant Applications

Funding Information Databases

These are searchable, web databases for staff and students, accessible from all Monash campuses and externally through the Monash web server.

SPIN - Sponsored Program Information Network 

COS - Community of Science  

COS Pre-set searches relating to sponsors based in  Australia | New Zealand | UK   

Searching and using COS Funding Opportunities (.pdf 173kb )

Using COS Funding Opportunities ( .ppt 3346 KB)

JASON Joint Academic Scholarships Online Network 

Australian information database for postgraduate scholarships which will allow students to study either at a university in Australia or to travel overseas as part of their program.

Jobs

• Monash University Careers and Employment  Workshops and programs to help you get the job you want.
• Jobs at Monash - Look at the description of the job. Does it fit in with your career plans?.
• Other Australian Universities - Go to the Departmental and Research Office websites.  Review the work being done in your field. Check the jobs and fellowships being advertised . Visit other universities if possible.

Newsmedia

• The Australian - Higher Educational Supplement 
• News Ltd web link for newspapers in each state
• Weekend Australian
• Campus Review 
• The Age

Other Databases

• ResearchJobs 
  Weekly employment service for positions in the Research & Development sector in Australia.
• Career.edu - Job board for the academic and research community 
  Job seekers can submit resumes and employers can post current openings for faculty, postdoctoral, and graduate student positions free of charge. This is a nonprofit network organized specifically for the international academic community. Australia joined in November 2005.
• Academic Careers Online
  Global job site of career opportunities in education and academia.
• Science Careers
  Allows you to search for the latest openings from hundreds of employers, post your resume, and create job alert agents.
• British Council Australia Database
  Provides information on sources of funding for science-related study or work in the UK.
• Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO)
  Australia's largest public sector research agencies.

Contact: If you have enquiries with the information on these pages or need assistance  Dennis Batson, Grants Officer  dennis.batson@adm.monash.edu.au Tel 990 53085

The URL for this web page is -   http://www.monash.edu.au/research/academics/funding/information/postgrad/index.html