Managing your research students

Supporting your research candidates

Our research students are amongst our most important research colleagues, and many of them continue to face uncertainty about their study, and for internationals, anxiety and stress because of the COVID‑19 situation overseas. Supervisors will be looked upon to provide trusted advice, leadership, mentorship, and support. We appreciate your ongoing efforts and trust your skills and experience will mean you continue to give the right academic advice and support.

Within the Division, communication of issues with Associate Deans (Postgraduate) is vital. Within the University, the Graduate Research School is the central point for information, advice, and guidance – so it is also vital that Graduate Research School receives timely information about important issues with graduate research candidates.

The impact of COVID‑19 will vary depending on the level of your candidates. Remember to consider your postgraduate diploma and honours dissertation students, as well as master's and doctoral candidates.

Many research candidates continue to feel anxious about their planned research and financial support. Supervisors should be helping candidates revisit their project plans and decide if any re‑scoping is required. Moreover, with community transmission of COVID-19 occurring, it is important to ensure plans are made for disruptions to research due to your candidate or key support staff or yourself contracting COVID-19 or having to self-isolate as a close contact. Please revise any plans your candidate has to travel in the next 6 months. Given the uncertainty and high likelihood of disruption, only domestic travel for essential purposes should be considered. If your candidate is using any University funding for travel, it must be approved by your Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

Here are some other points to bear in mind:

• Your candidates may be stressed and it is unrealistic to expect the same level of productivity pre‑COVID‑19. Adjust your expectations! Similarly, your candidates may have unrealistic expectations of support you can provide. Thus it is important to have a conversation about expectations of each other.
• A project completed under COVID‑19 conditions is unlikely to be comparable to that produced under 'normal' conditions.
• It is important to focus on what is necessary in order to meet the assessment criteria for the degree, e.g. for doctoral study an original and significant contribution to knowledge is required. Wider aspirations for publications or 'exceptional thesis' status may need to be tempered in these extraordinary times – every thesis produced through this period will be exceptional!
• Candidates most impacted will be those whose fieldwork, lab work, or clinical trials have been interrupted (and those at University of Otago, Wellington have the additional major disruption to deal with). Supervisors need to provide guidance on alternative plans. For example, during the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes, many candidates could not complete a full set of experiments. For those part-way through, some were able to write up final 'results' chapters with preliminary data and a critical analysis of what a completed experiment should have achieved. In other cases, if seriously impacted a new project may be needed, or the candidate might need to defer if wanting to continue with the same project.
• Extensions to the timeframe normally allowed to complete a research project or thesis may be possible. There tends to be less flexibility for diploma, honours, and some masters' candidates, but do check with your Associate Dean (Postgraduate) about what might be possible. Many PhD candidates are unaware they can go over 3 years, so please reassure them this is possible (but may have funding and visa implications).
• If you think there has been significant disruption to your thesis candidate's study, please encourage them to remain enrolled (where possible) rather than apply for a deferral, and instead apply for a tuition fee waiver and funds for additional living costs for up to two months. They can do this through the Pūtea Tautoko student hardship fund, and note they can apply more than once (but not more than one application per semester).
• If a retrospective deferral is thought to be appropriate, note this should be lodged by March if it includes any months in the previous calendar year. International candidates do need to consult with the student visa team, as deferrals can impact their visa.
• Examiners globally will be aware of the COVID‑19 pandemic. However, they may not be aware of the local impact with a physical lockdown, travel restrictions, and ongoing difficulties relating to lab supplies. If COVID‑19 has significantly impacted the nature of your candidate's research, this form can be used to provide guidance to examiners about the nature of the disruption:
  Guidance in relation to COVID‑19 pandemic circumstances (Word)

Considering applications for new research candidates

The New Zealand borders are now being progressively opened, with key points being:

• New Zealand citizens and residents, and other eligible travellers under current border settings, can travel from Australia at 11:59pm on 27 February 2022
• New Zealand citizens and residents, other eligible travellers under current border settings, some skilled workers and travellers on working holiday schemes can travel from the rest of the world at 11:59pm on 13 March 2022
• Current offshore temporary visa holders and up to 5,000 international students can travel at 11:59pm on 12 April 2022
• Open to anyone in Australia, for visa-waiver countries, and the Accredited Employer Work Visa by July 2022
• New Zealand's border reopens to visitors from anywhere in the world, and all visa categories fully reopen in October 2022
• Travellers, who are vaccinated, will be required to self-isolate on arrival for ten days, and will have to meet other health requirements

Of particular note is the plan to allow up to 5000 international students into New Zealand between April and September. However, we are waiting to hear how many places Otago will be allocated and any criteria for selection. In due course we will correspond directly with our remote start PhDs and those waiting to enter New Zealand to start, about this opportunity.

In the meantime, please continue to consider applications from domestic and overseas candidates. We have seen an increase in interest from domestic candidates, and remember top achieving students with a domestic honours or master's research degree may well be eligible for a guaranteed doctoral scholarship. Thus it is important to encourage promising prospective students, as well as continue with your advertising more widely.

When responding to international enquiries, be clear about expectations of when travel to New Zealand may be possible, i.e. not until late 2022 for new candidates, and early 2023 more likely. Immigration New Zealand will not be processing any new student visas until October, except for those arriving as part of government initiatives.

University of Otago Doctoral Scholarships for offshore international students

Updated: Friday 27 May 2022

Reopening of University of Otago Doctoral Scholarships to all prospective international PhD students

With the reopening of the New Zealand border and international students able to apply for a student visa from 31 July 2022, all prospective international PhD students will soon be able to be considered for a University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship. Last week the University's Scholarships and Prizes Committee agreed to a timeline and process for reopening.

Currently eligible international students

Decisions can currently be made on University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship applications from the following groups of international students:

• International students currently residing in New Zealand
• Australian citizens
• International students with a border exemption to study in New Zealand under an approved government cohort or as a critical worker
• International students with approval to commence their programme overseas

The Doctoral Scholarships Selection Panel will convene its normal monthly meetings to consider applications from these students and domestic applications from May to July 2022. These meetings are held on the last Tuesday of each month. The panel comprises the Manager, Postgraduate Scholarships, the Manager, Graduate Research School and an Associate Dean Postgraduate from each Academic Division.

Partial reopening from July 2022

All offshore international students who have been ineligible for consideration since July 2020 will have their applications considered at a special meeting of the monthly Doctoral Scholarships Selection Panel in July 2022. Limited funding will be available at this meeting. A small number of applicants who are unsuccessful will be placed on a reserve list and their applications will be reconsidered alongside other new applicants at either the August 2022 or September 2022 meetings of the Doctoral Scholarships Selection Panel.

Student Administration is currently contacting students in this group along with their proposed supervisors to confirm that students still wish to come to Otago and that supervision will still be available.

Full reopening from August 2022

All applications from offshore international students will be considered by the monthly Doctoral Scholarships Selection Panel as per pre-pandemic process.

Commencing international research candidates based overseas

The New Zealand borders are now fully reopened and Immigration New Zealand is accepting and processing applications for student visas. However, as we transition back to pre-pandemic arrangements, and with strong justification, we can still allow international PhD applicants to begin their studies remotely.

The Tertiary Education Commission has advised that until 1 March 2023, PhD candidates studying offshore can still have domestic fee status, without being on approved overseas research leave (and furthermore, time offshore until 1 March 2023, will not count towards the usual 12 months allowance of approved overseas research leave).

Providing the candidate has already, or intends to apply for a visa, and other criteria below are met/approval is given under the process below, we will progress enrolment. This means the candidate does not have to wait for their visa before enrolling.

This allows the University of Otago to enrol new PhD candidates who are outside of New Zealand where appropriate supervision can be provided at a distance, and where the candidate is able to access the necessary resources required to undertake their PhD studies.

Because enrolling candidates who do not yet have a visa is a risk to the candidate (as they may not obtain one), and also to the University (given the resourcing we provide), it is important to make candidates and potential supervisors aware of the following criteria.

Criteria for enrolling new international PhD candidates who start remotely

To enrol new international PhD candidates who are not physically located on one of our campuses, the following criteria need to be met:

1. The candidate must have an unconditional offer of admission (this means any qualifying degrees must have been completed and any English Language requirements have been met).
2. If the candidate does not yet have a visa, the candidate should have already, or be intending to submit an application.
3. If the candidate's visa is approved by Immigration New Zealand, the candidate will normally be expected to arrange travel (at their own cost) to New Zealand as soon as practical (unless they are undertaking field or lab work that requires them to stay offshore).
4. The candidate must understand that if they do not get a visa, or if they choose to do their full degree by distance, they will be liable for international fees. International fees would only apply from 1 March 2023.
5. There must be a supervision plan in place for distance supervision that specifies frequency of contact (this should be weekly, at least in some form, during the first few months) and how meetings will be conducted, as well as any co-supervisory arrangements.
6. The research must be able to be initiated off campus and sustained until the candidate is able to get to New Zealand. Enrolment while offshore must be full-time, to allow visa processing.
7. The candidate must have an internet connection of good enough quality to support video conferencing through platforms such as Zoom, Skype, or Google Hangouts, and that enables access to library data bases and eVision.
8. The candidate must be able to pay the enrolment fees from a distance, or, for scholarship holders, the fees can be paid by the relevant funder – this should be checked if the funder is overseas.
9. The candidate can be considered for a University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship, but if they are successful in their application, they will only receive the tuition fee rebate, and not the scholarship stipend component, until they are able to get to New Zealand. The stipend will not be backdated from the time of overseas commencement, stipend entitlement is only from time of arrival on campus. Should overseas commencement begin 1 March 2023 or later, and it is not considered part of the provision for 12 months overseas research tenure, scholarship applicants need to be aware that they will be charged international tuition fees, and the scholarship will only cover the charge applied to students within New Zealand.
10. All parties need to understand that requirements for Confirmation still have to be met under remote working conditions – including, where required, completion of an ethics application and presentation of a research proposal.

Alternately, discuss deferring a start date, and reassure them their offer for admission and a scholarship (if applicable) remain open for up to a year and longer by request (and if feasible).

Process for gaining remote start approval

The primary supervisor should write to Andrew Lonie, Manager at the Graduate Research School (email andrew.lonie@otago.ac.nz) with commentary on the following:

1. Confirmation that the supervisor and candidate have considered and addressed the criterial above;
2. Strong justification for remote start, principally for research-related reasons;
3. Clear rationale and plan for research activities to be completed overseas;
4. Confirmation of support arrangements, including plans for supervisory meetings (as per Point 5 in the criteria above);
5. Confirmation of resourcing (e.g. for data collection, travel etc);
6. Endorsement from supervisory team, and approval by Head of Department;
7. Confirmation of the candidate's start date (must be first day of a month).

Once the request has been considered and approved at the Graduate Research School, the School will inform the primary supervisor, and request Student Administration – Admissions to set up the remote enrolment.

Research candidates overseas

Graduate Research School has information about research candidates who are currently overseas on personal travel or for research. Your role as an academic supervisor or research colleague is to act as the principal liaison with your candidates as they continue their research remotely or defer, and plan to return to New Zealand if that becomes possible or appropriate.

If your candidate needs to extend their time away, and they already have lodged a change of research details form, and their plans are not substantially changing, just email phd@otago.ac.nz with the new return date. If your candidate has not lodged a change of research details form to be on approved study overseas (e.g. if they are now studying overseas after a holiday or deferral), you must do this – see the section on off-campus study, and get them to complete a Postgraduate Travel Overseas Research and Safety Plan (details about the overseas travel for research policy).

We have had greater flexibility to allow international candidates to conduct research or write-up their thesis overseas while our borders are closed and maintain domestic fee status. For PhD candidates who are already enrolled and conducting research overseas, we can allow them to be away for more than 12 months and still maintain domestic fee status. But now that the borders are opening, your candidate needs to be aware that once they are able to return, they are expected to do so within 3 months or be switched to an international fee status.

We are awaiting more details to confirm how many we can nominate in the latest cohort of 5000, and who may be eligible. We already have our remote starts on the list of possible nominees, but if you have other PhD candidates waiting to enter New Zealand to start please email their details (name, ID and contact email) to returntootago@otago.ac.nz.

Allowing international candidates to return home to continue PhD study

The Graduate Research School are currently getting occasional requests from international PhD candidates who are here, wanting to return home because of COVID‑19-related issues – usually family-related.

If an international PhD candidate is wanting to return to their home country to continue their studythey need to be aware that once our border opens to their country, they are expected to return, or face a change to international fee status.

We require candidates to complete an off-campus request section of the Change of Research Details form, and get it approved by their supervisor (and then sent through for further signatures as required).

There are particular aspects which need to be considered, when completing the form:

• Reasons for returning home (these could be compassionate / family / COVID‑19-related, etc. reasons)
• Confirmation from supervisor that their research, and supervision of it, can continue from a distance
• Brief details of how supervision will work at a distance – points that should be covered are here
• Confirmation that the candidate will have access to an internet connection of good enough quality to support video conferencing through platforms such as Zoom, Skype, or Google Hangouts, and that connection enables access to library databases and eVision
• That the candidate has a mechanism to be able to pay any tuition fees that are due, while they are overseas
• The candidate must complete and submit to their Department, a Postgraduate Travel Overseas Research and Safety Plan (details about the overseas travel for research policy), form prior to departure. This is particularly important at the moment, as COVID‑19 presents a widespread Travel Safety issue that should be noted in that section of the form, in addition to any other issues particular to the candidate's situation / travel plans.

Please note that if overseas study is approved, the candidate would be allowed to pay fees at the domestic rate, as long as the borders back into New Zealand remain closed and/or travel is impractical.

Once the borders are open, the candidate could remain overseas on domestic fee status, providing it was for research-related reasons that cannot be done in New Zealand (e.g., data collection, field or lab work), and providing their time away from New Zealand does not exceed 12 months (this time away does not include border closure period during COVID‑19). If the reason is not research-related (e.g. write‑up), then international fees would apply.

We apologise for the level of detail required in the application, but in these COVID‑19 times there are more things to consider with overseas research / travel.

The deferral option

Rather than applying for a deferral, if the disruption is only for one or two months, encourage your candidate to keep enrolled and instead apply for a scholarship extension (or, for self-funders, a tuition fee waiver and additional living expenses) via the Pūtea Tautoko Student Support Fund.

We are only approving grants for candidates whose scholarships finish in the next year; those with longer tenures are being encouraged to document the disruption, and then apply in their final year of tenure. This is because some candidates may be able to catch-up on some lost time, particularly those who are early in their doctoral studies.

Deferrals are only available for master's thesis and doctoral candidates. To apply for a deferral for COVID‑19-related reasons please use the usual form or your candidate can apply through their eVision portal. To extend a deferral, either use the form or request by email, with the request including candidate details (name and student ID), start and finish dates (first and last day of a month), a reason, and then be endorsed by the supervisor and head of department before being sent to phd@otago.ac.nz or masters@otago.ac.nz.

If your candidate is up‑to‑date with analysis and writing and cannot progress any experiments or fieldwork because of COVID-19 restrictions, then a deferral might be an option. These can be for a calendar month or more.

However, a deferral does have consequences:

• A candidate cannot access resources (including online library resources). Note, Dunedin candidates on deferral can still access Student Health during the COVID‑19 situation.
• If on scholarship or a departmental award, their payments cease.
• If international and a master's candidate, they could (and likely will, if in New Zealand), lose their student visa.
• If international and a doctoral candidate, they can only have a deferral for up to 3 months in a 12 month period without losing their student visa. Because of the COVID‑19 situation, there may be more flexibility allowed by Immigration New Zealand.

It is important that international candidates considering a deferral email student.visa@otago.ac.nz to check any implications for their visa.

Another option to consider is for your candidates to keep doing what they can, and then, in a few months, once the impact is better able to be gauged, apply for a retrospective deferral (but note it is preferable to keep them enrolled and encourage them to instead apply to the Pūtea Tautoko Student Hardship Fund). If applying for a retrospective deferral that includes time away from study in the previous year, this application must be lodged by 5 March.

One consequence of a retrospective deferral is that, if on scholarship funding, it means your candidate will have been overpaid. Thus any future payments would be decreased or the stipend would end before the end of the enrolment period.

Student visas

To keep updated on travel restrictions and visa information visit the Immigration New Zealand website.

Thesis examination procedures

Remember to ask to see your candidate's Turnitin report prior to them handing in their thesis.

Following Lockdown in 2020, we have moved to accept digital versions of theses only.

Details of thesis submission procedures for doctoral candidates
Details of thesis submission procedures for master's thesis candidates

If COVID‑19 has significantly impacted the nature of their research, this form can be used to provide guidance to examiners about the nature of the disruption.

Guidance in relation to COVID-19 pandemic circumstances (Word)

For further information and updates please regularly check:

• University of Otago COVID‑19 website, and note the section for graduate research candidates
• New Zealand Government COVID‑19 website