THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

2022 Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowships

Funding Guidelines

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowships Program is a University of Melbourne program, offered in 2021
to support early career researchers, and in recognition of the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on this
cohort. Fellowships are available to University of Melbourne PhD graduates and current academic staff
(fixed term or casual) who may have graduated with a PhD from another university.

2 OBJECTIVES

2.1 The objectives of the 2022 Program are to:

• Attract and retain talented recent doctoral graduates to the University of Melbourne in areas that
are a research priority for the University;
• Recruit researchers who have the potential to build and lead interdisciplinary collaborative
research activities inside and across Academic Divisions;
• Promote research that aligns with the university’s Advancing Melbourne strategy and research
priorities in Academic Divisions.

3 FUNDING

3.1 Each Fellowship will be awarded starting at Academic Level A6 in the University Salary Band
(currently $93,130 plus oncosts and superannuation as per the terms and conditions of
employment for University staff set out in the UoM Enterprise Agreement 2018) with an additional
single allocation of $25,000 for project costs over the term of the three-year Fellowship.

Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowships Program: Funding Guidelines for 2022 commencement Page 1
4 APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY

4.1 Applicants

Must have been awarded their PhD between 1 January 2019 and the application due date;
or
Must have been awarded their PhD on or after 1 January 2017 and had a period of significant
research career interruption between 1 January 2017 and 23 August 2021. Applicants should be
able to clearly demonstrate that their research career has been significantly constrained or
interrupted by circumstances such as chronic illness, child bearing, child rearing or other family
responsibilities such as primary responsibility for the sustained care of a dependent family member
(who may, for example, be elderly, sick or a person with disabilities), or other relevant exceptional
circumstances. Applicants who fit this criterion must indicate this in Part B of the Application Form
and answer the additional question that appears.

Submission of this Eligibility Exemption Request [EER] does not guarantee an exemption.
Applicants submitting an EER should do so at the same time as they submit their Fellowship
application.

4.2 Applicants must have graduated or have met the requirements to graduate with a PhD from the
University of Melbourne, or from another university where they are current (fixed term or casual)
employees of the University of Melbourne.

4.3 Applicants can commence their fellowship from 1 November 2021, and no later than 31 March
2022. Where applicants have a current contract beyond 31 March 2022 starting dates will be
negotiated separately.

4.4 An applicant may only ever be awarded one Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowship. Applicants to this
scheme cannot apply for the McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme.

4.5 Applicants must not have been awarded a competitively funded research fellowship 1 from any
institution external to the University of Melbourne, since the award of their PhD.

5 APPLICATION completion/compliance

5.1 Applicants may submit a maximum of one application to the 2022 Program.

5.2 All questions must be answered in English or marked ‘not applicable’. No sections of the Application
Form are to be left blank.

5.3 The application must contain all the information necessary for assessment of the project without
the need for explanation or reference to further documentation, including reference to external
websites.

1
1A competitively funded fellowship is understood to include salary costs. Awards that have been titled fellowships, but fund only non-salary
costs, are not deemed fellowships as applied to this rule.
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5.4 Applicants must not submit any additional material other than that explicitly requested within the
Application Form.

6 APPLICATION PROCESS

6.1 Applicants should review the administrative contact details and any specific requirements of their
proposed host Academic Division under the ‘How to Apply’ section of the scheme website. Any
specific requirements for an applicant’s proposed host Academic Division must be adhered to.

6.2 All applicants must establish an academic contact at the University of Melbourne and the academic
contact must be listed in Part A2 of the Application Form. Applicants should use the University’s
Find an Expert search tool to find academics in their field and liaise with the relevant Academic
Division administrative contact on how best to connect with academic staff members.

6.3 Applications are to be completed via the University of Melbourne’s SmartyGrants Portal. The link to
the application form will be published on the scheme webpage. Applications close at 3:00pm (AEST)
Monday 23 August 2021.

6.4 The Application Form consists of 6 parts:

• Part A: Administrative Summary
• Part B: Education and Appointment Details
• Part C: Project Description
• Part D: Proposed Budget
• Part E: Curriculum Vitae and Research Outputs
• Part F: Referees and Declaration

6.5 Applications submitted will not be checked for completeness or eligibility prior to final lodgment;
this is the responsibility of the applicant. Ineligible or incomplete applications will be excluded and
not considered by the Committees.

6.6 Each application must be supported by the relevant host Head of School/Department. The
certification is managed at the school/faculty level. Once your prospective host department is
aware that you will be applying to the program, they can arrange to certify their support separately
to your application.

6.7 Applicants who have an Eligibility Exemption Request must indicate this in Part B of the Application
Form.

6.9 Applicants must ask their referee to complete a written testimonial. No specific format or template
is required for the written testimonial. The referees must submit the written testimonial via email
to the address below by no later than 3:00 pm (AEST) Monday 23 August 2021.

Email: [email protected]
Subject: Confidential Report – SURNAME OF APPLICANT

7 SELECTION CRITERIA

7.1 All applications will be assessed on the following criteria:

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 a) Proposed Research Project
This includes its appropriateness to the area in which it would be located; anticipated project
outcomes; and how these will make possible strong opportunities for further external funded
fellowships or academic employment.

b) Track Record
This includes an evaluation of the research experience and publication record of the applicant
relative to opportunity, as well as the relationship between the research proposed and existing
research in their discipline.

c) Contribution to research renewal and development in the University

This includes how their proposed research will contribute to strategic research directions and
broader collaboration and linkages in the University of Melbourne.

8 EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT

8.1 A panel of senior researchers in each Academic Division will review and rank all applications that
nominate their Academic Division as the proposed host of the Fellowship. Each application that is
supported must include confirmation of co-investment from the Academic Division for Fellowship
salary.

8.2 Applications ranked by the Academic Divisions will then be reviewed on a competitive basis by a
Central Selection Committee comprising senior members of the University research community and
chaired by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Capability).

9 TIMETABLE

Monday 12 July 2021 Release of Funding Guidelines

Monday 23 August 2021, 3pm Completed applications to be submitted via SmartyGrants.

Referees to email completed written testimonials to

[email protected]

November 2021 Notification of results to applicants and Academic Divisions

November 2021 Applicants to Formally accept Fellowships

End of 2021 Funds made available to Academic Divisions

31 March 2022 Latest commencement date for Fellowship (except where

individual arrangements are reached)

Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowships Program: Funding Guidelines for 2022 commencement Page 4
10 EMPLOYMENT AND FUNDING CONDITIONS

10.1 Funding Conditions

10.1.1 Fellows will have an appointment of up to three years, with funding provided by Chancellery
(Research) and Academic Divisions as detailed in Section 3 of this document. Funding is contingent
upon a satisfactory annual report from the Fellow submitted to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research
Capability) via RIC. Funding will be provided to the host Academic Division as an annual transfer,
with the Fellowship itself to be managed via the relevant department/school.

10.1.2 This Fellowship is intended as a full-time University of Melbourne research Fellowship. Fellows may
not hold additional appointments or receive remuneration that imposes commitments that conflict
with the full time Fellowship. Candidates may undertake a small amount of teaching and graduate
research supervision specifically related to the research on which they are engaged.
10.1.3 It is the intent of the Fellowship Program that Fellows will actively contribute to collaboration and
research building in the University. Fellows cannot spend more than six months of the duration of
the Fellowship overseas or away from the University of Melbourne except where extensive
fieldwork is required for the purposes of the research and only with the explicit prior approval of
their Head of Department. Fellows should refer requests to work on their research away from the
University to their Head of Department/School and provide information on this in their annual
report.

10.1.4 Fellows will be employed by the University of Melbourne and be responsible to their host Academic
Division. Once accepted, Fellowships are transferred to the host Academic Division and any further
questions relating to funding opportunities or reimbursement need to be taken up with the
Academic Division concerned. Any additional requests for reimbursement that do not form part of
this Program should be referred to the host Academic Division.

10.1.5 Fellowships cannot be held in affiliated Medical Research Institutes of the University of Melbourne 2.
All Melbourne Fellows must be employed within an Academic Division of the University of
Melbourne. However, with the approval of the Head of an employing Department or School, the
Fellow may perform a portion of their research in these affiliated institutes of the University. The
fellow cannot be directly employed by the affiliated medical research institute.

10.1.6 Continuation of the award into the second and third years is dependent on the Fellow having
demonstrated satisfactory progress. This will be determined by the Head of Department/School and
documented in a progress report submitted to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Capability) prior
to the anniversary of the start date of each award. Melbourne Fellows are expected to demonstrate
a building and excellent body of research achievement, and to demonstrate active exploration of
and engagement in broader research linkages in the University.

10.1.7 Melbourne Fellows who apply for and are successful in gaining externally funded fellowships prior
to the end of the appointment of the Melbourne Fellowship are able to retain the $25,000 for
project costs for the full three years. The salary component of the Melbourne Fellowship will cease.

1
2These include the Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Medical Bionics Department, The Sir Peter MacCallum Department
of Oncology and the Department of Medical Biology (WEHI).
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10.1.8 Any salary or project funds remaining at the cessation and or completion of the Fellowship (aside
from that noted in 10.1.7) may be recovered by the relevant contributing unit (ie CRE or Academic
Division)

10.2 Visas and Relocation Expenses

10.2.1 It is the responsibility of Fellows to apply for and satisfy the requirements for the issue of an
appropriate entry visa to Australia, and to maintain their eligibility throughout the Melbourne
Fellowship period. The offer of a Fellowship does not guarantee that a visa will be granted, and any
offer of funding or employment is conditional upon the Fellow gaining an appropriate visa. Any
costs associated with obtaining the visa and any relocation expenses are the responsibility of the
Fellow, in consultation with their Host Department. Fellows will be able to access HR support for
guidance through the visa processes.

10.3 Period of Appointment

10.3.1 Fellows will be appointed for up to three years full-time. Fellows must take up the Fellowship no
later than 31 March 2022. The Head of Department or School must approve the commencement
date. Where applicants have a current contract beyond 31 March 2022 starting dates will be
negotiated separately.

10.4 Leave

In the case of parental leave being taken during the Fellowship, the completion date of the
Fellowship will be extended by the length of the parental leave taken. Fellows should advise both
their Academic Division and RIC when parental leave is approved. It is the responsibility of the
Fellow to liaise with their Head of Department or School and local HR contact to ensure their
employment contract is modified accordingly.

Any additional costs associated with a variation of the Fellow’s employment contract are the
responsibility of the Academic Division and/or host Department/School.

10.5 Responsibilities and Reporting Requirements

10.5.1 Fellows will report to their Head of Department or School.

10.5.2 Academic Contacts nominated in the application are expected to be a regular point of contact at
The University of Melbourne and will be expected to either provide informal mentoring to the
successful Fellow throughout the period of their Fellowships, or nominate an appropriate mentor.

10.6 Annual Progress Reports

10.6.1 Fellows are required to submit an annual progress report for the first two (2) years of their
Fellowship (i.e. one report at the end of their first year and one report at the end of their second
year). Progress reports will be available on the successful applicant’s SmartyGrants profile and
should be submitted one (1) month prior to the annual anniversary of the Fellow’s start date.

10.7 Final Report and Financial Acquittal Report

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10.7.1 Fellows are required to submit a Final Report within three months of completing their Fellowship.
Final reports will be available on the successful applicant’s SmartyGrants profile and will include a
financial acquittal. Substantial variations from the budget proposed in the Fellowship application
need to be explained.

11 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTACT

11.1 All administrative enquiries for the scheme should be directed via email to ric-
[email protected]

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