HDR placements

Placements take time to arrange. Start by discussing your interest in a placement with your Principal Advisor. We recommend allowing at least 2 to 3 months from submitting a project brief to the intended placement start date. The UQ Graduate School is here to support you through this process.

There are two types of placements:

• Self-Sourced Placements: Most HDR candidates choose to find their own placement, usually drawing on their own networks or the networks of their advisory team.
• Advertised Placements: Some placements are advertised and open to both domestic and international PhD or MPhil students. Any restrictions will be clearly noted in the advertisement.

HDR placements are designed to complement your research training, not delay it. Placements can be undertaken at any stage of candidature after confirmation, provided you remain actively enrolled and meet the relevant scholarship or program eligibility criteria. Where possible, aim to complete your placement at least one month before your stipend ends and well ahead of thesis submission.

• You are eligible for funding if you:
  • Are enrolled as a PhD candidate
  • Submit your application and have your placement project approved via my.UQ within 18 months (36 months part-time)
  • Complete a placement of at least 60 working days.
• You must be actively enrolled as a HDR candidate at UQ. Placements cannot be taken while on interruption. 
• Review available scholarships and awards:
  • PhD Industry Placement Scholarship: for candidates commencing from the beginning of 2022 on a Graduate School Scholarship
  • PhD Industry Placement Award: for candidates commencing from the beginning of 2022, supported by non-Graduate School funding sources
  • Career Development Scholarship: for candidates commencing before 2022 on a Graduate School Scholarship
• You must complete the placement before your stipend expires. The PhD Industry Placement Scholarship extends your stipend by three months upon successful completion of the placement. Keep this in mind while negotiating your placement dates with the host.

• Choosing the right host is a key step in arranging your placement. Most candidates partner with organisations in industry, government, or the not-for-profit sector.
• Talk to your advisor — they may be able to introduce you to potential hosts.
• Make sure the host organisation meets the federal government’s definition of a research end user.
• Check if the potential host has a placement agreement in place with UQ. If not, one will need to be established, which may take time.

Your host organisation will be asked to demonstrate they hold appropriate levels of Public Liability insurance (and Professional Indemnity insurance where applicable). Intellectual property (IP) arising from your placement usually remains with the host organisation. The placement agreement will outline the IP terms, which you’ll have the opportunity to review before accepting your offer.

Clinical placements involving direct patient contact cannot be accommodated due to insurance limitations and regulatory requirements that fall outside the scope of the HDR Placement Program.

View examples of organisations that have successfully hosted UQ HDR candidates. This list is for reference only — you're not limited to these organisations.

• Collaborate with the host to co-develop a placement project.
• Ensure the proposed project aligns with the placement learning outcomes.
• Use the project brief template to document your plan.
• Submit your project brief as an attachment by completing the  HDR placement request on my.UQ.

To be eligible for the PhD Industry Placement scholarship or award, the project brief must be approved within the first 18 months of your candidature. Please submit your brief at least two weeks prior to this deadline to allow sufficient time for any required changes and approvals.