Through The UQ-IIT Delhi Academy of Research, you can recruit high-calibre students from India, Australia and around the world, to undertake joint PhD projects that address cross-disciplinary grand challenges that align with UQ and IITD’s research strengths.

In addition to student scholarship support, UQ-IITD provides supervisors with funding to support the candidate’s project and collaboration.

This fund can support costs relating to the project including travel and conference participation. UQ-IITD projects can support collaboration with industry and external research bodies, whereby external supervisors can join projects as associate advisors and co-fund student scholarships.

Identify a collaborator

UQIDAR research projects and collaboration teams are developed and approved prior to students applying. This ensures the project drives and defines the collaboration and enables the strongest student to be selected for that project.

Search for a co-collaborator at IITD

Visit the IITD website to search for a co-collaborator by discipline. You can contact them directly to express interest.

Search for a co-collaborator at UQ

Visit the UQ website to search for a co-collaborator by discipline. You can contact them directly to express interest.

Complete an Expression of Interest (EOI)

UQIDAR can facilitate introductions to researchers from UQ and IITD, add you to our database of future supervisors, and invite you to “project incubators” with like-minded researchers.

Search our UQIDAR database

Visit our UQIDAR supervisors portal to search for co-collaborator by discipline. You can contact them directly to express interest.

Submit a project proposal

When you have established your research team, jointly submit collaborative project proposals by Academy deadlines using the UQIDAR project proposal form.

Submit project proposal

What happens next?

After you have jointly submitted a collaborative project proposal using the project proposal form by the due date, UQIDAR will follow the student recruitment process outlined below.

  • Step 1: Project approval

    1. The UQIDAR team will contact your UQ Head of Operational Unit (or delegate) to seek endorsement of your project.
    2. Projects will then be collated and submitted to the Academy Management and Program Committee (AMPC) who review projects and accept them on the basis of the supervisory team, capacity to supervise, the likely impact of the project, funding arrangements of projects, including the ability of the group to support the candidate’s project, and how well the project has been articulated.
  • Step 2. Applications open

    Approved project proposals are advertised on Our Projects webpage when applications open.

    When applications go live, please check the website to ensure your project proposal is displaying correctly and promote your project via your networks.

    Prospective students submit applications for their top two preferences via StudentHub. A link to StudentHub will be made live on the Apply webpage when applications open.

  • Step 3. Supervisor shortlisting and interviews

    Applications and supporting material will be collated by UQIDAR and sent to supervisors for shortlisting.

    1. Review Expressions of Interest
      Students are asked to complete an Expression of Interest form (EOI) and a copy of their EOI submission will be automatically emailed to both UQ and IITD advisors. For your convenience, supporting documentation such as copies of transcripts, English Language Proficiency (ELP) test results, graduate aptitude test results etc. will be embedded as a hyperlink into each applicant’s EOI form. You are not required to save this documentation. Students can select two projects and copies of EOI’s for both program preferences will be sent to the UQ and IITD advisors for each project.
    2. Shortlist applicants
      Review applications to shortlist according to your projects requirements and ensure i-students have any necessary fellowship funding (if required by your project). Please consider applications from applicants who have nominated your project as a first and second preference project.
    3. Both principal supervisors interview applicants
      Both principal supervisors from IITD and UQ must interview shortlisted applicants prior to nominating them to the Academy Joint Admissions Subcommittee (AJAS). You will be provided with an interview matrix to rate interviewees. If an applicant scores below a three, they should not be shortlisted. Competitive students would normally exceed minimum eligibility requirements as listed on the UQIDAR website.
    4. Complete two reference checks for each applicant you wish to nominate
      One supervisor must complete at least two reference checks for shortlisted applicants prior to nominating them to the AJAS. Reference checks can take place via phone/zoom or email. Please complete the reference report as a part of this process. You will be asked to submit a copy of the reference report template as evidence as a part of the nomination process. (See step 5)
    5. Nominate your top two shortlisted applicants
      Please complete the nomination form to nominate your top two applicants to the AJAS. Please note, while the committee will strongly consider advisory team rankings, the committee may elect to make an offer to a first or second-ranked applicant based on their performance in the exam and interview.
  • Step 4. Academy shortlisting, exam and interviews

    The Academy Joint Admissions Sub-committee (AJAS), comprised of senior UQ and IITD staff, will shortlist applicants for interview. This ranking will be arrived at on the basis of transcripts, SOPs, scores in competitive exams, the student’s research plan and their skype/zoom interview with the supervisors. Shortlisted applicants will then be asked to:

    1. Submit a formal application via UQ’s online application portal.
    2. Undergo a written test and a joint interview with the AJAS. For i-students, this will be conducted in person at IITD. Video-conferencing technology will be used for international i-student applicants and q-students.

    The AJAS then recommends a shortlist of applicants to the Academy Management and Program Committee (AMPC). The AMPC approve applicants to be made an offer. Advisory teams will be notified of the outcome of interviews and exams prior to offers being made. Please note that entry to the program is highly competitive. Some projects may require re-advertising to identify a competitive candidate.

  • Step 5. Admission

    Commencement in the PhD program is fixed to two specific periods:

    • January intake: Late-December at IITD, and January at UQ (Research Quarter 1)
    • July intake: July at IITD and UQ (Research Quarter 3)

UQIDAR Supervisor Handbook

We have prepared this guide to provide an overview of the joint PhD program, scholarships, and project submission and admission timelines.

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