Faculty of Social Sciences

FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES School of Social and Policy Studies

RESEARCH STUDENTS MAINTENANCE INDIVIDUAL - How to Claim your Allocation

The information below is provided to assist you in accessing the funds that have been allocated to you to undertake your research project. In the memo advising your award of an RSM grant an account number will be indicated. It is very important that you quote the account number, which is specific to your allocation, each time you seek an advance or reimbursement from your account. RSM (Individual) funds are allocated on an annual basis and it is expected that these funds will be spent or committed by the end of November. However, in special circumstances, application may be made (through the School Research Committee) to carry over funds into the next calendar year.

To obtain an advance: Submit a ‘Non Employee Advance Requisition’ form (available online at: http://www.flinders.edu.au/finance/forms.cfm, #ACC9) detailing estimated expenditure and attach your travel itinerary, if applicable. Indicate on the form whether you would like to receive the advance by cheque or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and, if EFT, attach your bank details. After you have spent the funds you were advanced you must complete an ‘Acquittal (of an Advance)’ form, available online at http://www.flinders.edu.au/finance/forms.cfm, #ACC2. You must provide original receipts to cover the sum you were advanced.

To make a claim for reimbursements: If the claim is $50 ex GST or less, submit your receipts to the School Research Administration Officer for a cash reimbursement (Petty Cash Voucher system). If the claim is greater than $50 ex GST, you will need to complete a ‘Payment Requisition’ form, available online at: http://www.flinders.edu.au/finance/forms.cfm, #ACC4. Include your bank details on the form to receive the funds by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). You must provide the original receipts before a claim can be reimbursed. International students about to return home, who have requested payment by cheque, and for whom banking such a cheque in their home country is difficult, are advised to submit receipts and requests for reimbursement in time to bank the payment personally in Australia before leaving. Note:  Please allow a maximum of ten working days to receive payment.  All forms are to be typed, not handwritten, to ensure they can be scanned by the University finance processing system.  All forms must be signed by your School supervisor.  Forms and relevant backing documents ie original tax invoice/receipts, etc., are to be submitted to the School Finance Officer who will seek the School Dean’s signature. All forms will be forwarded to the Faculty Services Office for processing.

Subject/Participant Payment Advice: It is advisable to seek an advance for subject payments or, if the participant is being paid $50.00 or more, the Faculty Services Office can organise a cheque to be raised and posted to the participant on your behalf. Note that if you pay participants out of your personal account you will incur bank fees and charges especially if you choose to pay participants by personal cheque. Please note, the Faculty will only reimburse you monies paid to participants – it will not reimburse bank fees and charges.

SSPS – Research Students Maintenance Individual – How to Claim your Allocation - updated 04 2015 Eligible items for funding through Supplementary RSM (Individual) include (list is not exclusive):

 travel for data collection purposes  technical assistance (including programmers or (fieldwork) experiment observers) approved by the  subject payment supervisor as not needing to be undertaken by  minor equipment the student  specialist software  other costs directly associated to the fieldwork data collection Please note: full costs should be documented even if the total amounts to more than the maximum allowable under the scheme. Stationery / printer cartridges etc. can be purchased from any outlet convenient to you, with the costs reimbursed to you via the Petty Cash system. Photocopy credits can be directly credited to your student card. The Research Administration Officer will complete the appropriate paperwork for funds to be allocated to your card. RSM funding does not cover:  items that would duplicate basic services already provided by the University e.g. materials held in the library and internet connection/use charges  purchase of books (though primary-source documents may be considered)  transcription (whilst, in general, transcription is not an eligible RSM item, the Faculty will consider requests on a case by case basis where there are special circumstances such as the scale of work required and language difficulties)  personnel costs for research assistance unless a case is made that this is not reasonably possible via the student’s own efforts.  conference travel, registration or associated costs  thesis preparation costs: note that RSM is provided to assist with costs associated with the actual carrying out of research, not for the production of the final thesis. RSM may not be used for editing / proofreading, printing, or binding of the thesis.

If you have any queries relating to your claims contact the School Research Administration Officer: Jan Sidford, phone 12026 or email: [email protected] or the Acting SSPS Research Higher Degrees Coordinator Assoc Prof Yvonne Corcoran-Nantes, phone 13133 or email [email protected]

SSPS – Research Students Maintenance Individual – How to Claim your Allocation - updated 04 2015