CIVILIAN DEFENCE ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME Information Form
The Department of Defence recognises the need for a skilled Australia and is providing one Civilian Defence Engineering Scholarship in civil engineering to a RMIT student.
The Scholarship is worth $54 000, payable at $9 000 per semester. In addition, the successful Scholar will undertake two 12-week industrial placements with Defence for which they will be paid at the baseline rate of approximately $43,844 per annum.
Contents of Information form 1. Definitions 7. Responsibilities of the Successful 2. Eligibility of Applicants Scholar 3. Ongoing Eligibility Conditions 8. Industrial Placement 4. Criteria for Awarding of the 9. Value and Payments to the Scholar Scholarship 10. Leave of Absence 5. Selection Process 11. Cancellation of the Scholarship 6. Notification to Applicants
1. Definitions For the purpose of these documents, ‘the Department’ refers to the Department of Defence. ‘The Sponsor’ is the sponsoring Group within the Department where the scholar will be conducting their work placement and who provides the scholarship funding. ‘PSPG’ is the People, Strategy and Policy Group which is the group within the Department that administers the scholarship. RMIT University, School of Civil and Chemical Engineering is referred to as ‘the School’. The ‘Scholarship’ refers to the Civilian Defence Engineering Scholarship Scheme The ‘Applicant’ refers to any student who makes an application for the Scholarship. The successful applicant shall be referred to as the ‘Scholar’
2. Eligibility of Applicants All Applicants must: a. be Australian citizens. There are no exceptions to this condition; failure to meet this criterion precludes any further consideration. b. be in the second year of a full-time four year Undergraduate Civil Engineering degree. c. not be in receipt of any other Scholarship. However, the Scholar can accept, from time to time, one-off Scholarships and prizes as may be awarded for academic merit and Applicants may be in receipt of a Commonwealth Learning Scholarship, or a similar equity based Scholarship. d. be able to meet the minimum security requirements for the 12-week industrial placement experience with the Department at the end of each year e. complete all sections of the Scholarship application form f. complete and include in the application the Security Requirements form Non-Ongoing Employees Cleared to Restricted Form and Civilian Defence Engineering Scholarship Consent Form.
3. Ongoing Eligibility Conditions a. The Scholarship shall be tenable for the normal full-time duration of the recipient’s Civil Engineering degree program and shall not be transferable to any other degree. b. The Scholar must maintain a satisfactory academic performance1 with a minimum of a credit average throughout the degree, with academic records being checked twice annually. c. The Scholarship will not be extended an additional year beyond the approved period to achieve Honours. d. Double degrees or combined degrees or the taking of additional subjects that extend the duration of the degree are not permitted unless otherwise approved in writing by the Sponsor and the School. e. In the event of the Scholar receiving written permission from both the Sponsor and the School to amend the duration of their Program, scholarship payments will be adjusted on a pro-rata basis (see section 9). f. There shall be no commitment from any party with regard to employment within the Department after graduation.
4. Criteria for Awarding of the Scholarship Each selection criterion is of equal importance. Assessment of the applications during short-listing and interviews will be based on a matrix which will consider: a. Academic merit as indicated by the Applicants academic performance in their first year of university study (a minimum of credit average). b. Demonstrated interpersonal skills, leadership qualities, communication skills, creativity, innovation and self-motivation. c. Demonstrated achievements in non-academic ventures including involvement in university and community ventures.
5. Selection Process a. All applications will be short-listed by the Department. b. Interviews will then be conducted by a selection panel consisting of two Department and one School staff. c. Interviews will take place at RMIT University and be coordinated by the School. d. The selection panel will award the Scholarship.
6. Notification to Applicants a. All Applicants will receive written notification from the Department via the School within 14 days of conclusion of interviews. b. The successful Scholar will be contacted in writing by the Department via the School, and provided with details of the award of the Scholarship and contact details for their Industrial Placement with the Sponsor.
7. Responsibilities of the Successful Scholar a. The Scholar must make themselves available to attend an award ceremony at RMIT (or nearby) to receive the Scholarship, the date of which will be advised to the Scholar in writing. b. The Scholar must declare the Scholarship monies to Centrelink or any other agency which requires information on the Scholar’s income. The Department will not accept any responsibility for this issue, as it is up to the successful Scholar to notify relevant authorities.
1 See RMIT policy http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=vj2g89cve4uj1 c. The Scholar must be available to participate in two 12-week Industrial Placements with the Sponsor. d. The Scholar must provide a post-Industrial Placement report to the Sponsor within a month of the completion of each Industrial Placement. The format and topic will be determined by the Sponsor and will be linked to the project or tasks that the Scholar has participated in during the Industrial Placement.
8. Industrial Placement a. The Industrial Placements will occur at the end of the 2nd and 3rd years of the Scholar’s degree for 12 weeks between November and February. b. Payment for the Industrial Placement will be as a non-ongoing employee under the current Defence Enterprise Collective Agreement (DeCA) 2009 of approximately $43,844 per annum (pro-rata) and is in addition to the Scholarship monies. c. The Industrial Placement is likely to involve interstate travel, with transportation and accommodation costs met by the Department. d. No other allowances will be paid, and any additional costs will be met by the Scholar.
9. Value and Payments to the Scholar The Scholar should keep in mind that the funds provided by the Department are public monies, and as such are accountable to the public. a. The maximum value of the scholarship is $54 000. b. The Successful Scholar will receive $9 000 per semester in their 2nd, 3rd and 4th year of study. c. Payment will be made to the Scholar within four weeks of census each semester (March 31 and August 31). d. If approval is granted by the Sponsor and the School for the duration of the scholarship to be increased, remaining payments will be adjusted on a pro rata basis. e. The maximum value of the Scholarship will not be exceeded unless approval is given by the Department in writing. f. Scholarship payments will be made by the Sponsor via RMIT University into the Scholar’s nominated bank account as a living allowance. g. Industrial placement wages will be paid by the Sponsor into the Scholar’s nominated bank account.
10. Leave of Absence The Scholarship is intended to be used in a full-time capacity during the last three years of a four-year civil engineering degree. a. The Scholar must immediately notify the Department if circumstances impact on the Scholar resulting in a Leave of Absence2 from study being approved by the School. b. The scholar is advised to seek approval from the Department prior to commencement of a Leave of Absence from study as suspension of Scholarship payments are NOT automatically approved. c. As the taking of a Leave of Absence from study may not be in the Department’s best interests, it may result in cancellation of the Scholarship d. Upon receipt of an application for suspension of the scholarship the Department will determine the appropriate course of action, with the Scholar being notified in writing within 14 days of applying.
2 See RMIT policy http://mams.rmit.edu.au/kur39axp38zw.pdf e. Payment of Scholarship monies will be suspended from the time the request is lodged until a decision has been made. f. If suspension of Scholarship payments is granted by the Department there will be no payment of Scholarship monies during the period of approved leave. g. If suspension of the Scholarship is not granted by the Department, the Scholarship will be cancelled as per section 11.
11. Cancellation of the Scholarship The Scholarship may be suspended or cancelled should the Scholar fail to comply with any Terms and Conditions. a. This includes, but is not restricted to, failure to maintain a credit average, failure to meet basic security requirements necessary for the industrial placement component of the Scholarship, or changing from Civil Engineering to any other degree. b. In the event of a scholar withdrawing from the Scholarship voluntarily or being deemed by the Department to be failing to comply with the Terms and Conditions, the Scholarship will be deemed to be cancelled, with all payments immediately ceased. c. If the Department determines that the Terms and Conditions have been breached it will provide written notification to the Scholar and the School within 14 days, providing details of the breach and advising the Scholar of their right to appeal the Department’s decision. d. The Scholar will have 14 days to appeal the decision in writing to the Department. e. The Department may seek advice from the School when determining the appeal outcome and will provide a written determination to the Scholar and School within 14 days of receipt of the Scholar’s letter of appeal. CIVILIAN DEFENCE ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME Application Form
Closing Date: Friday 30th March, 2012
Applicants must submit the following documentation:
1. The ‘Application Form’ to be fully completed in neat, legible writing. Each response is to be limited to a maximum of 500 words and additional pages may be attached if required 2. Section 4 ‘Comments From Academic Supervisor Or Program Coordinator’ must be completed and stamped with an official RMIT University stamp 3. The ‘Consent Form’ must be signed and dated 4. The ‘Security Requirements For Non-Ongoing Employees Cleared To Restricted Form’ must be completed, signed and dated 5. All academic information, including a current academic record that shows all first year grades, is to be attached 6. Any additional information and attachments
Applications and supporting documentation (as stated above) is to be submitted to Ms. Nabila Al-Zakwani:
By Mail: RMIT School of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering GPO Box 2476V Melbourne, VIC, 3001
Email: [email protected]
In Person: Building 10, Level 12, Room 4 City Campus RMIT University
For additional information:
Contact: Dr Kevin Zhang Tel.: +61 3 9925 3824 Email: [email protected] Location: City campus Building 10, Level 13, Room 06 SECTION 1. Personal Details (the Applicant must be Australian Citizen to apply)
Family Name: First Name(s): Student ID: Address: Postcode: Phone: Mobile: Email: Country of Birth: Date of Birth:
SECTION 2. Please answer the following questions. a. Provide a brief statement of your career aspirations. Why did you choose to study engineering? Where do you see yourself after graduation?
b. Provide an example of your leadership abilities and/or how you have shown initiative recently.
c. Tell us about any part-time, full-time or vacation work you have undertaken.
d. Provide an example of your ability to be creative or innovative (e.g. something you have made or a hobby you undertake). SECTION 3. Special Achievements. a. Provide information about your two best academic achievements.
b. Provide information about the contributions you have made to your community or to charities (national, local, ethnic, religious, sporting or other).
c. Provide information about your personal strengths and weaknesses.
NOTE: The completed application form and attachments is to be provided to your Academic Supervisor or Program Coordinator to who is to then complete Section 4.
Applicant’s Declaration
I hereby declare that I have read, understood and accepted the Terms of Conditions of the Civilian Defence Engineering Scholarship Scheme (CDESS). I further declare that the information I have supplied herein is complete and accurate. I hereby give permission for the School to obtain my academic record each semester throughout the Scholarship. I agree that my completed application form and attachments will be released to the Department for the purposes of assessing and awarding this Scholarship. I will supply evidence of my Australian citizenship and other documentation to meet Department security processes when requested. I acknowledge that I am to provide the Department with a certified true copy of my academic record within 3 weeks of results being issued.
Signed: Date: SECTION 4. Comments from Academic Supervisor or Program Coordinator Please comment on the applicant’s overall academic performance and return to the applicant.
Declaration by Academic Supervisor or Program Coordinator - To be stamped with official RMIT University stamp
Name: Position:
Phone: Email:
Signed: Date: CIVILIAN DEFENCE ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME Consent Form
Family Name: First Name(s): Date of Birth: Address: Postcode: Phone: Mobile: Email:
The Civilian Defence Engineering Scholarship Scheme will be administered by RMIT University, School of Civil and Chemical Engineering pursuant to the agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia represented by the Department of Defence through People Strategy and Policy Group (PSPG) and RMIT University.
1. I consent to and understand that all records and personal information pertaining to me, or provided by me, including my academic record (which may include contact details, course enrolments, discontinuations, academic misconduct (where relevant) and any other information while enrolled at RMIT University, and during the term of the scholarship) may be disclosed by RMIT University to the Department for the purposes of: enabling the Department to ensure the efficient, effective and ethical use of Commonwealth resources in the utilisation of the Scholarship scheme; and confirming that I am complying with the terms and conditions of the Scholarship scheme to maintain my on-going sponsorship
2. I consent to and understand that the Department may release such RMIT University records and personal information, as described in paragraph 1 in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), to relevant Department of Defence agencies for the purposes stated in paragraph 1 only.
3. I acknowledge and understand that enrolment in any given RMIT University program or course is not guaranteed by either the Department or RMIT University, and is subject to the individual decision of RMIT University in accepting my enrolment, and according to its Statutes, Regulations, Orders and policies made with authority under the RMIT University Act 1991 (Cth).
4. I acknowledge and understand that failure to maintain a satisfactory academic performance3, or credit average each semester at RMIT University, or exclusion from enrolment in my approved engineering course may result in my suspension or cancellation from the Scholarship scheme.
5. I agree to comply with the Scholarship’s Terms and Conditions and with any amendments made to them by the Sponsor, the Department or PSPG from time-to- time.
3 See RMIT policy http://mams.rmit.edu.au/mqnimixmi05t.pdf Signed: Date: CIVILIAN DEFENCE ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME Security Requirements for Non-Ongoing Employees Cleared to Restricted Form
1. If awarded the Scholarship, the Scholar will be supplied with a security pack. This pack will include all the detail and explanations required to assist the Scholar in complying with the security clearance process. A summary of the information which the Scholar will need to provide is listed below and will include:
Residential information for the past 10 years (if they do not know exact dates, years are acceptable e.g. 2001-2002 - 10 Commonwealth Ave, Canberra City ACT 2600)
Original birth certificate
Original evidence of citizenship (if born overseas)
One work referee from the last two years
OR
Two character referees if not employed (must not be related to the applicant)
Certified True copy of current driver’s licence or age identification card (if applicable)
Certified True copy of any name change (e.g. marriage certificate)
2. All the information you provide will then be processed through our central Defence Security Agency. The information will be confirmed, and Referees will be contacted. The Australian Federal Police will conduct their own checks and verify all this information.
3. All original documentation will be returned.
4. If the security process is rejected for any reason, the Scholarship will be withdrawn.
I have read, understood and accepted the above security information. I hereby acknowledge that I will be required to supply the aforementioned information and documentation when requested. I also acknowledge that if I do not meet the security requirements or if my security clearance is rejected, my Scholarship will be cancelled.
Signed: Date: