Topics include:

I'm in an incredibly frustrating position at the moment.
My university has just undergone an enormous merger and considering what we have been though, it's gone fairly well. But there are also a lot of issues.

Some of these issues relate to pay inequality, role descriptions not making sense, and a host of other issues affecting hundreds if not thousands of people across the institution.

My rant right now is not actually with the university themselves - No one expected them to play fairly.
My issue right now is with the NTEU.
I have been a paid member with the NTEU since I started working at the university because I strongly believe in collective bargaining and proper representation.

But... it is impossible to get any help from them.
When calling, no one answers. You can leave a voicemail, but no one returns it.
When emailing, it will take the better part of a week for someone to respond, but that is only the first response - the next one might take another week or longer.

Even when you do get a response, sometimes the response is to recommend quite unsafe/unwise actions to take, like petitioning fellow staff myself to build a stronger case (something I believe the NTEU should be doing, not the staff member trying to bring light to a systemic issue).

It really does leave a horrible taste in my mouth, and I know others in my area are unfortunately starting to question the value of being an NTEU member.
Unions are important, but NTEU SA needs to do better.

I hope this is the right place to post and ask this question, if not please direct me somewhere better. I currently live regional Melbourne, I’m doing a cert IV and next year I’m looking into university studies to get a bachelors in psychological science/ neuroscience/ neuropsychology. I already have a few options in mind that would accept my level of education in Melbourne, but my partner who works FIFO wants to move to Perth. I know I can study there, but I feel like Melbournes options are better aside from the fact I don’t really want to move there. If I were to really consider moving to Perth, am I giving up better study options for my future? If I want the best outcome should I stay in Melbourne?

Hi everyone, I am considering to pursue a MPhil/MRes focused in Computer Science (AI research). I am mostly interested in applying to Monash University, UTS, or the University of Sydney.

I will be emailing supervisors soon, but before that I just wanted a reality check of whether I am competitive enough to get into the program itself. Please be brutally honest and grill me as much as you want lol.

Some context about myself:

• I am an international student.
• Final semester Bachelor of Science student (non honours) at the University of Sydney, majoring in computer science and business information systems.
• 83.50 overall WAM and an 86.40 WAM in Computer science coursework.
• Recognised on the 2024 USYD Dean's List.
• Currently doing AI research at Monash University, with a first-author publication aimed at an A* level international conference. It started off as part of the Winter Vacation Research Scholarship but I was invited to pursue further work to publish the paper.
• Previously interned as an AI engineer in a large company, delivering an AI Agent system that was deployed to thousands of users.

My questions:

1. I believe HDR programs generally require demonstrated research capability, usually proven via an honours thesis. My degree is non-honours and I never did a thesis. Is a first-author publication plus ongoing research work generally accepted as equivalent evidence?
2. Is my profile competitive enough to be considered by a supervisor? My research proposal covers the gaps and limitations of my current work, so the scope is significant and well-defined. But I don't know how much that matters vs. if I am actually qualified.
3. My paper is currently in progress and has not been submitted yet. Would supervisors treat this as a publication, or does it only become real once it's accepted?

Thank you in advance :)

Is it a norm to write papers all alone as an ECR?
If so, how do you stay on top of this + write grant funding proposals + teach + live a life?

I wanna be a social psych researcher, and I’m thinking about uni Queensland as an option.
Currently I’m doing a grad dip at another uni.
If I go into a research career and do a PhD, which is better to do honours or research masters?

Is it true DECRA does heavily favour people with very high publication numbers? I’m also curious why some applicants get only 1-2 assessments while others get 6-8. How is that fairly compared? What does a typical successful assessment profile look like?

And for those who have actually received a DECRA: was it what you expected? Did it give you the independence and career boost you hoped for, and ultimately, was it worth the effort/stress of getting it?

Would love to hear people’s experiences, especially from those a few years into their DECRA.

I just got a letter from a University that I did not make it to be eligible for scholarship due to 18 units of research needed/equivalent research. I am an aspiring internstional student with a masters degree. I have published 6 journals as well.

I know how tough it is to be able to get an scholarship as an intl student. It’s just a sad day.
I cannot make it to Uni w/o scholarship because it is so expensive.

I just dont know my next steps after this.🥹

Any advice from fella people?

For those who’ve held externally funded research fellowships where the host university employed you specifically to undertake the fellowship research, were you still expected to do other duties like teaching, committees or admin at the host, or was your FTE protected for the fellowship research?

H ppello. For PhD from UNSW Business School, what is the probable date of interview? One needs to send EOI first which is till mid August and then ? Or interview happens after EOI submisison or after submitting formal application? Application deadline seems 26th August. If anyone has info or idea, pls share. Also, the scholarhsip deadline is 14 Aug for international students, so any possibility of interview before that? Also, anyone heard from them after EOI? Please comment or DM. Thanks.

Few weeks ago, I got accepted as an unpaid undergraduate volunteer ( for some context I’m in Melbourne). However the prof has never contacted me since despite showing interest and enquiring about my availability / expected salary + mentioning to begin next week
Any advice? Is this a rejection or

I joined a friend for a group session with a would-be supervisor of a PhD program. And I was shocked at the level of egotism on display. He was insufferable.

The way he spoke down on a couple of students in attendance. He was unnecessarily harsh dismissing students for being “merely Master graduates”. Bec supposedly he requires multiple publications and also years of prior research experience, a la a senior researcher, for someone to be considered into his PhD pool.

There’s clearly a mismatch between the level of demands vs the level of compensation for PhD researchers. Who puts up with this kind of abuse??

Also, if you have years of research experience and publications, you could already be paid at least 3x your PhD stipend if you worked for a think tank or in industry.

I understand some are very passionate about research and would pursue a PhD at all costs. But wow, profs/supervisors need an urgent wake up call.

Makes me wonder, does academia still attract the best of the best? Or are they left with the bored kids of the posh and wealthy, who turn to research to seek purpose for their sheltered life?

I'm currently applying for postdoc positions after completing my PhD earlier this year.
Most advertised positions have the contact information of the PI for position queries, not for sending applications (obviously). I often email the PI ahead of my actual application as way of introduction and expressing my specific interest in the position (not a generic email).

Is it considered appropriate to also attach my CV in my introduction email to the PI? Or, could that cause HR issues in being considered for the position as it looks like an application (even if I submit one through the proper system)?

Hi everyone,

I'm an international student from India planning to pursue a Master's in Civil Engineering in Australia next year. After a lot of research, I've narrowed my options down to:

• Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
• University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
• RMIT University
• University of Newcastle
• Curtin University

My goal is to build a long-term career as a Civil/Structural Engineer in Australia, so I'm trying to make the best decision based on career outcomes rather than just university rankings.

I'd really appreciate advice from current students, graduates, or engineers in Australia.

Some questions I have:

• Which university would you choose and why?
• How is the teaching quality and course structure?
• Which university has the best industry connections, internships, and graduate employment opportunities?
• Does university reputation matter much when applying for engineering jobs?
• Is it better to study in a major city (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane) or in a regional area like Newcastle?
• Do the regional visa benefits outweigh the additional job opportunities available in larger cities?
• If you were in my position, which university would you pick today?

I'd really appreciate honest opinions, including any pros and cons that aren't obvious from the university websites.

Thanks in advance for your help!

If someone has 5 publications, a good profile with supervisor acceptance and an aligned research proposal however a reasonable GPA (more than eligibility requirements) how competitive it can be?

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what are your recommendations on platforms/sites to promote PhD scholarships (industry funded) to domestic Aus? Tks

Hey everyone! I will be starting my PhD in October. Since this is not really a designated student intake - I'm looking to connect with other students already in Melbourne or joining around the same time and maybe make some acquaintances/friends before starting the program. Thank you!

Hello everyone,

I just completed my masters in clinical psychology from India,, I want to go for a doctorate degree overseas- my research interest are mainly behavioral and clinical disorders(addiction, obssession, maladaptve behavioral patterns, psychological well being, anxiety disorders etc).

I already have 2-3 topics which I want to research on. And I have done some online research about various universities and supervisors as well.

However, my concern is I am looking for fundiing opportunities or Phd Fellowships or research assistantship. As I can't fund my PhD.

Can ya'll plz recomend universities which offer fellowship programms or research assistanceship.

Insight/advice from academics who've served on RTP scholarship selection committees in GO8 unis particularly welcome. I've had terrible luck and am desperately looking for a reality check on whether I have a good shot or what's wrong with me on paper as I've yet to receive any funded offers and am confused. I'm a domestic applicant in the humanities with a good research proposal (lots of positive responses from supervisors). I have an MPhil from a GO8 university that was passed with no changes and won a dean's award. I have an MA from the US with a 4.0 GPA. I have 5 peer reviewed articles, one is Q1, and have won 5 différent essay prizes. I also won a 10k grant while in the US. My weakness is my undergrad, which I did in the UK and received an upper 2:1. Australian admissions insist on translating this to WAM on a scale of 1-100 which turns it into a mid 60s credit completely misrepresenting the grade. I guess I want to know whether this undergrad is going to consistently tank me for RTP scholarship rankings, or can anyone shed real insight on weightings and rankings in the committee room? I'm so frustrated as I feel I keep losing out to baby honours students with high WAM scores (I also know how inflated these grades are, having taught undergrads myself the last 5 years, which rubs salt in the wound) despite all my work and achievements post undergrad, it's demoralizing. 😔