One of the primary aims of the School is to train the medical researchers of the future. Most of our postgraduate students, who are listed below, are carrying out research directed towards the production of a thesis for a PhD degree. However, in the last few years we have been fortunate to attract growing numbers of Honours students of whom we share supervision with the ANU Faculties.
The course for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is for a minimum of two years and a maximum of four years full-time study. A number of Australian National University scholarships which provide a stipend (but do not cover the tuition fees payable by overseas students) are available for students taking this course in the JCSMR, a scholarship normally being tenable for three years, subject to satisfactory progress. Applicants should be of high scholastic calibre and should have a capacity for research. Applicants normally would have or expect to have one of the following minimal qualifications: BSc (not only in biological sciences), BEng, BVSc, BAgrSc, or their equivalent (at the standard of upper second class honours at least), MBBS or MSc. In special cases, applicants with other qualifications or research experience of high order may be considered. Subject to the agreement of the Head of the Division concerned, a scholarship program may be commenced at any time during the year. Admission may be considered in several of the graduate programs in the ANU Graduate School, including the Medical Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Neuroscience programs. Admission to a Master of Science research program (for one to two years) may be considered.
PhD scholarship awards
A scholarship provides a basic living allowance (or stipend) which from January 1999 will be $A16 135 per annum (tax free). A married scholar with dependent children may apply for additional allowances.
The JCSMR agreed that the ultimate target for postgraduate student load in the School be not greater than 80.
This target was determined by the School’s operating budget and its staff capacity to provide high quality supervision.
Successful applicants whose mother tongue is not English may be required to pass an English test before a scholarship offer will be confirmed.
Grants for travel to Canberra, by air from overseas and by train from within Australia, are paid for a scholarship holder and for a dependent spouse and children if the scholar is married before taking up the award; some removal expenses may be reimbursed also. Travel and removal grants at the conclusion of the award may also be paid to scholars recruited from overseas.
Applications for admission or ANU Scholarships should be made on forms available from the School Secretary, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University.
Australian Government policy since January 1990 has been that overseas students (other than New Zealand citizens) will be admitted only on a full-fee paying basis. The tuition fee in 1999 for PhD courses in the JCSMR is $A17 000 per annum. Overseas applicants should also apply to granting agencies able to provide scholarships to cover the tuition fees. The School introduced The Eccles Scholarships .designed to attract overseas students of high calibre to pursue postgraduate research at the John Curtin School of Medical Research. The Scholarship provides for payment of the annual tuition fees for overseas students, an annual living expenses stipend set at a normal rate of the ANU PhD Scholarship, plus other benefits as provided under the award of the ANU PhD Scholarship, including travel and removal expenses.
There is no set closing date for applications for admission and for scholarships, but applicants from overseas are advised to apply at least six months before they expect to be able to take up a place, if offered.
Australian postgraduate awards
The Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training each year makes available awards for full-time study leading to a post-graduate degree. These awards are available to Australian citizens whether resident in Australia or overseas at the time of application and to persons from overseas who have permanent resident status. They are normally offered at the Australian National University only to applicants intending to undertake courses leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
Further particulars and application forms are available from any Australian university, or any office of the Department of Employment, Education and Training.
Applications for these awards close on October 31 each year.
The selection committee normally meets in mid-December to decide first offers of award at the ANU but selection often continues into the following January or February.
Medical Science fourth year Honours scholarships
Eligible students may compete each year for up to six awards which may be offered to students with strong academic records to provide encouragement and assistance to undertake at the ANU the fourth year of a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in medically-related science fields. Successful applicants must meet the normal Faculty of Science requirements for entry to fourth year Honours. Students will be enrolled in the appropriate academic area in The Faculties, but supervision will be shared with the JCSMR. The Honours research project is normally conducted in the JCSMR or in the School of Life Sciences in The Faculties.
Each scholarship has a value of $A6000, with an additional relocation allowance of $A4,000 for a student whose normal place of residence is outside Canberra. Applications close on 30 November.
Paul Bunyan Memorial Scholarship in Medical Sciences
This is an honours scholarship awarded in memory of Paul Bunyan.
The Scholarship provides a stipend of $6,000 per annum for one year for
a Medical Science Fourth Year (Honours) student in a medical science field
normally related
to cancer research.
Summer Research Scholarships are normally offered to currently enrolled undergraduate students from Australia and New Zealand who will have completed three years of a full-time, four year undergraduate course when they take up the scholarship. The scholarships are primarily awarded to interest students in the possibility of later enrolment as a post graduate scholar and to test the students capacity in a given field of research. The Summer Research Scholarships offers full board at an affiliated University College, a weekly allowance of $130 (tax exempt) and a return travel to Canberra.
All correspondence concerning postgraduate courses, ANU PhD scholarships and Medical Science Honours scholarships should be addressed to The School Secretary, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia.
As members of the ANU Graduate School, students working in the John
Curtin School can elect to belong to any of the Programs of the Graduate
School. Most (about 90 per cent) join the Medical Sciences Program, but
there is a significant number of students in the Neurosciences Program
and a few in other biologically-orientated Programs, such as Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology. PhD students are supervised by a panel consisting
of a main supervisor and two or more other advisers. Their progress is
assessed at regular intervals and they attend seminar programs devised
to give them a broad overview of current medical research as well as more
specialised technical courses and more general seminars on topics such
as planning and writing a theses, giving research seminars and writing
a scientific paper. Overall student welfare and training is monitored and
coordinated by the Program Convenor.
MSc Student
M Gustiananda, BSc (Bandung) [AUSAID Scholar]
Honours Student
M Hadzantonis BSc (ANU)
Honours Scholars
A Janssen, BSc (from February)
C Christensen, BSc (from February)
S Robbins, BSc (from July)
MSc Students
J Hehl Vordiplom (Stuttgart) (until February)
M Taylor BSc
M Vogel Vordiplom (Stuttgart) (until April)
Honours Students
M Gahan
C White (part time) (until October)
K Macpherson BappSc in Med Lab Sc (Tas) (until November)
Honours Student
P Gaughlin
R Haddock
(from July)