Wellington Pasifika Doctoral Scholarship

Description

These Scholarships are intended to encourage and support domestic and international Pasifika students to undertake doctoral study at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington.

Eligibility

These scholarships are open to all domestic Pasifika candidates who intend to enrol for a Doctorate at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. Applicants will automatically be considered for the scholarship at the time they apply for admission.

Criteria

Applicants must apply for admission to any doctoral programme at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington.

Application process

Applications are assessed all year round. Please contact the Scholarships and Doctoral Admissions Office for further information on how to apply: pg-research@vuw.ac.nz.

Selection process

Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of an individual’s academic achievement in combination with their previous experience and knowledge, commitment to their community and the strategic importance and impact of the proposed research.

Final selection is made by the University Research Scholarship Committee on recommendation from a representative of the Office of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika).

Applicants will be notified of the outcome within 5 weeks of submitting a completed application.

Additional information

For students studying full-time, the Scholarship comprises a $30,500 tax-free stipend per year for three years (36 months), plus tuition fees and student levies. For students studying part-time the scholarship is pro-rated.

The scholarship stipend will be paid to each scholarship recipient in monthly instalments. The first such payment will be made by the Scholarships Office as soon as practicable after confirmation of enrolment. Fees and student levies will be paid directly to the University by the Scholarships Office.

Regulations and conditions

1. Applications are accepted from those who are eligible at the time of application, or who reasonably expect to become eligible within three months of their application, to register as a candidate for a doctoral degree at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington.
2. The scholarship offer shall lapse in the event that the scholarship recipient does not gain full enrolment as a doctoral student within 15 months of first enrolment.
3. Academic staff at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington or any other University may not hold a Te Herenga Waka Pasifika Doctoral Scholarship while currently employed unless approved by the Vice-Provost (Research).
4. Every scholarship shall be tenable at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington for a period of up to three years (36 months) of full-time enrolment (pro rata for part-time enrolment). If a recipient submits within the tenure of the Scholarship, stipend payments will cease no more than one month after submission.
5. The tenure of every scholarship shall commence on a date to be determined in each case by the Faculty of Graduate Research after discussion with appropriate School and supervisor. The date of commencement shall normally be no later than six months after the scholarship has been accepted by the scholarship recipient.
6. The Committee may grant a scholarship recipient a deferment of the commencement of the scholarship for longer periods if it considers that such a deferment would benefit the scholarship recipient's programme of research and the University.
7. Scholarship stipends shall be paid to each scholarship recipient by monthly instalments, in advance, during the tenure of the scholarship. The first such payment shall be made by the Scholarships Office as soon as practicable after confirmation of enrolment.
8. Tuition fees and student levies will be paid, upon enrolment, by the Scholarships Office.
9. Scholarship recipients must inform the Faculty of Graduate Research of any other awards held.
10. Approval for the co-tenure of awards of greater than a total one third of the value of this scholarship stipend may result in a reduction in the value of the scholarship stipend. Faculty Research Grants are not considered under these regulations to constitute an award.
11. Scholarship recipients shall normally be required to maintain full-time enrolment and devote themselves full-time to their programme of research. However, domestic students for whom compelling reasons make part-time enrolment preferable, may apply to hold the scholarship on a part-time basis pro-rated.
12. For scholarship recipients enrolled full-time, approval may be given to undertake paid employment for up to a maximum of 600 hours in any one calendar year. All requests to undertake such employment must be supported in writing by the supervisor(s) and Head of School. For scholarship recipients enrolled part-time, there are no limits on employment.
13. Once the period of tenure of a scholarship has commenced, the Faculty of Graduate Research may grant a scholarship recipient a suspension of their scholarship for a period not exceeding six months at one time and not exceeding a total of twelve months during the first three years of registration. As the monthly stipend is paid in advance the recipient must, where possible, provide notification in advance of the suspension. In most cases the scholarship suspension will coincide with a formal suspension from their doctoral enrolment.
14. A scholarship shall be terminated if a scholarship recipient ceases to resume the programme of research within one month of the last day of the period of the suspension.
15. The scholarship recipient must complete the six-monthly reports required by FGR.  These reports are made available to the Scholarships Office.
16. The Committee may at any time suspend or terminate a scholarship, or require the forfeiture of such proportion of the scholarship emolument as it may determine, if the scholarship recipient is not diligently pursuing their programme of research and is not making satisfactory progress, has violated the Student Conduct Statute, or has failed to comply with any of the terms and conditions on which the scholarship was awarded and of their Doctoral Scholarship Contract.
17. At the discretion of the Committee, the application of any of the terms and conditions of a Wellington Pasifika Doctoral Scholarship may be modified or relaxed in special circumstances or in order to avoid hardship to any scholarship recipient or misuse of the scholarship funding.
18. The Committee shall review these Terms and Conditions from time to time.