Self-sourced internships

Approaching an organisation: Utilising your network, the contacts of your supervisor or staff within other academic areas within Griffith contact an external organisation to pitch a research project idea. If you are having trouble finding a contact, see ‘Assistance Available’ table below for alternative options and help staff contacts to assist you in finding a host organisation/project.

You can find resume examples and other career planning resources which may help with approaching an organisation on the Careers and Employment website.

Project plan: Once you have identified your Host Organisation, and your eligibility to undertake an internship has been confirmed, your supervisor will provide you with the HDR Internship Project Plan template (available to them on the HDR Internship Forms page) which you should develop in conjunction with your Host Organisation.

You and/or your supervisor should liaise with your Academic Group Internships Representative to discuss potential internship opportunities, seek advice, or seek assistance with the above processes:

• Griffith Business School: GBSInternships@griffith.edu.au
• Griffith Sciences: wil-gs@griffith.edu.au
• Griffith Health: health-dean-research@griffith.edu.au
• Arts, Education and Law: ael-HDR-director@griffith.edu.au

Once your project plan has been completed, you need to complete the  relevant 'HDR Internship Agreement' form which is available to your supervisor via the HDR Internship Forms web page, please ask them to download and provide you the correct documentation.

Complete sections 1,2 and 3 of the form in consultation with your Host Organisation (this must be done prior to signature because once you have signed and saved the form it will become read only). The Host Organisation then needs to review and sign the form, which will be locked to the information you have entered into sections 1, 2 and 3.

You must then complete the internship service request via MyGriffith (MyGriffith> My Program > My Candidate Centre) and attach a completed Fitness to Practice Checklist, HDR Internship Project Plan, and the relevant HDR Internship Agreement form (all templates can be obtained by your supervisor via the HDR Internship Forms web page).

Meet your internship provider and commence your approved internship.

During your internship, your Academic Group Internships Representative will check in with you to monitor progress and to offer guidance that may assist you in ensuring successful completion of the internship.

At the end of your internship, your Academic Group Internships Representative will liaise with your Host Organisation to get the final assessment form completed, which will be forwarded onto the GGRS for processing and coordinating Dean (Research) consideration. Your candidate record will then be updated to reflect your successful internship activity.

Yes, self-sourced internships are open to PhD candidates if they meet the eligibility criteria.

The purpose of a PhD internship is to develop transferable skills, and therefore the internship is generally not directly related to your thesis. As the work produced during the internship will normally be owned by the organisation you are placed with, work produced during the internship cannot be used in your thesis. The internship can; however, be in the same discipline as your PhD project and there may be some exceptions to the above.

If you are in receipt of a GUPRS , RTP or GUIAPRS your scholarship payments may continue during the internship period, providing there is sufficient scholarship tenure remaining. Please check your scholarship conditions of award for more information. If you hold any other type of scholarship please contact the GGRS scholarships team for advice.

A request for extension of scholarship needs to be in the form of a service request through myGriffith when the scholarship is close to expiry. You can list the internship as a reason for needing an extension to the scholarship for the equivalent period.

GUPRS , RTP and GUIAPRS holders can participate in internships if they are an approved component of your PhD program – so the nine hour paid employment condition does not apply. If you hold any other type of scholarship please contact the GGRS scholarships team for advice.

No, you will remain enrolled or under examination for the duration of the internship.

Yes, you can undertake an internship during the examination period. Your internship must be completed prior to the conferral of your degree.

If you are in receipt of a GUPRS, RTP or GUIAPRS, your scholarship payments will cease upon thesis submission and therefore will not continue during the post-submission internship.

The internship period can range from 30 days to 6 months.