Scholarship in Institutional Aspects of Automated Decision Making (ADM)

1. Background

a. This Scholarship has been established to provide financial assistance to a PhD student who is undertaking research in the institutional, legal, and/or regulatory aspects of Automated Decision Making (ADM) and its effects across society.

b. This Scholarship is funded by an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant for the Centre of Excellence in Automated Decision Making and Society (ADMS Centre).

c. The terms and conditions of the scholarship follow the Participants Agreement (the Agreement) for the ARC Centre of Excellence in Automated Decision Making and Society between the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Queensland University of Technology, The University of Melbourne, Monash University, Swinburne University of Technology, University of New South Wales, University of Sydney, The University of Queensland and Western Sydney University (The Parties) to conduct activities in accordance with the Agreement, Application and the relevant Grant Agreement (the Activities).

2. Eligibility

a. The Scholarship is offered subject to the applicant having an unconditional offer of admission or being currently enrolled to study full-time in a PhD within the University of Sydney Law School.

b. Applicants must be willing to conduct research on legal questions arising from the development, deployment or consideration of use of artificial intelligence systems, as automated decision-making systems or as decision support systems.

c. Applicants must also hold at least one of the following in Law or an allied social science discipline, such as political science, international relations, sociology or equivalent:
I. an Honours degree (First Class or Second Class Upper) or equivalent, or
II. a master’s degree, or
III. an equivalent degree from other jurisdictions in Law.

d. Applicants must be supervised by Professor Kimberlee Weatherall (Chief Investigator at the ADMS Centre) and one other academic at the University of Sydney: either within the law school or, depending on the proposed research, from another appropriate discipline at the University.

3. Selection Criteria

a. The successful applicant will be awarded the Scholarship on the basis of:

I. academic merit,
II. research proposal aligned to the area of research and the research program of the ADMS Centre,
III. curriculum vitae including previous research experience and achievements and
IV. personal statement which demonstrates the applicant's motivations for pursuing a postgraduate research degree in law.

b. Preference will be given to applicants with a technical knowledge of AI-related systems or data-driven systems or with previous research experience in law or an allied social science discipline on a connected subject.

c. The successful applicant will be awarded the Scholarship on the nomination of the Sydney Law School Associate Dean (Research Education), or their nominated delegate(s).

4. Value

a. The Scholarship will provide a stipend allowance $36,161 (indexed on 1 January each year) for up to 3 years, subject to satisfactory academic performance.

b. A successful scholarship recipient may apply for an extension of up to 6 months.

c. Periods of study already undertaken towards the degree prior to the commencement of the Scholarship will be deducted from the maximum duration of the Scholarship excluding any potential extension period.

d. The Scholarship is for commencement in the relevant research period in which it is offered and cannot be deferred or transferred to another area of research without prior approval.

e. No other amount is payable.

f. The Scholarship will be offered subject to the availability of funding.

5. Eligibility for Progression

a. Progression is subject to attending and passing the annual progress evaluation.

6. Leave Arrangements

a. The Scholarship recipient receives up to 20 working days recreation leave each year of the Scholarship and this may be accrued. However, the student will forfeit any unused leave remaining when the Scholarship is terminated or complete. Recreation leave does not attract a leave loading and the supervisor's agreement must be obtained before leave is taken.

b. The Scholarship recipient may take up to 10 working days sick leave each year of the Scholarship and this may be accrued over the tenure of the Scholarship. Students with family responsibilities, caring for sick children or relatives, or experiencing domestic violence, may convert up to five days of their annual sick leave entitlement to carer’s leave on presentation of medical certificate(s). Students taking sick leave must inform their supervisor as soon as practicable.

7. Research Overseas

a. The Scholarship recipient may not normally conduct research overseas within the first six months of award.

b. The Scholarship holder may conduct up to 12 months of their research outside Australia. Approval must be sought from the student's supervisor, Head of School and the Faculty via application to the Higher Degree by Research Administration Centre (HDRAC), and will only be granted if the research is essential for completion of the degree. All periods of overseas research are cumulative and will be counted towards a student's candidature. Students must remain enrolled full-time at the University and receive approval to count time away.

8. Suspension

a. The Scholarship recipient cannot suspend their award within their first six months of study, unless a legislative provision applies.

b. The Scholarship recipient may apply for up to 12 months suspension of the Scholarship for any reason during the tenure of the Scholarship. Periods of Scholarship suspension are cumulative and failure to resume study after suspension will result in the award being terminated. Approval must be sought from the student's supervisor, Head of School and the Faculty via application to the Higher Degree by Research Administration Centre (HDRAC). Periods of study towards the degree during suspension of the Scholarship will be deducted from the maximum tenure of the Scholarship.

9. Changes in Enrolment

a. The Scholarship recipient must notify HDRAC, and their supervisor promptly of any planned changes to their enrolment including but not limited to: attendance pattern, suspension, leave of absence, withdrawal, course transfer, and candidature upgrade or downgrade. If the award holder does not provide notice of the changes identified above, the University may require repayment of any overpaid stipend.

10. Termination

a. The Scholarship will be terminated:

I. on resignation or withdrawal of the recipient from their research degree,
II. upon submission of the thesis or at the end of the award,
III. if the recipient ceases to be a full-time student and prior approval has not been obtained to hold the Scholarship on a part-time basis,
IV. upon the recipient having completed the maximum candidature for their degree as per the University of Sydney (Higher Degree by Research) Rule 2011 Policy,
V. if the recipient receives an alternative primary stipend scholarship. In such circumstances this Scholarship will be terminated in favour of the alternative stipend scholarship where it is of higher value,
VI. if the recipient does not resume study at the end of a period of approved leave, or
VII. If the recipient ceases to meet the eligibility requirements specified for this Scholarship, (other than during a period in which the Scholarship has been suspended or during a period of approved leave).

b. The Scholarship may also be terminated by the University before this time if, in the opinion of the University:

I. the course of study is not being carried out with competence and diligence or in accordance with the terms of this offer as determined by the supervisors and the Sydney Law School Associate Dean (Research Education) or their nominated delegate(s),
II. the student fails to maintain satisfactory progress, or
III. the student has committed misconduct or other inappropriate conduct.

c. The Scholarship will be suspended throughout the duration of any enquiry/appeal process.

d. Once the Scholarship has been terminated, it will not be reinstated unless due to University error.

11. Misconduct

a. Where during the Scholarship a student engages in misconduct, or other inappropriate conduct (either during the Scholarship or in connection with the student’s application and eligibility for the Scholarship), which in the opinion of the University warrants recovery of funds provided, the University may require the student to repay payments made in connection with the Scholarship. Examples of such conduct include and without limitation; academic dishonesty, research misconduct within the meaning of the Research Code of Conduct (for example, plagiarism in proposing, carrying out or reporting the results of research, or failure to declare or manage a serious conflict of interests), breach of the Code of Conduct for Students and misrepresentation in the application materials or other documentation associated with the Scholarship.

b. The University may require such repayment at any time during or after the Scholarship period. In addition, by accepting this Scholarship, the student consents to all aspects of any investigation into misconduct in connection with this Scholarship being disclosed by the University to the funding body and/or any relevant professional body.

12. Intellectual Property

a. The successful recipient of this Scholarship (the Student) must complete the Student Deed Poll supplied by the University of Sydney.

13. Confidentiality

a. The successful recipient is required to keep all confidential information disclosed by any of the Party confidential and not to use the confidential information except for the Activities unless required by law; not copy, in whole or in part, any Confidential Information without the prior written permission of the disclosing Party.

b. At written request of the disclosing Party, the Student must return to the disclosing Party any documents originating from the disclosing Party which embody Confidential Information.

14. Publications

a. The successful recipient must provide a copy of any proposed publications within 30 days in advance of submitting for publication. Comments and/or reasonable amendments to the publication can be made to protect their Confidential Information and/or Intellectual Property provided they are given to the publishing Party in writing no later than 20 days of receiving the publication copy.

b. Details and copies of all publications must be provided by the successful recipient to the Centre COO and the Centre Director within 21 days of publication.

15. Acknowledgement

a. The successful recipient agrees that they will acknowledge another Party's contribution in any publication or public disclosure made in respect of the Activities.

b. The successful recipient agrees that they will acknowledge the Centre in any publication or public disclosure in respect of the Activities with the following statement or as otherwise agreed to with the Centre Director:

“This research was supported by the Australian Research Council
Centre of Excellence in Automated Decision-Making and Society
(project ID CE200100005)”.

c. All publication must acknowledge the role of the ARC as a major provider of funding for the Centre.

d. The ARC's contribution and support of the Centre must be acknowledged (wherever possible) by the successful recipient at any time during or after completion of the Centre, when the Parties or the researchers or any other party publishes, produces or is involved in promotional material, such as books, articles, television or radio programs, social media, electronic media, newsletters or other literary or artistic works which relate to the Centre. Such acknowledgement must be in a prominent place and an appropriate form acceptable to the ARC. Similar efforts should be made when publicly speaking about a Centre. Advice on acceptable forms of acknowledgement and use of the logo is provided on the ARC's website.

e. The successful recipient acknowledges to comply with the Australian Research Council's (ARC) Open Access Policy on the dissemination of research findings, which is available on the ARC website.

16. Thesis

a. Any restrictions on the right of a successful recipient to publish his/her thesis will only be such as are reasonably necessary to protect the Background IP of the Parties, the Centre Intellectual Property and Confidential Information of the Centre or a Party provided that and any restrictions on publication of the outcomes will not extend beyond 18 months from the time of submission of the Student's Thesis.

b. Parties may request that any examiners of a thesis are required to enter into a confidentiality agreement and provide appropriate acknowledgements of confidentiality so as to protect Background IP, Centre Intellectual Property, and Confidential Information of the Parties.