Computational materials discovery for new room-temperature superconductors

1. Background

a. This Scholarship has been established to provide financial assistance to a PhD student who is undertaking research in Computational materials discovery of new low-dimensional, high-temperature superconductors

b. This Scholarship is funded by the ARC Centre of Excellence: Future low-energy electronics technologies (FLEET), The University of Wollongong (UOW) and The University of Sydney.

2. Eligibility

a. The Scholarship is offered subject to the applicant having a conditional or unconditional offer of admission or being currently enrolled to study full-time a PhD within the School of Physics, Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney.

b. Applicant must be willing to conduct research into in the first-principles design and discovery of novel low-dimensional high-temperature superconductors.

c. Applicant must hold an honours degree (First or Second Class upper) or a Masters Degree in a related field with a substantial research component, or equivalent.

a. Applicant must have a background in condensed matter or quantum physics, materials science/engineering or chemistry.

3. Selection Criteria

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

I. academic merit,
II. area of study and/or research proposal
III. curriculum vitae,
IV. previous research experience.

b. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in ab initio computations.

c. The successful applicant will be awarded the Scholarship on the nomination of the relevant research supervisor(s), or their nominated delegate(s).

4. Value

a. The Scholarship will provide a stipend allowance of $30,000 per annum for up to first and second year and $20,000 per annum for the third year, subject to satisfactory academic performance.

b. 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.

c. 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.

d. No other amount is payable.

e. 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.

c. 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,
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 2023 (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 Student Charter 2020 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 Student is required to:
I. keep all confidential information disclosed of the Disclosing Party confidential.
II. not use any Confidential Information in any way other than for the Activities or as otherwise contemplated by this Agreement without the prior written permission of the Disclosing Party;
III. not copy, in whole or in part, any Confidential Information without the prior written permission of the Disclosing Party; except where such copy is made for the purposes of carrying out the Activities;
IV. ensure that all its personnel to whom Confidential Information is disclosed are legally bound under the terms and conditions of their employment and other agreements or otherwise to keep the Confidential Information confidential and not to use the Confidential Information except for the Activities.

b. Confidential Information excludes, or as the case requires, ceases to include information, which is, or becomes:
I. available to the public at the date of its disclosure to the Receiving Party;
II. at the date of its disclosure to the Receiving Party, already properly in the possession of the Receiving Party in written form otherwise than by prior confidential disclosure from the Disclosing Party;
III. after the date of its disclosure to the Receiving Party, available to the public from sources other than the Receiving Party;
IV. after the date of its disclosure to the Receiving Party, properly available to the Receiving Party from a third party having no obligation of confidentiality to the Disclosing Party;
V. demonstrated by the Receiving Party to be independently developed by an employee or agent of the Receiving Party having no knowledge of such information the subject of the disclosure; or
VI. required to be disclosed by any law, regulation or statute.

c. At the 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.

d. Notwithstanding clause 13c to the extent that student’s computer back-up or archiving procedures create copies of the Confidential Information, the student may retain such copies for the period it normally archives backed-up computer records so long as such copies are not readily accessible and are not used or consulted with for any other purpose, which copies shall be subject to this Agreement until destroyed or no longer deemed Confidential Information.

e. The undertakings contained in this clause 13 are in addition to and shall in no way derogate from the obligations of the Parties in respect of secret and confidential information at law or under any statute or trade or professional custom or use.

14. Publications and Acknowledgement

a. Prior to its publication, and at least sixty (60) days prior to the date it is proposed for publication, any proposed Publication must be submitted to the other Party (Consent Party).

b. Within twenty (20) Business Days of receiving a Publication, the Consent Party may:
I. consent in writing to the Publication; or
II. advise the Party who submitted the Publication that the Publication should not proceed in its current form because it may cause disclosure of valuable Intellectual Property which would compromise protection or Commercialisation of such Intellectual Property or of Confidential Information, and the Consent Party must also advise what steps are reasonably necessary prior to the Publication proceeding (including suggesting amendments to the Publication) to ensure that Intellectual Property and/or Confidential Information is not compromised.

c. Publications may only proceed once the Consent Party’s written consent has been obtained. The failure of a Consent Party to respond within the twenty (20) Business Day period specified in clause 14.b will be deemed to constitute written consent to the relevant Publication for the purposes of this clause 8.

d. In relation to each Publication that USyd undertakes to publish, USyd must provide details and copies of the Publication to UOW within seven (7) days of publication.

15. Thesis

a. The Thesis Intellectual Property will be owned by the Student.

b. UOW may request the University of Sydney to procure a licence from the Student in respect of the Thesis IP to allow UOW to use (and to sublicense to the Centre participants the right to use) the Thesis IP as is necessary to carry out the activities of the Centre and Commercialisation

c. The Student if required to protect any Project IP, UOW Background IP or Confidential Information of UOW in the Thesis, UOW may request that: (i) when the Thesis is submitted to examiners for assessment, University of Sydney will enter into a confidentiality agreement with those examiners.

d. If Thesis is held confidentially in the University of Sydney library, and not otherwise made available to the public, for a period determined by the Parties, but not exceeding eighteen (18) months.