Supervisors work with a student to identify a six-week research project in the mathematical sciences. Please ensure that the scope of the project is feasible in a six-week period and will allow students to present their findings at AMSIConnect in February.
Supervisors mentor the student for the duration of the project and should arrange regular face-to-face meetings with the student to assist with any problems and ensure that the project stays on track. Supervisors are also responsible for proofreading the final research report and blog post before they are submitted to AMSI, in addition to helping their student prepare for AMSIConnect. This entails assisting with the preparation of presentations, arranging a trial presentation and providing feedback on final reports.
Research reports, blog posts and AMSIConnect presentations must adhere to the AMSI Style Guide (found in the VRS student information booklet) and be prepared using the AMSI templates. All of these documents are available for download on the Information for Students page.
We understand that sometimes projects will need to be refocused or slightly amended. If this is the case, please notify us via email at vrs@amsi.org.au. If the changes vary dramatically from the project originally submitted, permission to proceed must be granted by the AMSI Research and Higher Education Program Manager and your Head of Department.
Note: supervisors should be available in Australia for at least five weeks of the agreed period for the research project.
What Did You Most Enjoy About VRS?
“Working intimately with supervisors, seeing their day-to-day, how they collaborate… and tackle mathematics problems, and understanding what a career in academia might resemble. And also the opportunity to be guided by experienced lecturers about how to give a good 15-minute talk.”
Yee Chin, VRS 2019/20 (The University of Sydney)
You should complete the VRS application together with your student. The application requires a research proposal (maximum one page), the student’s statement of results (including the previous semester’s results) and a letter of support from you.
Should your student be successful in their application, a copy of the letter agreement signed by your head of department/school will be forwarded to you for your information. This will serve as a formal agreement, binding you to the project and parameters established by the VRS program.
If you cannot meet the application deadline, please contact AMSI as soon as possible at vrs@amsi.org.au.
If the student you are supervising is unable to complete the AMSI Vacation Research Scholarship, you are responsible for ensuring that your Head of Department, VRS contact & AMSI Member Representative (both available on the AMSI Members page), and the AMSI Research and Higher Education Manager are notified in writing with the reasons for withdrawal as soon as possible once the decision has been made. The withdrawal will be reviewed and the student payment adjusted accordingly.
AMSIConnect is an exclusive national conference for AMSI Vacation Research Scholars held in February. Over the course of the conference program, VRS students present their research projects to their peers, hear from invited guest speakers, participate in a careers panel Q&A and network with fellow scholars.
AMSI strongly encourages project supervisors to participate in AMSIConnect to provide support to their student and to assist with questions if required.
Supervisors should prepare for the presentation at AMSIConnect by:
Supervisors who attend AMSIConnect are requested to chair one session of presentations.
Following AMSIConnect, students must submit a report on their research project. Supervisors should ensure that the research is written up formally in the style of a journal paper. Reports should be submitted on the AMSI report template and adhere to the AMSI style guide (found in the VRS student information booklet). All of these documents are available for download from the Information for Students page.
Supervisors must proof the student’s final research report and blog post before they are submitted by the 28 February 2020 deadline.
It is important for researchers to explain their work to an audience outside of academia. For this reason we ask students to prepare an accessible blog post. Supervisors should also ensure that this post be presented in a manner suited to a casual audience.
Students may blog about:
The blog post should be 300-500 words and accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Scholars receive a stipend payment of A$2000 administered by their home university, or the university at which they are enrolled to undertake a Vacation Research Scholarship.
Scholars’ home or host universities should invoice AMSI in two instalments:
It is expected that departments pay the awardees out of their own funds and treat the AMSI payment as a reimbursement.
Please speak to your mathematical sciences department to discuss payment arrangements (most AMSI member universities have had Vacation Research Scholars in previous years, and should be aware of the processes).