*Applications for 2011 Visiting Scholars Program are now open and due on 18 May 2010.

The School of Political Science and International Studies is keen to establish and consolidate relationships with scholars from Australia and overseas. It is one of the largest schools of its kind in Australia, with research strengths in International Relations, Employment Studies and Industrial Relations, Australian Politics, Public Policy and Governance, Political Economy, Political and Social Theory, Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Security, International Alliances and International Institutions.

The Visiting Scholars Program was established to encourage exceptional scholars working in the above fields to spend a period of time researching and collaborating with scholars within the School. Experience with the program indicates that our visiting scholarships are keenly sought and are highly competitive.

The Visiting Scholars Program is ideally suited to scholars who are on sabbatical or research leave and who are interested in collaborating with members of the School. Visiting Scholars will receive computer access, library privileges and academic standing within The University of Queensland.

The School is able to provide financial support to two Visiting Scholars per annum. The School provides up to $2500 for a direct return economy airfare and up to $250 per week for maximum of 10 weeks in living allowances for each successful candidate. Financial assistance is only available to Visitors who agree to spend at least four weeks based in the School during semester (mid Feb to mid June or mid July to early November)

The purpose of the Visiting Scholars Program is to bring to the School exceptional scholars who can contribute to and enrich its intellectual and research activities. Therefore, in addition to conducting their own research, Visitors will be expected to actively participate in a number of School activities by:
- Undertaking collaborative research with School Staff
- Contributing to the School’s teaching by presenting guest lectures
- Presenting a paper as part of the School’s seminar program
- Giving a formal lecture to the School or wider community
- Engaging in formal or informal discussions with postgraduate research students

Application Guidelines and Procedures

1. Visitors will need to be sponsored by a member of the School's Academic Staff. As a first step, applicants should contact a member of the School's academic staff to discuss working on a collaborative research project. Upon acceptance, this staff member is required to sponsor the application, assist the applicant to complete the formal application process, and if successful, help organise the Visitor’s activities in the School.

2. Email the following documents to the Research Support Officer by 18 May in the year of application:
- A letter which:
• identifies their area of expertise and research interest
• identifies their collaborator or sponsor in the School
• briefly describes their proposed research collaboration and objectives of the proposed visit
• confirms that the applicant has sabbatical leave or a similar independent source of financial support for their stay in Brisbane
• includes the Visiting Academic's curriculum vitae and contact details
• Identifies the commencement and expiry date of proposed period of stay, and level of finance assistance required

3. Successful applicants are informally notified in June of the year of application. To qualify for School financial support, a successful applicant is asked to apply for the University of Queensland Travel Awards for International Collaborative Research, if eligible for consideration. We will ask for the following document to be sent to us by 27 July in the year of application.
• A completed UQ Travel Awards for International Collaborative Research form
• A letter of support from the visitor institution

Should the University Research Committee also award a grant, the School will reduce its support by an equivalent amount.

4. An official invitation letter with funding support details will be send to the visitor(s) in November, after the result of the University of Queensland Travel Awards for International Collaborative Research application become available.

The appointment of Visiting Scholars is subject to the approval of the Head of School and the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. Appointments will be made only where the applicants meet criteria that the University imposes to protect its reputation for excellence and to ensure that it extends invitations which meet relevant legal requirements (particularly with respect to information supplied by visitors which they intend to use as part of a visa application).

Contact Details

For more information on the Visiting Scholars Program, please contact the Research Support Officer:

Phone: +61 7 3365 2635
Fax: +61 7 3365 1388
Email: polsis.fiinance@uq.edu.au