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Need more info? First check our FAQs, then contact us by email redi.help@rmit.edu.au
FAQs
ABOUT THE REDI PROGRAM, APPLICATION PROCESS & POSITIONS
1. How many calls for applications will there be?
There will be three calls for applications, the first opening on 1 October 2021 and closing on 30 November 2021. The second call for applications will open on 1 March 2022 and close on 7 May 2022. The third call for applications will open on 20 July 2022 and close on 19 September 2022.
Note on Extraordinary call (June 2023): The Extraordinary call is open from 22 June to 19 July 2023, where REDI is recruiting for one position only available at Lappeenranta – Lahti University of Technology in Finland.
2. How many positions are funded by the REDI program?
The REDI Program will fund around 40 positions in total, combining first call, second call and third call. Each open position is advertised with three research project options, only one of which will be funded. You are invited to choose the research project option that is best for you.
3. Will a position advertised in the previous calls be available again in the third?
The positions advertised in the third call (July 2022) will be different from those opened in the first call (October 2021) and second call (March 2022). Only unfilled positions will be re-advertised in the third call, and eventually in an extraordinary call.
4. Can I submit more than one application?
You may apply for up to three positions in each call. If you apply for more than one position, you will be required submit a separate application for each position. But please note that you are not allowed to apply for more than 3 positions. In case you wish to withdraw an application and apply for another position instead, contact REDI Help prior the deadline at redi.help@rmit.edu.au.
Note on Extraordinary call (June 2023): There is only one available position but applicants can choose from three different project options.
5. Can I send part of my application/or supporting documents by post or by e-mail?
No, applications and all supporting documents must be submitted electronically through the application portal.
6. What is the mobility rule?
REDI applicants have to comply with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) ¨mobility rule¨ which states that you may not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of your chosen research host for more than 12 months in the three years immediately before the program’s call deadline. For full details please see the Guide for Applicants.
7. What is the employment rule?
REDI applicants have to comply with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) ¨employment rule¨ which states that you may not be already permanently employed by your chosen research host, at the time of call deadline. This means that you cannot benefit from two Marie Skłodowska-Curie (or “Marie Curie” under FP7) Action grants at the same time and must be able to dedicate yourself full time to research/training activities. For full details see the Guide for Applicants.
8. If I’m interested on a position with double university host, the 12-month residency should apply to both?
Note that the MSCA mobility rule is assessed against where your host position will be located (e.g. EMEA), not against Australia. Thus, you must have not resided in the host position location for more than 12 months, within the 3 years immediately preceding the call deadline (September 19, 2022).
Most of the currently open positions are double-degree awarding. The PhD will be awarded by your chosen Research Host and RMIT University in Australia. If your application is successful, you will be employed by your chosen Research Host and will spend up to 12 months at RMIT University in Australia.
9. Is it mandatory to go to Australia for one year?
All enrolled REDI students are expected to travel and conduct their study and research in Melbourne, Australia during the secondment (tentatively planned 2024), and annual full-week workshops in Barcelona, Spain.
10. Do I need to submit different motivation letters for positions? As there is one slot only for this.
In case you wish to apply for more than one position, then you must submit separate applications for the 2nd and 3rd positions. Your motivation letter should reflect why you would be a good fit for the chosen position.
Note on Extraordinary call (June 2023): Your motivation letter should be aligned with the research project you choose from the three project options on offer.
11. References are required at application or they are required only if I get shortlisted?
References are mandatory at application stage. You will be required in the online application to provide the names and email addresses of at least two referees, who will then provide their references online via the application form. Please note that you are responsible for ensuring that your referees submit their references letters before the call deadline.
12. I applied to previous rounds but got rejected, but can I use my submitted recommendations?
No, recommendations should be specific to the position you are applying for, therefore, we recommend that you ask your referees again.
13. Does the candidate need to cover tuition fees for REDI?
If your application is successful, there will be no tuition fees to be paid by you.
14. When are the positions for next calls published?
No next calls are planned at the moment. Please follow us on social media and check regularly the REDI website for updates.
15. If my application is successful, what is the earliest date I can start my PhD?
The earliest start date for those applying in the third call (deadline 19 September 2022) will be January 2023. However, the start date will depend on the position, the length of RMIT and host partner Admissions, work visas and other relevant administrative processes. Please check the Position Description for the position you are interested in.
Note on Extraordinary call (June 2023): The successful applicant is expected to start in November 2023 at the latest.
16. I see positions that are marked open and closed. Does this mean I can only apply for projects with open positions?
You can apply only for open positions. In the extraordinary call (June 2023), there is only one position open until July 19.
17. Where can I find more information on how to use the application portal?
The portal is user-friendly and intuitive, and there is a manual available should you need additional support. Applicants are also encouraged to watch the video recording of info session and follow us on social media for updates.
18. Do I have to work from the country where the research is hosted?
While REDI is flexible in supporting researcher’s individual needs, international experience is key to the program in general and the opportunity of being embedded with research and industry partners is something you won’t want to miss! If you have a query about working remotely, please email redi.help@rmit.edu.au about your individual situation. We will try and find a solution but there may be limitations as REDI researchers will be contracted by their research host and it can be difficult to offer employment to someone based overseas.
19. I would like to have more information about the requirement of the diploma having to indicate that it provides access to PhD studies in the issuing country. How should this information appear in the diploma? If not in the diploma, what kind of document is expected to be presented?
You are expected to submit your official academic transcript that allows you to pursue a Ph.D degree (i.e. Master’s Degree or equivalent degree including a research component such as; a four-year Bachelor’s Degree awarded with honours or other equivalent qualifications). If you have more than one degree, please submit them all, for the evaluators to be able to assess your academic records correctly.
Also, if your degree or transcripts are not in English, you are required to also submit a translation of both of them. Please read the Guide for Applicants.
ELIGIBILITY
22. I received my master’s degree in September 2018, and I have only been working since then and do not have any research experience. As per the info provided in this call, I will be eligible to apply to the REDI program as I am still within the first 4 years of my research career, yes?
You are eligible if you are an Early-Stage Researcher and have less than 4 years of full-time research experience and you do not hold a PhD degree (a successful PhD defence would make you ineligible). However, please note that you must comply with all eligibility criteria listed in section 3.2 of the Guide for Applicants.
23. I am at the last term of my MSc. so I do not have diploma yet until August. Is it still okay to apply for the positions?
If you are currently enrolled in a degree (e.g. Master’s) that allows you to enrol in a Ph.D program, please note that you will need to have it finished by the start of the fellowship, i.e. by and no later than November 2023.
24. I will complete my degree by the end of August 2023, so I won’t be having a degree and transcript so I will be having a provisional transcript. Is that a problem?
At the application stage by the call deadline (e.g. 19 July 2023 for the extraordinary call) please submit your provisional degree and transcripts and ensure they are official (stamped and signed by the university). It they are not in English, please also submit a translation in English. (See Guide for Applicants). Also please submit all of your degrees and transcripts available (e.g. Bachelor’s, especially if you are currently enrolled in a Master’s and do not have the Master’s completed).
If you are selected as the final candidate, you will be required to submit your official awarded degree and full academic transcripts at the RMIT and host partner Admissions stage. Note that your program start date may be delayed if you are unable to submit the required documents by the Admissions.
25. Am I eligible if I’m currently a student of the host academic institution?
If you have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of your chosen research host for more than 12 months in the three years immediately before the call deadline, then you are not eligible. See the Guide for Applicants for full details and consider one of the REDI positions hosted elsewhere.
26. Am I eligible if I’m already employed by the academic institution?
If you are already permanently employed by your chosen research host, at the time of application deadline, you are not eligible for a REDI position with them. See the Guide for Applicants for full details and consider a REDI position hosted elsewhere.
27. I am currently enrolled in a Doctoral Program, but I have not defended my PhD yet. Can I apply?
Yes, provided that you:
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- have not been enrolled in a Doctoral Program in the country of your chosen research host for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the call deadline,
- have not yet been awarded a doctoral degree
- have not defended your thesis by the closing date for applications, and
- are in the first four years of your research career.
28. I applied to previous rounds but got rejected, can I apply again?
Yes, you can apply again, even if you were unsuccessful the first/second round.
SELECTION
29.What are the main criteria of selection?
The main selection criteria are listed in the Guide for Applicants. Please also read carefully the position description as it may include additional selection criteria applicable to the position.
30. What will be assessed under the Public awareness (dissemination and communication activities) criterion?
Evaluators will look at your CV to assess whether you have experience with disseminating and/or communicating you scientific results (i.e. scientific articles in journals, conference presentations, etc.). Thus it is highly recommended that you include in your CV and/or motivation letter all your experience referring to such activities.
31. My application has been rejected and I think there has been a mistake. What can I do?
If your application is not successful and you think there has been an error or shortcoming in the way your application was evaluated, you can submit a request for redress for a limited period of time (7 days). You will need to download a Redress form and follow the process in the Guide for Applicants.
32. Who are members of the Selection Panels? Are their names public?
You will not be informed of the identity of the individuals that evaluate your application. This is standard practice in processes using the peer review system, and we have made the selection process as transparent as possible by sharing the criteria with which applications will be assessed, as well as the Guide for Evaluators.
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
33. How do I prove my English proficiency?
All REDI applicants must be proficient in English, but the evidence you need to provide can vary from institution to institution, so it is best to check the Position Description for the PhD you are interested in.
34.I have a Master’s degree from UK, so IELTS will be waived off for me at both hosts?
If you obtained a Master’s Degree at an institution where the language of instruction was English, then your Master’s Degree may acceptable as proof of English. If your degree obtained in a country where the language of instruction was English is older than 2 years, you may be required to submit further evidence (i.e. IELTS or TOEFL test taken in the past 2 years).
35. I wanted to know if someone got their education (M.S. Degree) in an international university, in English, do they still need to provide English proof?
In such case, your proof of English proficiency is your Master’s Degree which should clearly specify that the language of instruction was English. Alternatively, your academic transcript could provide this information. If not clearly visible on your official Master’s Degree title or academic transcripts, it would be highly recommended that you request a certificate from your university stating that the language of education was English. If your degree has been issued more than 2 years ago, you may be required to submit additional documents as proof of English proficiency or take an English test.
36. I have a MSc degree in Hungary totally studied in English, I’m also studying a second Master’s in France totally in English, are documents showing that I have studied MSc degree in Hungary and a second Master’s in France totally in English sufficient to fulfil the English language requirement.
Yes, an official Master’s Degree if taught in English is acceptable as proof of English provided that it is not older than 2 years. You will find more information on the English language requirements in the Guide for Applicants. Also, please note that even if you do not have an official English certificate at the time of applying, that may be acceptable as long as you have a good level of English and you are able to demonstrate it at the interview. At enrolment, you will be asked to submit an English proficiency certificate, so we highly encourage you to start preparing and take the test as soon as possible, if you are not a native speaker, nor have graduated from a full English program, and do not have any recent official English proficiency proof test to submit.
37. Is there a list of accepted English proficiency certificates?
The list of certificates may vary from one host to another. Please refer to the position description for more information or if in doubt contact redi.help@rmit.edu.au.
38. Can I upload IELTS later on, if I don’t get result on time?
You must be able to provide your C1-level IELTS results at admissions at the latest. You may refer to the indicative timeline in the Guide for Applicants – section 3.1.
39. Is it possible to send my English proof after the call deadline since my IELTS exam results will be available only after that date?
Yes. It will be accepted as long as it is C1-level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
40. Is there a model for the statement of commitment to present English C1 scores at the enrolment time?
No official template is available. You may prepare your own statement and sign it.
41. I would like to know more about the English certificate. I have only a B2 certificate, but I am attending a course for getting a C1 certificate. Which is the exact deadline to get it?
You must be able to submit an official English language certificate (C1-level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) at the time of enrolment at the latest, if your application is successful. However, please note that at interview, your English will be checked too. For the estimated timeline, please refer to the Guide for Applicants.
MORE
42. Can I get a quick check to see if I am eligible for REDI before applying
You should be able to assess whether you are eligible by reading the eligibility requirements (Guide for Applicants section 3.2) and the requirements for the research host and RMIT for your particular position in its Position Description. If you are still not able to assess your eligibility to the program due to special circumstances, contact the REDI Helpdesk at redi.help@rmit.edu.au.
43. Is there any extra support available? I want to apply but would need support to be successful in my doctorate.
There is an additional allowance for researchers who require extra support, for example those who identify as experiencing financial hardship, have a disability or are refugees. Full details of the special circumstances allowance are in the Guide for Applicants.
REDI is also committed to providing flexibility for researchers who experience career breaks, parental leave and illness etc. RMIT has a dedicated department, Equitable Learning Services that provides confidential support to its students to ensure they are supported to reach their goals.
If you have any questions or need further guidance to apply for extra support, contact REDI Help using the form below.
44. I still have questions, where can I get additional support for my application?
If you can’t find the information you are looking for in Guide for Applicants, or Guide for Evaluators, or on the website, please contact REDI Help using the form below or email us at redi.help@rmit.edu.au.
The REDI (RMIT European Doctoral Innovators) program is offering a dual PhD position at Lappeenranta – Lahti University of Technology in Finland and RMIT University in Australia. The successful applicant is expected to start in November 2023 and going to work on a research project in the field of circular economy and digitalisation of business.
- What if the ethics self-check has identified potential issues with my project?
Wherever a question in column C of the ethics self-check sheet is answered with “YES”, and that corresponding project option has been selected by the successful applicant, the additional information and documents requested in Columns D and E must be provided to the REDI Program Manager (PM) before the REDI researcher can begin work on those aspects of the project.
When Ethics Approval is required, REDI Supervisors must identify a suitable Ethics Committee (likely within the academic organisations involved) and list them under Column F of the ethics self-check sheet. Note that a minimum of two ethics review bodies will be required, one in an EU member state and one at RMIT University in Australia, due to the co-supervised nature of the projects in REDI.
Where documents must be provided, please also retain copies for your own records. The REDI Teams shared folders should be used for sharing documentation with the REDI PM.
Specific steps for each supervisor:
RMIT Supervisor
- In column F of the ethics self-check sheet, name the Ethics Committee that will provide the necessary guidance and approvals for the relevant section of research work. For negligible or low risk research this will be the College Human Ethics Advisory Networks (CHEAN) most closely aligned to the RMIT Supervisor. For more than low risk research this will be the RMIT University Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). Consulting RMIT University, Australian national and international research guidelines along with relevant legislation will ensure you conduct your project within appropriate ethical standards.
- Prepare and submit your Human Research Ethics Application via the Research Ethics Platform (REP). REP will generate a reference number for your application and assign your application to the appropriate reviewing body (the relevant CHEAN or HREC).
- All submitted applications will be governance reviewed before progressing to ethics review and you will be able to track the progress of your application through the timeline in REP.
- Await the finalisation of the outcome of the ethics review. Noting, you must secure ethics approval before commencing the research.
- Once you have the required documentation, save copies in the REDI Teams shared folder, update column G in the ethics self-check sheet, and inform the REDI PM.
- If permissions must be renewed, repeat steps 2 to 5 with the frequency specified in the initial approval in order to retain its validity.
Support for RMIT Supervisor: See Researcher Portal article on ‘Applying for Human Research Ethics Approval’. Should you need any advice or support, please reach out to the RMIT University Australia Research Ethics, Integrity and Governance team humanethicsatrmit.edu.au
EU partner Supervisor
- In column F of the ethics self-check sheet, name the Ethics Committee that will provide the necessary guidance and approvals for the relevant section of research work (likely within your academic organisation).
- Solicit the support of the Ethics Committee identified in order to prepare the documentation requested in Columns D and E of the ethics self-check.
- Once you have the required documentation, save copies in the REDI Teams shared folder for your organisation, update column G in the ethics self-check sheet, and inform the REDI PM.
- If permissions must be renewed, repeat steps 2 and 3 with the frequency specified in the initial approval in order to retain its validity.
Support for EU Supervisor: Please reach out to relevant resources within your organisation, within the REDI network and, of course, the REDI PM.
Team
We are the RMIT Europe team supporting the REDI community of researchers, supervisors and projects
Kinga Kónya
Program Manager
Name
Position
REDI help
Phone
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
REDI is led by RMIT Europe (Spain), located in the Cornerstone Complex, Eurecat Building c/Bilbao 72, Barcelona. RMIT Europe is the European hub of RMIT University (Australia) a global university of technology, design and enterprise.