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Research Awards

CONDITIONS

1. Eligibility

Applicants must show evidence of commitment to a research career, within Australia, in health and disease related to the broad field of gastroenterology, hepatology and related disorders.

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2. Taking up an Award & Payments

Unless otherwise agreed by the Research Committee, an award must be taken up in the year for which it was awarded. Awards generally commence in January or February, or as directed by the Research Committee.

In general all awards will be paid to the administering institution, not to the individual applicant, on terms prescribed by the Society.

Successful applicants will be expected to spend the major part of their time in an institution, nominated by the applicant, which has been approved by the Research Committee.

The Research Committee will require confirmation of the applicant’s acceptance by this institution before making an award.

The Research Committee may revoke or terminate an award which is not taken up in accordance with the requirements of the Society and may, at its discretion, re-grant or transfer the balance of the benefit of the award to another person.

In the event that an award is properly taken up and the other requirements of the Society are met, awards are paid to the administering institution, for the award project and no other purpose, at such intervals and on such terms as the Research Committee determines.

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3. Tenure

Fellowships & Scholarships are for a maximum of three (3yrs).

Subject to satisfactory progress, including satisfactory annual reviews. On request, participating applicants must supply the Research Committee with such information and data as the Society reasonably requires regarding the awarded project, and the allocation and use of moneys awarded.

Applicants must immediately notify the Research Committee in writing if their tenure is terminated by a Hospital or University, or if they terminate or attempt to terminate their engagement before the expiration of the proposed period of an award.

Successful applicants are required to present research work originating from the award on at least one occasion at Australian Gastroenterology Week (AGW) prior to the completion of the award, at a time and for the duration acceptable to the Society. On request, applicants must provide the Research Committee with such information and materials as the Society reasonably requires to determine or verify research progress and the scope of the presentation.

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4. Extension of Tenure

Only under extreme circumstances will an extension be granted, and then only on terms prescribed by the Research Committee.

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5. Place of Tenure

Awards are designed specifically for use within Australia, or as otherwise specified.

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6. Employee & Employer Relationship

Participation in a Research program does not give rise to any term or condition of employment between applicants and the Society. Applicants must negotiate and finalise the terms and benefits of their engagement, including their entitlements with the employing Hospital or University. The Society is not liable for any costs or expenses associated with the engagement of applicants. Such costs and expenses are the sole responsibility of the administering institution.

It is recommended that applicants discuss the implementation of employment terms with a legal adviser, with appropriate expertise.

On request, participating applicants must provide the Research Committee with a copy of the employment terms between the applicants and the employing institution.

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7. Services

Successful applicants must provide services to the employing organisation personally. On carrying out research activities applicants must spend the major part of their time at the administering institution approved by the Research Committee, and conduct their activities in accordance with the directions of the employing institution.

If requested, participating applicants must notify the Research Committee of any disciplinary action taken against them in connection with their engagement, as well as any complaints, allegations or claims made against them in respect of misconduct, unprofessional conduct, unethical behaviour, illegal acts or omissions or negligence.

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8. Leave, Fees & Allowances

During the three (3) year tenure of the fellowship or scholarship applicants will be entitled to recreation leave not exceeding twelve (12) weeks. Under normal circumstances this means four (4) weeks during each twelve (12) month period of full time employment.

Entitlements to sick, parental, bereavement and other leave will be in accordance with the conditions of the employing institution.

No other allowances are available and the Society will not contribute toward costs and expenses incurred.

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9. Superannuation

The Society will not act as an employer and will not, therefore, contribute to superannuation, loadings or continuation of service.

Whether time spent under the award is counted as service contributing towards long-service leave or study leave is dependent on the rules and policies of the administering institution.

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10. Tax

A scholarship to a full time student purely for education purposes will in most cases constitute "exempt income", unless the recipient of the scholarship is required to provide services in connection with the payment. A scholarship paid to an employee will not be treated as exempt income, in which case it will be treated as assessable income and therefore be subject to income tax.

Further information can be found in the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth), at section 51-1 and 51-10 and on the website of the Australian Taxation Office, www.ato.gov.au

Any questions applicants have about the tax implications of the Award should be directed to their financial advisor or the Commissioner for Taxation.

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11. Additional Earnings

The applicant is expected to work full-time on the stipulated research project. Any additional funds anticipated must be declared and approved by the Research Committee of the Society on application.

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12. Award Recognition

On request, successful applicants must participate in activities organised by the Society to publicise program related awards.

Upon completion of an awarded project and the end of award tenure, applicants must personally advise the award sponsor (if any), in writing of the completion of the award and detail how the award has assisted their career. However, all proposed correspondence with the award sponsor is subject to the approval of the Research Committee.

Participating applicants must not make any public statements or announcements about the rights, privileges and entitlements of an award, without the prior written approval of the Research Committee.

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13. Publications

Participating applicants must not make any public statements or announcements about the rights, privileges and entitlements of an award, without the prior written approval of the Research Committee.

All publications shall include a prominent written acknowledgment, acceptable to the Society, that the underlying work was carried out during the tenure of an award from the Society. On request, applicants must provide the Society with a copy of all such publications.

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14. Intellectual Property & Assignment of Rights

Participating applicants must immediately notify the Society in writing of any patentable discoveries or other registrable intellectual property rights, inventions, processes or improvements arising out of research conducted in the course of an award. All such discoveries and intellectual property rights shall be jointly owned by the Society and the administering institution, in equal shares.

And to the extent necessary the applicant and the administering institution:

  • Must assign to and vest in the Society the preceding rights and entitlements, without any additional consideration being payable by the Society; and
  • Must do all things necessary to confirm and give effect to the rights of the Society under these terms.

Jointly owned intellectual property may be used by the Society for the usual purposes of the Society. Without any fee or royalty being payable to the administering institution. The commercialisation or use of such rights for any other purpose is subject to the prior agreement of the Society and the administering institution.

For the avoidance of doubt, all improvements made to the administering institution’s pre-existing intellectual property remain the property of the administering institution.

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15. Termination

In addition to any rights of revocation or termination set out in publications and handbooks of the Society, the Research Committee may revoke or terminate an award on written notice to the applicant, with effect from a date recited in the notice (termination may be immediate), in the event that:

  • the terms and conditions on which an award is made, including these terms, are not met or, in the opinion of the Research Committee, reasonably unlikely to be met;
  • the acts or activities of the applicant and/or the administering institution bring all or part of the Research program into disrepute or are otherwise harmful or damaging to the reputation of the Society or the Research program;
  • in the opinion of the Research Committee sufficient moneys are not, or will not be available for one or more awards;
  • the Society abandons all or part of the Research program;
  • the applicant or the administering institution carries out program related activities in an illegal, negligent, unethical or incompetent manner;
  • the applicant dies or is otherwise unable to carry out research activities on a full time basis;
  • the administering institution ceases to control facilities or carry out activities which are, in the view of the Research Committee, complimentary to the Research program or necessary for the successful completion of the awarded project;
  • an awarded project is completed or ended prior to the tenure of an award; or
  • any information supplied to the Society by the applicant as part of the application process is subsequently found to be incorrect or false or misleading, or subsequently becomes untrue or false or misleading.

The Research Committee may also terminate an award at any time, for any reason, on giving at least three (3) months prior notice to the applicant.

The Society is not liable or responsible for any losses or damages associated with the termination of an award.

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16. Suspension of Payments & Refunds of Monies Paid

If a "terminating event" arises the Research Committee may, instead of terminating an award (at its absolute discretion), suspend all or part of the payments to be made to the applicant. If payments are suspended, the Research Committee may impose additional terms and conditions as to the making of any further payments.

The suspension of payments does not limit or fetter the right of the Research Committee to terminate an award at any time in the future.

In the event that an award is terminated, the applicant and the administering institution must promptly refund to the Society, without any deduction or set off, all moneys paid or awarded by the

Society for the awarded project and not then properly expended on the provision of services by the applicant for the project.

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17. Review & Evaluation

The Research program is subject to review by Society which relies upon the input of applicants carrying out projects.

On agreeing to be part of the program, applicants must participate in, respond to and return, in a timely manner (and in any case, no later than 28 days), any questionnaires, surveys, evaluation forms and data sheets the Research Committee or the Society issues in connection with the program for the purposes of assessing:

  • the suitability and effectiveness of awards;
  • applicant views on the program;
  • workforce retention; and
  • research activities.

Applicants are required to participate in the Society’s review and evaluation programs during the tenure of an award and for 5 years thereafter.

On undertaking a review of the program the Society may publish, share or disclose findings, to third parties such as award sponsors and individuals who have participated in the program or who may be interested in participating in the program or a similar scheme in the future.

The Society may also share or transfer information relating to the Research program, including de-identified data concerning participating applicants and their experiences, to committees or management groups established for the purposes of managing, regulating or overseeing the program.

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18. Confidentiality

Unless otherwise agreed by the Research Committee in writing, applicants must keep the terms and conditions on which an award is made confidential. However, applicants may make such disclosures necessary for an administering institution to participate in the program, as well as any disclosures required at law.

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19. Risk

The Society makes no warranties or representations that work places in connection with the program will be safe or without risk to health. Participation does not confer on any applicant any rights to compensation or damages from the Society in consequence of personal harm or injury or the termination of his or her engagement or employment for any reason whatsoever, in so far as those rights arise, or may arise, from his or her ceasing to have rights in connection with the program.

The Society is not responsible or liable for any claims or actions arising in connection with the Award, or the engagement of applicants by an employing institution.

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20. Requirements of Administering Institution

Without limiting the obligations of an administering institution, it may be a requirement of the Society that no moneys or additional moneys will be paid to an administering institution unless and until the administering institution enters into a form of acknowledgement as prescribed by the Research Committee from time to time for the purposes of recording the rights of the Society and the obligations of the administering institution, including its obligations as an employer.

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21. Accurate & Relevant Information

Applicants warrant that:

  • the information and material supplied by them to the Society in connection with their application and the tenure of their award (if applicable) is complete, accurate and up-to-date; and
  • they have not and will not withhold any material information which could reasonably be expected to influence or affect a decision of the Research Committee.

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22. Variation of Terms

The Society may add to or vary any of these terms, or waive or vary the application of any of these terms, in relation to any application, provided that any such waiver or variation must be in writing.

Each variation will be deemed to be effective and part of the contract between the applicant and the Society in respect of the Research program, on and with effect from the date on which written notice of the change is given to the applicant by the Research Committee.

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23. Interpretation

These terms must be read in conjunction with the Society publication headed 'Instruction Booklet for Award Scholarships and Fellowships'. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and the booklet, these terms prevail.

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