The University of Waikato &

Institute of Healthy Ageing

PhD Scholarship

Purpose
The Institute of Healthy Ageing (IHA) was launched in November 2013 as a collaboration
between Waikato District Health Board, the University of Auckland and the University of
Waikato (UoW) to address challenges associated with New Zealand’s ageing population. IHA
aims to improve the wellbeing of older people when they access local and regional health
services, and to develop an appropriate workforce to provide such services. To achieve these
aims, IHA facilitates academic and clinical leadership in undertaking translatable and applied
research.

The University of Waikato and Institute of Healthy Ageing PhD Scholarship has been
established to further develop collaborative research between the University of Waikato and
Waikato DHB, and is targeted towards students with interests in Mental Health, Older people
in the Community, and/or Workforce development who are interested in carrying out research
with direct policy or practical implications.

Students interested in applying for this Scholarship should contact Prof Nicola Starkey
(nicola.starkey@waikato.ac.nz) or Dr Mary Simpson (mary.simpson@waikato.ac.nz) in
the first instance for further details.

Regulations

1. Eligibility
1.1. To be eligible, candidates must:
1.1.1. be intending to enrol full-time in a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the
University of Waikato in 2017; and
1.1.2. have completed, or be nearing completion of, an Honours or Masters
degree in a field that aligns with the research interests of the Institute of
Healthy Ageing such as; Psychology, Health Science, Social Science,
Management.
1.2. The Scholarship is open to New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, and
international students.
1.2.1. International students will be required to be resident in Waikato, New
Zealand in order to take up this Scholarship.

2. Value
 2.1. The value of the Scholarship shall be a living allowance of up to $22,000 per annum,
payable in monthly instalments, and the domestic tuition 1 fees for enrolment in the
doctoral programme for the term of the Scholarship.
2.1.1. The monthly instalments of the Scholarship will be conditional on the
recipient successfully transferring from conditional to confirmed PhD
enrolment within the first six months, and on satisfactory progress (as
indicated in the recipient’s Progress Reports) thereafter.
2.2. A thesis preparation grant of up to $400 is available to assist with thesis printing
costs provided the thesis is submitted within four years of the commencement of
doctoral enrolment.

3. Application
3.1. Applications for the Scholarship must be submitted on the prescribed online form
by 14 July 2017.
3.2. Candidates must also submit an Application to Enrol in the PhD programme at the
University of Waikato prior to the Scholarship closing date in order to be eligible for
consideration for this Scholarship.
3.3. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
3.4. Candidates must include with their Scholarship application:
3.4.1. a Personal Statement (the template can be downloaded from the online
Scholarship application form); and
3.4.2. two academic references, one of which should be from either your
proposed PhD Chief Supervisor or a member of the academic staff at the
institution at which you obtained the qualification that defines your eligibility
to enter the PhD programme.
3.5. The Selection Panel may choose to interview shortlisted candidates.

4. Selection
4.1. Academic merit will be a primary criterion of selection, with a minimum grade
average of A- (over the previous two years of full-time study) expected for eligibility.
4.2. Other factors taken into consideration will include the fit between the candidate’s
research interests/skills and the research needs of the IHA, references, prior
research and work experience, and publications.
4.3. The Selection Panel will comprise of the Chair of the Institute of Healthy Ageing’s
Governance Group, the UoW IHA Lead for Mental Health, the UoW IHA Lead for
Workforce Development, and the Dean of the School of Graduate Research, or
nominees.
4.4. The Selection Panel will submit its recommendations to the University of Waikato’s
Scholarships Executive for final approval.

1 The Scholarship does not cover the other enrolment fees, for example the Student Services Levy.
 4.5. The Scholarships Executive’s decision is final; no further correspondence will be
entered into following the selection meeting.

5. Awarding
5.1. All applicants will be advised by email of the outcome of their application.
5.2. Successful candidates must accept the offer of a Scholarship by the date indicated
in their offer letter or the offer will lapse.
5.3. The offer of a Scholarship will be conditional on the recipient commencing their full-
time enrolment in the PhD programme before the end of 2017. If a recipient does
not start their PhD within this timeframe, the Scholarship offer will be withdrawn.
5.4. By accepting the offer of a Scholarship, the recipient agrees to participate in any
publicity concerning the Scholarship arranged by the University of Waikato and/or
the Institute of Healthy Ageing.

6. Tenure
6.1. The total term of the Scholarship will not exceed three years of full-time doctoral
enrolment.
6.2. Should a recipient submit their thesis for examination during the Scholarship period
(and provided the candidate remains enrolled), the Scholarship will end after its full
term or upon the recipient’s completion of doctoral study, whichever is the earlier
date. Completion occurs when the Postgraduate Research Committee
recommends the awarding of the degree.

7. Co-tenure
7.1. The University of Waikato and Institute of Healthy Ageing PhD Scholarship may not
be held in conjunction with a University of Waikato Doctoral Scholarship.
7.2. The recipient must advise the Scholarships Executive (via the School of Graduate
Research Scholarships team), in writing, of any other awards they receive during
the tenure of the Scholarship.
7.3. The recipient may hold lower-value awards, provided the combined value of all other
awards does not exceed fifty per cent of the living allowance of the PhD Scholarship
in any one year.
7.4. If offered an award that allows co-tenure and is of a higher value than this
Scholarship, the recipient may apply to the Scholarships Executive for permission
to receive the additional funding while retaining up to fifty per cent of the current
living allowance of the University of Waikato and Institute of Healthy Ageing PhD
Scholarship. Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

8. Employment
8.1. Scholarship recipients will not be permitted to undertake paid employment that
exceeds fifteen hours per week.
 8.1.1. In exceptional circumstances, written requests to exceed fifteen hours per
week of paid employment for a limited time will be considered on a case-
by-case basis.

9. Other Conditions
9.1. If a recipient is an international student, they must comply with the conditions of
their Immigration New Zealand (INZ) student visa.
9.2. If a recipient’s circumstances change in a manner which may affect their continued
eligibility for the Scholarship, they must inform the Scholarships Executive
immediately. Any change of circumstances will be assessed on a case-by-case
basis.
9.3. Recipients are not eligible to receive Scholarship funds during periods of
suspension of doctoral enrolment. In the cases of overpayment, the Scholarships
team will work with the recipient to recoup the funds.
9.4. If, while in receipt of a Scholarship, the candidate withdraws from their enrolment,
or their enrolment is terminated, the Scholarship will cease and any overpayments
will be recouped.
9.5. The Postgraduate Research Committee will provide advice and recommendations
to the Scholarship Executive in regards to Progress Reports of Scholarship
recipients that identify performance that is below expectation.
9.6. A Scholarship may be terminated if the recipient is:
9.6.1. Not meeting expectations in their doctoral Progress Reports;
9.6.2. Not following the approved programme of study; or,
9.6.3. Not otherwise complying with the conditions governing the Scholarship
and/or the regulations of the University of Waikato.
9.7. The Scholarship holder shall have the right to appeal to the Vice-Chancellor against
any decision to terminate the award.