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Special Studies Program (SSP) (Short) Guidelines

• What does the Faculty SSP (Short) Scheme fund?
• Who is eligible?
• What restrictions apply?
• What are the closing dates?
• What level of funding is provided?
• What should my application include?
• Can I take unfunded leave?
• What should I do prior to departure?
• What should I do if I wish to cancel my SSP (Short) grant?

What does the Faculty SSP (Short) Scheme fund?

The scheme funds the following kinds of University related travel:

• Research fieldwork
• Special training purposes
• Live-in training courses
• Conference leave (Australia & overseas)
  Financial support for attendance at conferences either overseas or within Australia is dependent on the nature of the participation. This may include: delivering a paper; organising a session or being a formal discussant; and membership of the organisation or executive committee associated with the conference. It is recognised that the value of attendance at conferences may vary across disciplines, and that in some areas it may be particularly important for the exchange of ideas, especially for young researchers.

Who is eligible?

• All full-time and fractional full-time Teaching & Research (T&R) and Research only (RO) staff of the Faculty
• Teaching & Research (T&R) and Research only (RO) staff on fixed term appointments whose leave requests fall during the period of their appointment
• Research only staff are expected to be supported by the external research funds from which their position is financed. Applications received from research-only staff on a 3 year contract at Lecturer level A or above, who have been accepted to present a paper at a conference and/or where the proposed travel is directly related to their research, shall be considered on an individual basis by the Associate Dean (Research). Applicants need to demonstrate why the research funds do not provide for travel assistance. Research only staff in the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics who do not hold external grants with travel budgets relating to their SSP (S) application are, by special arrangement, eligible for funding under the Faculty scheme.

What restrictions apply?

• Two SSP(S) applications can be granted per staff member per year.
• Staff on SSP Long Level with a travel grant, are not eligible to apply for SSP Short while on SSP Long Leave, but can apply in the other semester of the year.
• Staff employed on a casual basis are not eligible for support under this scheme.
• Staff are encouraged to supplement a Faculty SSP (Short) grant with funding from other sources such as ARC and school grants. For guidelines on Fully and Partially Funded Travel refer to section 14.1.6 of the Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual.
• Applications received from staff in pursuit of an ARC Grant shall be considered on an individual basis by the Associate Dean (Research). Applicants need to demonstrate why the ARC Grant does not provide for travel costs.

What are the closing dates for 2009?

Applications are considered three times a year. Out-of-round applications will not be considered but will be accepted retrospectively. Applications should be submitted to Allison Dutka, Room 202, Old Arts Building by COB on the following dates:

• 2nd March 2009 For Travel from November 2008 to May 2009
• 1st June 2009 For Travel from June 2009 to August 2009
• 7th September 2009 For Travel from September 2009 to February 2010

What level of funding is provided?

• The scheme provides 80% of a return advanced purchased economy airfare for national or international travel direct to furthest point of destination. Quotes must be current at the time of the due date of applications and be quoted by one of the University Preferred Suppliers of Travel Services.
• Where a lower quote is supplied from a non-University preferred carrier a quote from the preferred carrier is also required.
• Awards will not be reviewed if the price of a ticket increases after an application is made to the scheme.
• All payments will be made into a nominated school account. Please ensure the Themis account code is provided.

What should my application include?

All SSP Short applications must include the following documentation:

• Application for Funded Leave on Academic Duty
• Airfare quote from a University Preferred Carrier
• Travel Approval/ Request for Payment (HR18)
• Guideline Form For Off Campus Travel and Work Policy
  All academic staff travelling for the purposes of research will be required to complete and lodge a Risk Assessment with their SSP Short application. Applicants are advised to discuss a risk assessment of their travel destination with their school manager before travelling.

The following supporting documentation in support of your research trip must also be included for consideration, in conjunction with the above:

• Invitation to participate in meetings, conferences, symposiums
• Detailed information (i.e. website of conference)
• Confirmation of acceptance of conference paper
• Details of publication plans for your conference paper, specifying journal name, or book chapter publication plans, and the expected due date of submission for publication;
• Details of the publication(s) arising from your last SSP(Short) funding
• Applicants applying for a second SSP(S) in a calendar year need to show evidence that the paper from the first round has been completed and submitted for publication.

Can I take unfunded leave?

• A Head of School may approve absences of staff for other academic purposes and for which no financial support is sought (e.g. excursions for field work associated with undergraduate teaching or research, working in libraries etc.), for up to 1 week (section 12.5.3.3 of the Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual). Unfunded leave for 1 week or more must be approved by the Associate Dean (Research). An application should be completed, however no travel quote needs to be provided.
• Periods of unfunded leave should preferably be taken in a non-teaching period.

What should I do prior to departure?

• Staff members travelling overseas should arrange travel insurance and review the information available on the University's Overseas Travel website before confirming travel plans.
• Staff travelling in association with their University work are required to advise the Risk Management Office 14 days before they travel if one or more of the following situations apply:
• the proposed trip is of more than 180 days duration
• the staff member or any accompanying spouse or family member has a pre-existing medical condition; or
• the staff member is taking with them an item of personal effects, the value of which is more than $1,250.

What should I do if I wish to cancel my SSP (Short) grant?

If you wish to cancel your SSP (Short), please contact:

Allison Dutka
Research Manager
Faculty of Arts
Room 202, Old Arts Building
The University of Melbourne VIC 3010
T: +61 3 8344 6461
E: adutka@ unimelb.edu.au

Arrangements will made for the reversal of funds paid.

Further information

• University policy relating to SSP (Short) and other absences is detailed in section 12.5 of the Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual.
• For further information on travel, including supplier contacts, travel policy and how to get the best value from the University's suppliers, please visit the University Travel website.

Enquiries may be directed to:

Allison Dutka
Research Manager
Faculty of Arts
Room 202, Old Arts Building
The University of Melbourne VIC 3010
T: +61 3 8344 6461
E: adutka@ unimelb.edu.au

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