Each year we welcome academics from other institutions who wish to further their research with staff at the University of Melbourne. We have been fortunate to welcome several distinguished scholars to the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, and our Visiting Scholars program aims to continue this collaboration with academics, both from Australia and overseas.
What is the Visiting Scholars Program?
Our Faculty is committed to encouraging the exchange of ideas through staff and student mobility. Our Visiting Scholars Program achieves this by providing a scholarly environment in which academics can share and develop their work, collaborate with ABP staff, engage in further research and professional development and contribute to teaching and our research community in Melbourne.
Visits would normally last for between two weeks and one semester (12-16 weeks) in duration, although visits of a longer term may be approved in certain circumstances.
If your visit is less than two weeks, please contact us to see if the formal application process needs to be followed.
Eligibility
Visiting Scholars are chosen competitively based on qualifications, quality of research proposal and relevance to the Faculty’s strategic direction.
Applicants must be current employees of another academic institution, or scholars of established reputation in the peer community. Applications will also be assessed in consideration of existing institutional linkages, relevance of research proposal and availability of Faculty resources to support the visit.
PhD or other graduate research students who wish to visit the Faculty should refer to Melbourne Global Mobility for specific Research Study Abroad and Exchange information. Other students should refer to the University’s Study Abroad and Exchange website.
Expectations
During their program, Visiting Scholars are expected to make a contribution to Faculty life through:
- Presentation – making at least one public presentation (seminar) of their academic work to the Faculty community
- Marketing – Providing biographic information for use and promotion on the Faculty’s website; be available for media interest regarding their research ideas
- Contributing to the enrichment of the Faculty by participation in one or more of the following:
- Consultation with postgraduate research students with shared theoretical framings
- Lectures in the Faculty’s teaching programs
- Professional development session for professional community within the applicant’s area of expertise
- Acknowledgements – Visiting Scholars are requested to acknowledge the Faculty in any published work or presentation arising from research undertaken during their visit
- Report – As part of finalising their visit, the Visiting Scholar will submit a report outlining their activities and outcomes during the period of their stay.
How to apply
Applications are to be submitted via the online form.
Applicants must make contact with an academic member of staff within ABP to seek support for their visit.
Applications will be accepted at any time of the year, however to assist with planning we ask that applications are submitted a minimum of 6-12 months before the intended visit.
It is your responsibility to obtain an appropriate visa. Visa related processes can take several months. For further information, visit the Australian Government's Home Affairs website.
You will be asked to submit the following with you online application:
- Contact details
- Proposed time and duration of visit
- Confirmation from an ABP academic to host the proposed visit
- Confirmation that Visa Fees can be covered
- CV including degrees, research and teaching appointments and publication
- Cover Letter and Proposed Program including research proposal outlining the topic, aims, sources of information and long-term prospects of research and planned collaboration with ABP staff
- Current employer details including a letter of support from Dean or equivalent at current institution endorsing visit and proposed visit program
- Transcripts of most recent study completed (for early career scholars)
- Evidence of English language proficiency (from non-English speaking institutions)
After your Visiting Scholar application has been approved by our Deputy Dean, your next step is to organise the correct visa.
Visas must be obtained via the University of Melbourne’s nominated Visa Lawyers. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic visa processing timelines for 408 Research Activity Visas are currently expected to take 5 months to be granted from time of lodgement for entry into Australia. Please take this into consideration when arranging a Visiting Scholar appointment.
If your proposed length of stay is greater than 3 months your visa fee may cost up to AUD$2000. Please discuss with your Academic Sponsor to ensure their program/discipline can cover these costs*.
Visa costs can be covered in 3 ways:
- Full payment by the Academic Host’s Program/Discipline
- Full payment by the Visiting Scholar
- Shared payment by the Program/Discipline and the Visiting Scholar
*Option 2 and 3 only applies to 408 Visas (visas for Visiting Scholars undertaking a significant portion of Research as part of their visit)
Academic Sponsors
After your Visiting Scholar has been offered their appointment via HUGS and this has been approved as required, please complete the Visitor Visa Assessment tool and submit it here for a free visa lawyer assessment that includes advice regarding cost.
For further information, visit the Australian Government's Home Affairs website.
Further information
For further information please refer to the faculty’s Visiting Scholars Policy or contact the Office of the Dean and Faculty Executive Director abp-visitingscholars@unimelb.edu.au