Guidelines for the Denison Distinguished Visitor Scheme (14 October 2005)
The Denison Distinguished Visitors Scheme was established in 2004 in order to fund visits by distinguished scientists to the School of Physics that enhance the School's research and outreach programs and its status with the general public. Visitorships will be awarded under the following conditions in response to twice-yearly Calls for Applications:
- Normally two Denison Distinguished Visitorships will be awarded each year, one for each semester.
- The minimum and maximum duration of each Visit are one and six months, respectively.
- Each Visitorship will be worth a maximum of $20,000, which can be used to cover a round-trip economy air ticket and all or part of accomodation and living expenses. Since co-contributions are usually expected from other sources, the maximum rate of reimbursement for expenses other than the air ticket is restricted to $3500 per calendar month, averaged over the visit. Subject to this maximum reimbursement rate, the funds will be paid by way of reimbursement of expenses (receipts required) or, alternatively, in the case of accomodation and meal expenses by per diem. Booking and prepayment of the air ticket by the School is possible if arranged through the University of Sydney's system.
- Each Visitor must give a scientific talk to the general public in Sydney and is strongly encouraged to give a School Colloquium during their period of residence (the sponsoring researcher and the School will assist in organisation).
- Applicants must be sponsored by and agree to work with a researcher (or researchers) within the School (either Teaching & Research Staff or Research-Only staff with independent funding).
- Applications must include concise statements of the research to be undertaken by the Visitor and the tangible benefits to the School's research and outreach programs which will flow from the visit (1-2 sides of an A4 page), the Visitor's curriculum vitae, a budget with reasonable details of the funds requested, and a supporting statement written by the sponsoring researcher within the School (1 side of an A4 page). Applications must state the period for which the Visitorship is desired.
- Applications will be ranked by the Research Committee based on i) the benefit to the School's research and outreach programs and status with the public, ii) the academic record of the applicant, and iii) the significance of the proposed research, all approximately equally weighted, and sent to the Head of School for approval. No award will be made if the applications are not of sufficient merit.
- If a Visitorship is not taken up within 6 months of the final date specified in the application, then the funding offer will lapse.
- The sponsoring researcher from the School will provide a report to the Research Committee detailing the actual benefits to the School from the visit, within three months of the completion of the tenure of the Denison Distinguished Visitor. If this is not done then the sponsoring researcher will be ineligible to sponsor future Visitors for 5 years.
- The closing dates for applications in 2005/2006 are 10 January, 6 June (extended to 2 September), and 5 December 2005, and 5 June and 4 December 2006.
Applications should be sent to:
Mr Paul Harbon,
Administration Manager,
School of Physics, University of Sydney NSW 2006
paulh@physics.usyd.edu.au