Request for placement and placement offers

5.1. Request for placement and placement offers

  5.1.1. After the selection of awardees is finalised, the Program Areas use OASIS to request placements for successful applicants at their first preference institution and course.

  5.1.2. Requests for placement are assessed by institutions on merit. An institution will process a placement offer only where the awardee meets the institution’s admission requirements and is assessed as being capable of successfully completing the nominated course within the specified period (as recorded on the CRICOS website).

  i. for placements of awardees with disability, additional considerations and

  requirements apply (see Chapter 9 ).

  5.1.3. DFAT reserves the right to reject a placement offer made by an institution or to withdraw a placement request if submitted in error.

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  5.1.4. Successful applicants selected to undertake a PhD or Masters by Research will need to provide Program Areas with a well-developed research

  proposal to submit to the institution as part of the Request for Placement process. The proposal should include a proposed methodology, timeline and a brief literature review.

  5.1.5. Program Areas must use OASIS to request placements. Requests sent outside OASIS may not be considered by institutions.

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  5.1.6. Program Areas will initiate requests for placement in OASIS by 25 August for first semester commencement and by 15 March for second semester commencement. Program Areas are to ensure that when submitting a request for placement to an institution:

  i. it is compliant with any country specific conditions set by the partner government, and

  ii. the following has been uploaded or recorded in OASIS: o properly certified supporting documentation

  o the awardee’s emergency contact details o the awardee’s emergency contact details

  iii. for PhD awardees, the following has been uploaded into OASIS: o the letter or email communication, as outlined at Section 2.7.3 viii , from the

  applicant’s potential supervisor giving in-principle support for the research proposal, and

  o the supporting documents outlined at Section 2.7.3 .

  5.1.7. If the institution requests further information from the Program Area to process the request for placement, the Program Area must respond promptly to enable the institution’s final response to the request for placement to be sent in accordance with the timeframes outlined in Section 5.1.11.

  5.1.8. Placements involving periods of more than six weeks, where the awardee is not enrolled (excluding semester breaks), should not be approved. If a long period without study is unavoidable between pre-course English, foundation programs or articulated programs and main courses of study, alternative options include enrolment in summer or winter courses or suspension should be considered (refer Section 13.4 ).

  5.1.9. If an applicant’s first preference is declined by an institution, the Program Area may decide to approach the second or other preferred institution. The Program Area will liaise with the next preferred institution on that institution’s requirements. The second preference institution will process the request for placement in OASIS in line with the process and timeframe outlined in Section 5.1.11 – 5.1.15 .

  5.1.10. If a successful applicant cannot be placed in any of their preferred courses, the

  Program Area must advise the applicant’s nominating authority and the applicant (as appropriate) that no placement can be offered. In such circumstances, the Program Area will withdraw the offer, and may then request a placement for a reserve applicant.

  5.1.11. Institutions must respond to complete placement requests received in OASIS:

  i.

  within 15 business days for coursework studies

  ii. within 30 business days for research studies.

  The institution may respond to a placement request in OASIS by:

  iii. declining to offer a place at the institution and stating the reasons why iv. offering a place conditionally v. offering a place unconditionally.

  5.1.12. If the institution requires further information from the Program Area to process the

  placement, the institution must respond to the request for placement as soon as possible so as to attempt to meet the timeframe as at Section 5.1.11 .

  5.1.13. If the institution does not respond to a completed request within the stipulated

  timeframe the Program Area may withdraw the placement from that institution at its discretion.

  5.1.14. The institution should ensure placement offers include: 5.1.14. The institution should ensure placement offers include:

  the Introductory Academic Program

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  ii. the awardee’s nominated course (reflecting any credit for previous

  study or recognition of prior learning that may reduce the length of time needed to complete the course)

  iii. any preparatory programs deemed necessary by the institution iv. any other compulsory courses or course elements (e.g. fieldwork, work

  attachments, first aid course, occupational health and safety course, etc.) v. course costs and scholarship entitlements, as required (see Chapter 10 ) vi. any conditions of the offer

  vii. recognition of credit received for prior study and course length, fees and

  entitlements adjusted accordingly where appropriate viii. additional information about the placement offer that the successful applicant

  should be aware of when signing the offer and contract, such as courses that are delivered in a non-standard mode (i.e. intensive mode or at more than one institution).