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Outside Studies Program

Learning and teaching Outside Studies Program

The Outside Studies Program (OSP) provides academic staff with a period free from normal academic responsibilities (while receiving substantive salary) for the purpose of:

  • pursuing sustained research and scholarly enrichment in another institution or research organisation
  • gaining experience in teaching and supervision
  • gaining experience in course and curriculum development
  • upgrading professional expertise by placement with a government agency, professional organisation or private industry
  • enhancing artistic performance and creative growth
  • re-training for new roles within the University
  • keeping abreast of recent developments and improvements in research techniques
  • undertaking studies for the completion of a higher degree.

 

Purpose of the OSP

The purpose of the OSP is to maintain and enhance the quality of the University's teaching and research and its international profile.

By working at other institutions or with external communities, staff on the OSP make the achievements of the University more widely known, so that Flinders University can be recognised nationally and internationally for contributing to global education and for benefiting communities.

The OSP is expected to contribute to the professional growth of academic staff such that their capacity to contribute to activities consistent with the strategic objectives of the University is enhanced.

The OSP provides the opportunity for academic staff to:

  • undertake sustained research and scholarly activities
  • advance the quality and scope of teaching and supervision
  • keep abreast of recent developments

outside the University, which they are not able to undertake effectively while carrying out normal academic responsibilities.

Who can apply for the OSP?

All members of the University's teaching staff occupying posts at fractions of 0.4 and above (excluding casual and research-only staff) are eligible to accrue qualifying service for outside studies.

To be eligible to take an initial OSP program you must:

  • have had your appointment confirmed on a continuing basis (continuing/convertible appointees)
  • have served three continuous years continuously (fixed-term appointees)
  • have an appointment of sufficient length to allow you to return to the University for a period equal to twice the length of the approved program or a period of six months, whichever is the lesser
  • not be about to resign or retire, unless the return requirements above can be met and substantial benefits to the Cost Centre/University can be demonstrated.

Notwithstanding eligibility, participation in the OSP is a privilege and is based on the needs of the University, the nature of the proposed program and the capacity of the staff member to make effective use of the OSP period.

The qualifying service for an OSP program accrues at the rate of six weeks for every twelve months of continuous service, up to a maximum of eighty months (40 weeks).

Useful links

     Outside Studies Scheme policy  Travel diary

On this page

     College forms and guidelines  Academic Staff (Portfolios) forms and guidelines  Frequently asked questions  Case studies

College forms and guidelines

The maximum funded amounts for OSP’s are:

  • Program within South Australia: no funding provided
  • Program within Australia (outside of South Australia) and New Zealand: up to $2,000
  • Overseas programs (outside of Australia and New Zealand) where the period of absence from South Australia is:
    • Up to and including 2 weeks: up to $2,000
    • Over 2 weeks and up to and including 6 weeks: up to $2,500
    • 7 weeks and up to and including 12 weeks: up to $3,500
    • Over 12 weeks: up to $4,500

 

College of Business, Government and Law

Application due date

5pm Friday, 15 July 2022
Applications submitted after the due date will not be considered.

 

Information session

Wednesday, 8 June 2022
10am-11am
SSS 202

Forms and guidelines

     Outside studies guidelines  Outside studies application form  Report guidelines and template  2023 CBGL OSP Information Session presentation

Download the above forms before completing.

Applications should be emailed as a single PDF document to melinda.pike@flinders.edu.au

College of Education, Psychology and Social Work

Application due date

5pm Friday July 26, 2019
No extensions permitted.

Forms and guidelines

     Outside studies application form  Report guidelines

Download the above forms before completing.

Applications should be emailed as a single PDF document to cepsw.research@flinders.edu.au.

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Application due date

Applications closed on 30 May 2022.

Forms and guidelines

     Outside studies application form including report guidelines

Download the above forms before completing.

Applications should be emailed as a single PDF document to chass.deanpr@flinders.edu.au.

College of Medicine and Public Health

Application due date

6 weeks before the intended start date.

Forms and guidelines

     Outside studies application form  Report guidelines

Download the above forms before completing.

Applications should be emailed as a single PDF document to cmph.operations@flinders.edu.au

College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Application due date

28 August 2020, 5pm
No extensions permitted.

Forms and guidelines

     Outside studies application form  Report guidelines

Download the above forms before completing.

Applications should be emailed as a single PDF document to cnhs.operations@flinders.edu.au

College of Science and Engineering

Application due date

Wednesday November 30, 2022

Forms and guidelines

     Outside studies application form and guidelines

Download the above form before completing.

Applications should be emailed as a single PDF document to cse.deanpr@flinders.edu.au

Academic Staff (Portfolios) forms and guidelines

Academic staff in non-College units, such as the Student Services Centre, Staff Development and Training Unit, and Yunggorendi, should use the following standard forms and guidelines.

Report guidelines

The following guidelines are offered to assist in the preparation of reports following Outside Studies Programs, to be submitted to the staff member’s supervisor within two months of return.

Reports should be about three pages in length and should present a reasonably detailed and lucid account of activities undertaken during the period of the program.

While the guidelines aim to draw attention to the points which, if applicable, should be covered in such a report, it is not intended that they should impose any particular format upon the writer or that they should be considered a series of questions requiring no more than brief answers.

In particular, provide details of any variation from the approved OSP in either your itinerary or the program, and the reason for the variation.

The amount of information required in the report indicates that the keeping of a detailed travel diary is important.

Report guidelines

Application forms

Download and complete the following form for application for the Outside Studies Program.

Application forms must be lodged with your Cost Centre (ie College or Central Administration). The invitations for applications provide the name of the person to whom applications should be forwarded.

When considering whether to recommend approval of your OSP, it is the responsibility of the head of your academic organisational unit/supervisor to:

  • assess the application
  • specify coverage of your duties in your absence
  • determine the benefits that can be gained from your OSP to Cost Centre/ University
  • evaluate the success of any previous OSPs.

Final approval rests with the head of your Cost Centre (for staff in non-College units, the Deputy-Vice-Chancellor (Academic)).

All forms should be completed and lodged at least 6 weeks prior to the activity.

Application form

Submit application form via Service One

Frequently asked questions

What are the University's requirements?

Prior to undertaking an OSP, you must:

  • meet eligibility requirements
  • submit an application

Whilst undertaking an OSP, you must:

  • maintain a travel diary

On completion of the OSP you must:

  • return to the University by the date agreed as part of the approved program and resume all normal duties
  • serve for a period equivalent to twice the length of the approved program, or a minimum of 6 months
  • submit a satisfactory written report of the work undertaken within two months of return.
What are the University's expectations?

An OSP is expected to contribute to your professional growth in ways that will enhance your capacity to contribute to the activities of the University.

The program you undertake should reflect your level of academic appointment.
For example:

  • Level A and B academics are expected to undertake programs that enable them to continue to develop within their discipline or profession
  • Level C academics are expected to undertake programs that extend their discipline or profession
  • Level D and E academics are expected to undertakes programs that bring distinction to the University and their discipline or profession.

After a first period of OSP and subsequently, the University expects evidence of your professional growth such as a steady output of publications, teaching achievements, or other relevant material.

If you do not produce such evidence, the University is entitled to conclude that you have not made a genuine academic effort and would consequently would not approve further investments in OSP for you.

What funding is available?

Funding may be available through:

  • your Cost Centre
  • grants
  • your consulting fund
  • extra-mural work.

Cost Centre funding

  • Granted only for programs undertaken outside South Australia.
  • Refer to your Cost Centre's guidelines for the amount of financial support that may be granted.

Grants

  • You can apply for research grants offered by other institutions.
  • For further information refer to Office of Research's grants and funding information.

Consulting fund

  • This fund can be used to pay for expenditure in connection with your work.
  • Expenditure incurred through carrying out your OSP qualifies as expenditure in connection with your work. For example, costs for accommodation, travel, car or equipment hire.
  • Establish your consulting fund account as soon as possible.

Extra-mural work

  • A means of building up your consulting fund whilst carrying out your normal University duties
  • A possible source of funds if your OSP is undertaken interstate or overseas
  • Refer to the University's policy for extra-mural work.
Do I need to maintain a travel diary while on OSP?

Yes. you must maintain a travel diary while on OSP so that on your return:

  • the University has verification that you actually did undertake the OSP
  • you have something to refer to when you prepare your report
  • you have something to refer to when claiming taxation deductions for expenses.

There are no guidelines as to the amount of detail that needs to be included in the travel diary, but it could reasonably be expected that you would have at least one entry per day indicating hours worked.

For further information visit Travel diaries.

What taxation issues do I need to be aware of?

Although the travel diary makes reference to fringe benefits tax, this is not applicable to funding provided by the Cost Centre for an OSP. However, income tax does apply as the funding is paid to you through your payroll. You must, therefore, keep details of work related expenses so that you can claim taxation deductions.

What happens to my leave while on OSP?

OSP is a period of absence with salary from the University. It is not holiday leave, long service leave or leave of absence without salary. You may apply to attach a period of long service leave to an OSP.

While you are undertaking your OSP:

  • normal leave entitlements accrue
  • qualifying service continues to accumulate.

While it is understood that your OSP may be constrained by time, it should be regarded as normal employment as far as non-work/ leisure time is concerned. Formal recreation leave must be applied for in the normal way.

What am I required to do when I get back?

You are required to:

  • resume your normal duties on return to the University
  • submit a satisfactory written report of the work undertaken. This report must be submitted within two months of your return.

Case studies

Dr Julie Robinson

School of Psychology

“The whole exercise was a lesson in humility.”

Focus: A Sudanese refugee camp in Kenya combining community service and teaching support.

Planning to go

Before setting out, Julie established some objectives she wished to have had achieved by her return.

Her objectives included: 

  • conducting research on child refugees while working with PhD students
  • conducting research to inform a new topic in Psychology that she was developing dealing with refugee children
  • doing some community service (as per promotion requirements) by teaching informally in refugee camp
  • acting as conduit for Sudanese people in Adelaide.

She also conducted literature reviews and internet searches to investigate conventions and setting and established links with on-site hosts and contacts.

The experience

After a very long trip, with many aeroplane transfers, she arrived in a very hot Kenya.

The refugee camp is a long-term transit village of approximately the size of Mount Gambier, without established day-care facilities or schools.

Facilities are very rudimentary as there is no electricity or water on tap. Child-minding facilities are not for purpose of work-relief but rather to assist mothers in basic day-to-day survival tasks such as water collection, which may take two hours.

Julie was to work in these facilities and offer some teaching. This was not without some drawbacks.

Teaching was often interrupted by weather, as shelters did not offer protection. In addition, rain meant that classes were cancelled as camp workers had to be escorted from the camp before rivers became unpassable.

People who work at the camp don’t live on-site. Julie assumed that workers had free access and could walk around at will. However, if there is no Kenyan escort, workers aren’t allowed access in or out.

The refugee workers were not located in a central area, meaning that Julie was reliant on other forms of transport. 

Advice for others
  1. Don’t assume anything
    Julie assumed that what her on-site contact had told her was sufficient, and the contact assumed Julie had an equitable understanding of cultural and social expectations and conventions.

    For example, despite the warning that clothing should not be too revealing, as the Sudanese refugees follow a strict Muslim cultural coding, Julie found that her interpretation of ‘not revealing’ differed to those at the camp.

    Essentially, a woman’s form should be hidden. Julie’s cotton shirts and trousers did not make the grade - in spite of the intense heat the material was not heavy enough and the style was inappropriate. This resulted in limited acceptance and reduced her capacity to interact with the refugees. 

  2. Be prepared for health issues
    Preparation of food and water differed to that experienced in Australia, which affected her health and her experience.

  3. Be flexible and adaptable
    While it is important to plan, particularly in light of later reporting requirements, it is equally important to be very flexible, as security warnings and availability of hosting contacts may change very quickly.

    Julie was unsure until her departure whether she was going to be allowed to go.

  4. Expect frustration
    Part of Julie’s research was to establish whether traditional Western teaching methodologies would work in this setting.

    Teaching materials she took with her was based on an email that children she would be working with were mentally challenged. She found that was not the case and so the materials were totally unsuited. Julie spent much of the time that she had allocated for teaching, redrafting the material.

    Keeping the required travel diary was difficult as much time was spent en route, and the pro forma does not really accommodate the interminable airport lounge waiting.

  5. OSP professional development
    Consider undertaking this type of OSP early in your career to support your teaching or community service. 
The learning

Julie’s chief learning was regarding how to behave in accordance with very different cultural rules.

The people of the Sudanese refugee camps have a socially-based society, differing from Julie’s culture of a rule-based society. This emerged particularly as a vital part of the teaching style. Teaching is a social activity based on an interactive communal exchange rather than on a didactic teacher focus. 

Julie called her experience 'a spectacular failure':
A failure, in that the careful planning and preparation appeared to come to nothing.

Yet spectacular in that, despite a feeling of frustration, Julie was able to report back to the Sudanese community in Adelaide and has a wealth of experience to enliven her teaching and her research in the future.

Professor Kevin Wainwright

College of Science and Engineering

"An extremely worthwhile experience"

Focus: Attending conferences and visiting laboratories to maintain awareness of current activity so that realistic research proposals can be devised that are likely to attract external funding. 

Planning to go

Kevin was to participate in two international conferences to be held only nine days apart, the first in Cairns and the second in Merida, Mexico.

He took advantage of:

  • the need to travel to Mexico
  • the short time between the two conferences
  • the fact that Cairns was geographically en-route to Mexico

to extend two separate conference leaves into an OSP Professional Experience program by including visits to laboratories.

As a result of the time saved by travelling on from Cairns, rather than returning to Adelaide and then leaving for Mexico a few days later, it was possible to schedule one of the laboratory visits between the conferences. 

The experience

Although over 30% of the program was spent travelling, it was still an extremely worthwhile experience.

At the conferences, Kevin participated by:

  • delivering presentations
  • either chairing a session or attending a planning meeting for future conferences.

He also met with other researchers in his field.

During the laboratory visits, he presented seminars and visited senior staff. Kevin was able to have discussions concerning his research work, teaching topics and the possible renewal of collaborative work. 

Advice for others
  1. Keep in touch with what is happening
    For anyone competing seriously in research, it is essential to attend relevant conferences in order to remain appraised of the international activity that is taking place and interchange ideas with other researchers in your field.

  2. Time your visits
    Don't go to other universities during their long vacation periods. Staff will generally not be available.
The learning

Kevin found planning his OSP problematic because, although a short OSP normally requires only two months' notice, this particular program required a longer lead time.

As short OSPs need to mesh in with the teaching program, this case proved difficult as the teaching program was not known until later.

Although Kevin has undertaken several OSPs, he was unclear about the amount of recreation that could be taken and its affect on fringe benefits tax.

Although the travel diary mentions fringe benefits tax, this is not applicable to an OSP.

Within the constraints of the OSP, time off for recreation is permitted equivalent to your normal work.

lizzie-handsley.jpg

Associate Professor Elizabeth Handsley

School of Law

“A growth experience.”

Focus: A research program in France.

The experience

Elizabeth arrived in Bourdeaux with her two children only to find her sponsor had deemed her accommodation unsuitable and cancelled it, without advising Elizabeth. Consequently, she had to stay in an hotel until she found an apartment.

On finding one, she then lost a day as she had to organise insurance which, in Australia, is the responsibility of the landlord.

Advice for others
  1. Don't assume anything
    Elizabeth assumed that her sponsor would offer the same as what Flinders would offer. 

Dr Joe Shapter

School of Chemistry, Physics and Earth Sciences

“Preparation is most important.”

Focus: A short research program in Canada resulting in the writing of several papers. 

Planning to go

The program involved expansion of existing experimental work on which Joe was working in collaboration with the host institution.

Preparation during the various stages of the application included:

  • informal discussions within the Cost Centre prior to the formal application. Although the OSP was for two weeks only, staffing problems meant that it had to be scheduled for the mid-year break
  • in this case, contact with the host institution was established already
  • application for a grant, in which the host institution was involved
  • discussions with the host institution on the availability of an office and computer
  • discussions with the host institution that equipment was available and working - essential with such a short program.
Advice for others
  1. Forward planning
    Preparation is most important, from pre-application discussions with your Cost Centre and your contact to formal arrangements.

  2. Think of every contingency before you go
  • Discuss with your host institution the facilities which you need, such as an office or computer, so that you can make arrangements if they are not provided.
  • If conducting experiments, check equipment is available and working.
The learning

Joe was unsure of the distinction between an OSP and leave.

An OSP is leave of absence with salary and is distinct from normal leave entitlements, which accrue while you are on OSP.

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