Does your organisation share our
passion for discovery?

• Complete the internship proposal form above. The proposal will outline your internship project, timelines and deliverables along with supervisor details and business information. 
• The Office of Graduate Research HDR Engagement Coordinator will review the internship project proposal and align it with a potential Flinders University Supervisor and PhD student.
• You have the option of interviewing interested students and offer the successful candidate an internship.
• A Flinders HDR Internship Agreement will be emailed to you for completion.
• Once the student is on the internship, the Principal Supervisor and Office of Graduate Research HDR Engagement Coordinator will be your points of contact. 
• To help you navigate your internship we have produced an Industry Host Kit which provides helpful advice to ensure you have a successful student internship.

A letter of agreement sets out the obligations of the University and its Staff, your organisation, and PhD students regarding internships.  

If you agree to take students on an internship, the terms in the agreement letter and appendices will set out the obligations of the parties: the University (including its Staff), your organisation, and the Student. Industry Partners can have an individual Letter of Agreements for one-off HDR student internships, or a Master Letter of Agreement (for up to 5 years) for multiple HDR student internships.

For PhD internships, a written agreement must be entered into by all parties within 18 months of the Student’s HDR degree commencement as a full-time Student, or within 36 months as a part-time Student.

An eligible industry internship is three-months minimum (60 days full-time equivalent). However, the internship requirements and hours/days can be negotiated between the student and host organisation. The agreed industry internship can then be undertaken by the student at any point during their course.

A research internship is defined as a position with a research end-user where a student has undertaken research and development (R&D) related to their higher degree by research (HDR). A research internship can be either paid or unpaid, and can form part of an enrolment.

A research end-user is defined as an individual, community or organisation external to academia that will directly use or directly benefit from the output, outcome or results of the research.

Examples of end users includes businesses, governments, non-governmental organisations, communities and community organisations. Specific exclusions of research end-user are:

• Other higher education providers
• Organisations that are affiliates, controlled entities or subsidiaries (such as Medical Research Institutes) of a higher education provider
• Equivalents (international or domestic) of the above exclusions.

The level and technical knowledge of the industry supervisor depends on the type of student you are hosting. All students will require regular supervision, guidance, and feedback. Please refer to the Charter of Industry Supervisor for more information.

From a host organisation’s perspective, an internship works well when a student feels comfortable and safe in their workplace, and able to contribute to the organisation.

Expectations should be made clear at the initial interview including work and learning objectives, dress standards; work attendance; clear project outlines (if a project is to be completed); orientation to the workplace – toilets, refreshments and introduction to other staff. It is also helpful that other staff are aware of the student and the role they are to play.

A health and safety induction must be provided to the student upon commencement. If possible, inclusion of students in all aspects of the work environment including meetings is highly valued. We ask students to act in a professional manner, show initiative and be willing to perform a variety of jobs.  

Students undertaking an internship in a host organisation are bound by the standards of performance conditions in the host workplace. It is important that their workplace performance meets the needs of the host organisation. It is suggested that issues should first be addressed by the supervisor in the workplace, and if the issue(s) cannot be resolved, or if the concerns require discussion, please contact the Principal Supervisor and Office of Graduate Research HDR Engagement Coordinator.

If you choose to host a student you will need to:

• Sign a Letter of Agreement
• Assist in developing the student’s internship project plan during the internship
• Support the documentation of relevant WHS requirements
• Complete a Mid-Way and Final Evaluation

The Letter of Agreement is a legally binding document completed and signed by the Internship Provider and Flinders University. This agreement outlines the roles and responsibilities of all parties. The agreement will last for a duration of five years and enables you to access students from any College and discipline within Flinders University. However, at no point are you under any obligation to accept students. Please note students are not permitted to begin an internship with a provider until this document has been fully executed.

The Internship Project Plan guides student’s work while on an internship is agreed to by the Internship Provider, student and supervising academic, and is the basis of a successful internship. The Work Plan should document the scope, objectives, deliverables, and proposed outcomes of the project and work schedule, and is not just a list of tasks.

The Internship Provider will be requested to share any relevant documentation relating the management of the safety of students while they are on an internship. This may include risk assessments, inductions, or training requirements.

Mid way through the internship you will be required to evaluate the students’ progress. The Office of Graduate Research HDR Engagement Team will forward an online evaluation form to be completed within 1 week. Evaluations should be filled out in conjunction with your one on one with the student to ensure any potential issues are raised and solutions are discussed. If you have any lasting concerns regarding the students’ progress, please contact the Principal Supervisor to discuss.

Organisations are asked to provide feedback regarding both the student’s performance, and the administrative arrangements from the University. An electronic copy will be emailed to you at the end of the placement Your feedback will form part of the student’s progress and provide the student with valuable guidance in areas they are doing well in and areas they might need to improve.

Recognising IP is important. The Agreement signed by Flinders University and the host organisation ensures the ownership of any created IP remains with the host organisation, under specific conditions relating to the use of the IP for the student’s reports and assessment.

You may also choose to request the student sign a confidentiality agreement. We are open to discussing how we can further support the protection of confidential and commercially sensitive is managed throughout the student’s internship.

Students undertaking an unpaid internship are covered by the University's insurance policies. The University's personal accident policy covers the Student for disablement occurring whilst on field expeditions or internships anywhere in Australia, New Zealand and in Territorial waters.

The University's public liability and professional indemnity policies provide cover for the student whilst undertaking an internship but do not indemnify the Internship Provider. A copy of these policies is available upon request.

If the student is undertaking employment as their internship, they will be employed by the Internship Provider and as such, will be covered by the Internship Providers relevant insurances.

There is no financial contribution required. However, you can offer a top-up stipend to attract talented students. For more information, please contact the HDR Engagement Coordinator at HDR.Engagement@flinders.edu.au.