We facilitate short-term PhD student placements that connect you with Australia’s brightest emerging research talent. Over 3-6 months, engage a specialised PhD student and benefit from their expertise. All students are also paired with an Academic Mentor – typically their PhD Supervisor.
The placements offer an easy, cost-effective solution to fill a skills gap and tackle some of the R&D challenges facing businesses today.
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We have a growing pool of specialist PhD students from all of Australia’s leading universities.
Search through our online database of available students here.
The cost of engaging a PhD student intern starts at $20,000 for a 3-month internship.
Discounts are available for businesses with existing university connections, and subsidies are available for businesses in Defence and MedTech sectors through our program partnerships.
FAQ
The primary aim of the program is for the student to gain relevant professional training and skills within a workplace setting, relating to their area of study. Students do not undertake day-to-day commercial activities, but focus on a short term, self-contained research project related to their field of study. There is no employment contract between the student and the industry partner and as such the student is not held to obligations whilst undertaking the internship. Students remain enrolled at the university whilst completing the internship and receive a scholarship, not a hourly rate. The project contract outlines that the industry partner is under no obligation to create an employment relationship with the student and that the primary purpose of the internship is for the intern’s educational purposes.
We support the creation of confidentiality and non‑disclosure agreements between participating parties providing the reasonable rights of interns and their mentors are maintained. It is important that these agreements don’t impair the ability of academic mentors or interns to publish their results or for a student to complete his/her thesis. In some instances, these agreements can call for delays in the period before which publications should take place.
APR.Intern makes no claim whatsoever to IP. Ownership of Project Intellectual Property created during the project will vest upon its creation in the Industry Partner.
There are no in-kind options with this program.
APR.Intern accepts both Australian and international Industry Partners. A slightly different program model may be used for international businesses.
Yes, all industry partners ultimately have the final say in which student and academic mentor they wished to work with.
The industry partner identifies a challenge requiring the expertise of an APR.Intern, this challenge is then developed into a project by the intern, mentor and industry partner.
Internships can range from 3-6 months.
Yes, many industry partners choose to employ APR Interns after successful completion of their student internship.
Please note that international doctoral students now have six years post-study work rights, up from the previous four-year limit.