School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability Progress Review Guidelines

Before reading the guidelines outlined on this page, ensure you have reviewed all the information about Progress Reviews, including the criteria for each review, and the Higher Degree by Research Candidature Progression Procedure.

How to organise a Progress Review

The following guidelines outline the management and conduct of HDR Progress Reviews in the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences. These guidelines should be used in combination with the Higher Degree by Research Candidature Policy and the Higher Degree by Research Candidature Procedure. Further instructions to help you to arrange your upcoming review are available here.

Progress Reviews Snapshot

Progress review requirements
	Confirmation of Candidature (R1)	Review 2 (R2)	Review 3 (R3)
Candidature Documents	Candidate statement Principal advisor statement Individual Development Plan (IDP) Summary of development activities and Academic CV	Candidate statement Principal advisor statement Individual Development Plan (IDP) Summary of development activities and Academic CV	Candidate statement Principal advisor statement Individual Development Plan (IDP) Summary of development activities and Academic CV
Project Documents	Confirmation proposal (approx. 15,000-25,000 words) Ethics application, if relevant iThenticate report	Project Report (PR2) iThenticate report	Project Report (PR3) iThenticate report
Oral Presentation	Open (20-30 minutes presentation + 10 minutes questions)	Open (20-30 minutes presentation + 10 minutes questions)	Open or closed (20-30 minutes presentation + 10 minutes questions)
Review Meeting	120 minutes	120 minutes	120 minutes

Note: Documents should be submitted by the census date of the research quarter in which your review is due.

Panel Composition and meeting format

Your Progress Review Panel (PRP) in the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability will consist of:

a chair
an additional reviewer with relevant discipline expertise.
your advisory team

The chair of the panel must be an academic from within the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability. The reviewer may be affiliated to the School or an external organisational unit. Junior staff (e.g. Post-docs) can be involved as secondary reviewers. If possible, you will have the same panel for all three reviews.

The candidate organises the Progress Review meeting to take place in the second half of the research quarter. It will begin with a 20–30-minute oral presentation with 10 minutes of question time, which is open to the School. The oral presentation is followed by a closed 60–90-minute meeting with the review panel, this consists of four stages:

Questions and discussion with the candidate, Advisors and Panel,
Panel discussion with the advisors (without the candidate),
Panel discussion with the candidate (without the advisors), and
Discussion between the Chair and the candidate only (if necessary)

In addition to the prescribed sequence, the Chair also possesses the authority to determine the order of proceedings based on the specific context and requirements of the progress review. This flexibility allows the Chair to optimise the discussion and decision-making process, ensuring a fair and comprehensive assessment of the candidate's performance.

Verbal feedback will be provided by your chair and reviewer(s) during the progress review meeting. Your chair will also prepare a written report detailing the recommendations of the Progress Review Panel, which will be available through my.UQ. You may be required to make amendments to the Confirmation Proposal document (based on the feedback from the panel. The amended report will be prepared to the satisfaction of your chair and/ or your advisors.

Confirmation of Candidature Review (R1)

The Candidature documents and Confirmation Proposal document must be submitted through my.UQ by the census date of the research quarter.

The Confirmation document

The Confirmation Proposal, or first-year progress review report, is a crucial document that lays the foundation for your thesis journey. We encourage students to approach this task with the mindset of developing the initial draft of their thesis.

Key elements of the Confirmation Proposal/ progress review report should include:

An introduction and literature review: Here, demonstrate your knowledge of the research area and clearly identify the research question you are addressing.
An outline of your approach and methods: Detail the methodologies you intend to utilise in your research. This may not be possible for field research style projects as the initial research often dictates the subsequent research and methodologies to be undertaken. If this is the case, please discuss the appropriate approach within your discipline with your advisory team.
A discussion of expected outcomes or preliminary results: This should provide an initial insight into the potential results of your work.
A comprehensive plan for project implementation: Include details of how you plan to address any skills gaps and propose a tentative plan for the final structure of your thesis.
A complete bibliography: Fully referenced and detailed, ensuring all sources are appropriately acknowledged.

The report should be between 15,000-25,000 words long and should be fully referenced. While there is no prescribed format, it should maintain a logical structure addressing the above criteria. If substantial results are already available, an effective report could centre around the introduction/literature review, a draft of a single scientific paper or chapter, and a summary of plans for the remaining chapters.

In addition to the report, include a Gantt chart detailing the planned timeline for project completion. This report is the first step in your thesis journey, and crafting it with care sets the stage for a strong, well-structured final document.

Progress Review 2 (R2)

The Candidature documents and the Progress Review 2 document must be submitted through my.UQ by the census date of the research quarter. The Progress Review 2 document will start with a 1- 2 page thesis abstract followed by a succinct update on progress including lists of achievements and any problems encountered. It will conclude with an updated outline of the planned thesis giving % completion estimates for each planned chapter followed by drafts of each chapter/paper that is included. It is expected a PR2 report will include at least one substantive results chapter or draft scientific paper. However, if a results chapter or draft scientific paper was included in the first progress review, it is essential for your PR2 report to demonstrate progress since that time. This might require the inclusion of an additional draft chapter, detailing achievements and developments since the last progress review. The intent is to showcase an ongoing, substantive advancement in your research. A Gantt chart detailing the planned timeline for project completion should also be included.

Progress Review 3 (R3)

The Candidature documents and Progress Review 3 document must be submitted through my.UQ by the census date of the research quarter. The Progress Review 3 document will start with a 1- 2 page thesis abstract followed by a succinct update on progress including lists of achievements and any problems encountered. It will conclude with an updated outline of the planned thesis giving % completion estimates for each planned chapter followed by drafts of each chapter/paper that is included. It is expected a PR3 report will include at least two substantive results chapters or draft scientific papers. A Gantt chart detailing the planned timeline for project completion should also be included.