JIRS ALL/10/1

HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Graduate School
Research Postgraduate Programmes

Application Form for JIRS Visiting Student Allowance

Name of Student: ________________________________   Student No.: ______________	  Department: _____________

Study Commencement Date: ____________  Email: ____________________________ Contact Tel. No.: _______________

Principal Supervisor: ______________________________________  Programme: * MPhil / PhD  Study Mode: * FT / PT

Date of Departure from UIC: __________________                Date of Return to UIC: __________________

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I would like to apply for the "JIRS Visiting Student Allowance" to support:

	Hong Kong-based Conference/Seminar Attendance

	Title of Conference/Seminar/Coursework:___________________________________________________________

	Start Date: ________________________________           End Date: ________________________________

	Purchase of Publication and I declare that the publication is not available from the HKBU University Library.

	Title of Publication: ____________________________________________________________________________

	Purchase of Computing Software/Equipment and I declare that the computing software/equipment is not available from the Department and the Faculty/School of HKBU.

	Description of Software/Equipment: _______________________________________________________________

I have previously received the allowance for ______________ time(s) in _____________________________________ 

__________________________________________________________________________ (list the year and the month).

Travel subsidy of HK$400 + Per Diem Allowance: ____ days x HK$400 (daily rate) = HK$_____________________

Allowance/Reimbursement expenses for purchase of Publication/Computing Software/Equipment: HK$_________
(Please provide original receipts of the purchased items)

Total allowance: HK$_____________________

Remarks, if any: _____________________________________________________________________________________

Student's Signature: _______________________________________		 Date: ___________________________

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To: The Executive Associate Dean of Graduate School
We support the above application, and confirm that the publication/software/equipment requested above (if applicable) is not available from the University Library or the Department or the Faculty/School.

Signature:	__________________________________________		Date: ___________________________
Co-supervisor

__________________________________________		Date: ___________________________
		Principal Supervisor

	__________________________________________		Date: ___________________________
	Deputy Director of JIRS

* Please circle where appropriate

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Approval

Source of funding: from Tuition Fee

	               Not Approved

Approved by Executive Associate Dean of Graduate School (Amount: HK$ _____________ )	

Comments, if any:	_________________________________________________________________________________

Signature:	__________________________________________		Date: __________________________________

Source of funding: from Private Funds (non-UGC/RGC funds) when funding from Tuition Fee is exhausted
                    
Not Approved

Approved by Department Head 

Amount of funding: _____________________________________     Funding A/C Code: ______________________ 
Justification for approval: ____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Signature:	__________________________________________		Date: __________________________________

Signature of Budget Controller:	_____________________________		Date: __________________________________

Approved by Executive Associate Dean of Graduate School		 

Comments, if any:	_________________________________________________________________________________

Signature:	__________________________________________		Date: __________________________________

For Office Use Only

Clearance Check

    	Student has submitted copy of jetfoil/bus ticket for departure

	Remarks: Date of departure (if different from application) etc.

	___________________________________________________________________________________________________

	___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hong Kong Baptist University
Graduate School

Application Guidelines for JIRS Visiting Student Allowance

Full-time/part-time research postgraduate students admitted under the HKBU-UIC Joint Institute of Research Studies (JIRS) are eligible to apply for “JIRS Visiting Student Allowance” to support academic activities in Hong Kong such as meeting supervisor, attending Hong Kong-based conference/seminar, purchase of publication and computing software/equipment not available at HKBU. The allowance is used to support the abovementioned activities and inclusive of a travel subsidy which will be offered once per trip between UIC and HKBU, and a subsistence allowance paid on per diem basis. Full-time students who are receiving the Visiting Scheme Stipend of HK$7,500 during their coursework attendance/research at HKBU may not apply for the Visiting Student Allowance at the same time. 

Application Procedures

1.	Student should submit an application form with the support of the principal/co-supervisor at UIC to the Deputy Director of JIRS at least two weeks before departure from UIC. Information such as details of conference/seminar/software/equipment should be provided. Student is also responsible for making sure beforehand that he/she possesses a valid full-time student visa to visit Hong Kong for academic activities.* 

2.	The Deputy Director shall endorse the application and pass it to the principal/co-supervisor at HKBU and subsequently the Graduate School, HKBU for approval. 

3.	A travel subsidy of HK$400 per trip, plus a per diem allowance of HK$400 for each day of the period will be offered to the student during his/her stay in Hong Kong.  

4.	Any expenses outside the designated amount shall be at the student’s own expenses. The applicant shall not claim further reimbursement with receipts for meals and incidentals. 

5.	Applicants will be informed of the result through e-mail. The successful applicant will need to open a savings account at a local bank in Hong Kong and update the corresponding bank account information on UIS accordingly such that the allowance could be transferred to the student’s account upon approval. Upon arrival at Hong Kong, student should first report to the Graduate School and provide a copy of the documentary proof of immigration status. At the end of his/her visit, student must submit a copy of his/her jetfoil/bus return ticket to the Graduate School.

6.	At the end of his/her last visit to HKBU before graduation, student must submit the “Application for Clearance On Last Visit to HKBU” form to the Graduate School and repay any unused amount of approved allowance in instances of early departures.

7.	The funding available is HK$15,000 for full-time JIRS students and HK$7,500 for part-time JIRS students for each year of their study respectively. After deduction of subsidies, the unspent balance for the year will then be carried forward into student’s subsequent year(s) of study within their normal study period. If the said funding is exhausted, student may seek extra funding from private funds for academic activities, subject to the approval of the Department Head at HKBU and Executive Associate Dean of Graduate School. 

8.	For purchase of publication and computing software/equipment during student’s stay in Hong Kong, items bought should be returned to the corresponding HKBU Department after use.

9.	Applicants must abide by the following “Terms and Conditions of JIRS Subsidies” as a condition of entitlement to the approved allowance. 

* Please refer to “Application for Student Entry Permit” for details.
(http://buar.hkbu.edu.hk/uploads/files/download/post/jirs_visa.rtf)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Terms and Conditions of JIRS Subsidies

1.	Purpose of Award
The JIRS Subsidies, a composite for the Visiting Scheme Stipend, Visiting Student Allowance, and Overseas Conference Grant, are granted on merit to eligible full-time/part-time JIRS research postgraduate students to provide them with financial assistance for their daily subsistence and other expenses that may be incurred during their visit(s) to HKBU/attendance to overseas conferences within their study period.  Such provision is to ensure that students need not look for other sources of income to support themselves so that they are able to devote full efforts to their designated research projects/studies.

2.	Eligibility
All research postgraduate students of JIRS are eligible for the JIRS Subsidies (part-time students, however, are not eligible to apply for the Visiting Scheme Stipend).  Students may apply for the JIRS Subsidies with the recommendations from both the Principal Supervisor and Co-supervisor. Applicants may simultaneously be recipients of other scholarship awards provided that the award does not violate the terms and conditions of the other awards.

3.	Administration of JIRS Subsidies
The JIRS Subsidies are administered by the Executive Associate Dean of Graduate School who will decide on the amount and duration of the award, under the guidelines laid down by the JIRS Management Committee.

4.	Conditions of JIRS Subsidies
4.1 	The award of JIRS Subsidies is conditional on the recipient undertaking coursework or research activities for a specified period.  Unauthorized leave may result in the cancellation of the subsidies.  Recipients not performing satisfactorily in their studies, or duties, may also lose their awards or have their subsidies suspended for a prescribed period of time.
4.2	The JIRS Subsidies are offered for a specified period only and subject to satisfactory performance and the availability of funds. 
4.3	The award of Visiting Scheme Stipend will automatically cease in the month the recipient has completed his/her visit to the University within the normal study period. Under normal circumstances, the stipend will be applicable for up to 4 months for MPhil (one visit only) and up to 8 months for PhD students (two visits only) respectively. The minimum duration for each visit is 1 month. 
4.4	The Visiting Student Allowance is offered to students on short-term visits to HKBU, each trip not exceeding 1 month. Students who are receiving the allowance may not apply for the Visiting Scheme Stipend at the same time. 
4.5	The Overseas Conference Grant is offered to students who would like to attend conferences outside the mainland China and Hong Kong. Applicants may lodge more than 1 application within their study period until the ceiling of the grant has been reached.  
4.6	The JIRS Subsidies recipients are not employees of Hong Kong Baptist University, and the subsidies are not salary payment.

N.B.	The above terms and conditions may be changed from time to time by the University.  In the event that changes are made, the updated terms and conditions always supersede the earlier versions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Information Collection Statement
Persons who supply personal data in their applications to the Graduate School for various purposes are requested to note the following:
1.	Personal data provided in the applications are to facilitate the process of their applications and will not be used for other purposes.
2.	Personal data provided will only be used by University staff.
3.	After the applications have been processed, relevant data will be transferred to the student / staff record system of the University.
Under the provision of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, request for personal data access or correction may be made and addressed to:
Graduate School
			AAB 904, Level 9, Academic and Administration Building
			Baptist University Road Campus
			Hong Kong Baptist University
			Kowloon Tong 
Kowloon, Hong Kong