Milestone reviews

You must complete milestones within a specific window of time. It’s your responsibility to plan and present before the close of the window. 

View your milestone windows in Candidate Centre via Enrolment Online:

1. Log in to Enrolment Online
2. Select Manage Study 
3. Select Manage Research 
4. Select Candidate Centre.

Your “milestone due date” is the last day of your milestone window. Plan to present well before this date.

Milestone windows are calculated using Equivalent Full-Time Study Load (EFTSL). This ensures all candidates have the same amount of time to present their milestones, regardless of their study load or if they have changed between full-time and part-time load. 

If you don’t complete your milestone by the end of your milestone window, you will be nominated for action and support. Your supervisory team and your HDR Delegated Authority (HDR DA) will work with you to produce a Candidate Action and Support Plan (CASP) to help you get back on track with your research and complete your milestone.

Candidates enrolled under a collaborative research training agreement or joint PhD should align their milestones with the partner institution’s requirements where possible.

If a milestone is completed at the partner institution and includes RMIT supervisors on the panel, it will be recognised as equivalent to the RMIT milestone and does not need to be repeated.

Candidates who have presented or are about to present a milestone at their partner institution must complete the Milestone Information Capture Form. The information will be sent to the candidates Senior Supervisor for verification, including confirmation of attendance. 

If the form is submitted before the milestone takes place, candidates must provide confirmation of the outcome to Research Training Services via RMIT Connect.

If an equivalent milestone was completed before enrolment at RMIT, equivalency approval is still required. In this case, attendance by the RMIT Senior Supervisor is not mandatory. 

In some circumstances, such as transferring to RMIT from another institution, you may be able to apply for an exemption from a milestone review. You will need to submit evidence from your previous institution showing successful completion of equivalent milestone(s) for your current research project.

If your enrolment has been cancelled and you are applying for readmission for the purpose of examination, you may be excused from completing your third milestone review, provided the school is satisfied that your research is ready for examination.

You will receive a reminder from the School of Graduate Research (SGR) when your milestones are due. Your supervisory team should schedule your milestone presentations for you as part of a milestone conference or, in exceptional circumstances, as a standalone presentation. 

It is your responsibility to keep track of your milestones and be prepared to present during your milestone window. If your milestone review presentation is not scheduled by the time you receive your reminder, contact your supervisors or Research Training Services via the Student Connect portal. 

The HDR milestone process is offered as a college-wide series of conferences. The conferences bring together HDR candidates and academic staff to support their peers and hear about the research being done across their college. 

You will be expected to present your milestone for review at one of several milestone conferences throughout the year. 

Please see the dates for your college below: 

• College of Business and Law
• College of Design and Social Context
• STEM College

Each milestone requires you to present your research to a review panel and your research community. Milestone presentations occur at Milestone Conferences, or in exceptional circumstances, at standalone presentations.

Your review panel will be chaired by an experienced, research active supervisor within your school. The panel will also include your supervisors and one or more independent panel member(s). Independent panel members are RMIT supervisors with knowledge in your area of research or methodology, or individuals external to RMIT with a doctoral or equivalent qualification.

The presentations are a minimum of 20 minutes, with more time for questions from both your review panel and the wider audience. At the presentation, your review panel will give you feedback on your research to date, and advice and guidance for the future direction of your research. Audience members are not part of your formal progress review. However, they may give you insights and advice after your presentation.

You’ll be provided with your outcome and formal feedback within three weeks of your presentation.

Your Confirmation of Candidature marks your first significant milestone in your Higher Degree by Research (HDR) program. Your candidature is considered ‘probationary’ until you successfully complete your Confirmation of Candidature. 

In your Confirmation of Candidature, you will produce written documentation with a research proposal and present your research proposal and progress to your review panel and wider research community. 

Discuss the requirements and expectations of your Confirmation of Candidature with your supervisory team and/or your HDR Delegated Authority (HDR DA) before submitting the written documentation. Your school or discipline may have additional requirements. 

Submit written documentation at least 15 days before your milestone presentation to give your panel time to review. You will be given instructions once your milestone is scheduled. 

The written documentation for your Confirmation of Candidature must include: 

• A research proposal 
• Statement of ethics and institutional biosafety approval status
• A research data management plan
• A publication plan including evidence of any pending or completed research outputs and timelines.
• Statement of consideration of the responsible use of generative artificial intelligence in your research, as per RMITs guidelines, where appropriate. 
• Statement of consideration of the potential impact, positive and negative, of the proposed research and engagement of stakeholders, where appropriate. 
• Evidence you have completed required courses 
• Other requirements of your school or discipline. 

Research proposal 

The research proposal explains your proposed research project. This is the work you plan to do to fulfil the requirements of your degree. It explains the aims and purpose of your project addressing the key research problem or questions, its significance to the broader research and / or professional field, and how the research will be conducted. As you prepare your proposal, consider the entire duration of your project, addressing the overall research design, data collection activities, equipment and other resourcing requirements, as well as any foreseeable feasibility or other issues. 

Detailed guidance from the RMIT library on writing a research proposal is available here. 

It is important to write your research proposal in your own words as this will help you to develop and demonstrate key researcher capabilities, such as high-level communication skills, critical and independent thinking. Any assistance using generative artificial intelligence tools should be supplementary only. For further information, see here.

Your research proposal should include (as disciplinarily appropriate): 

• Your thesis/project title 
• Abstract (summary of your research) 
• An introduction, including the background and aims of the proposed research, the research problem, and significance. 
• A critical review of the relevant literature and initial list of key references, or community of practice context for the research, as disciplinary appropriate 
• The research questions, hypothesis and / or conceptual framework, as disciplinary appropriate
• The methods adopted to undertake the proposed project and rationale (methods and methodology)
• An outline/summary of your progress to date against your research plan. 

Required courses 

You must provide evidence you have completed, are currently enrolled in or have been exempted from any compulsory courses as outlined in the program plan listed in your Program Guide.

You must also provide evidence you have completed the following online modules:

• Research Integrity
• Respectful Research Training for Candidates
• Module/s covering Intellectual Property and Commercialisation (if appropriate)
• Module/s covering human ethics, animal ethics and institutional biosafety (if appropriate)
• Any university-wide modules (e.g. Sex and consent, Academic Integrity Awareness, How2RMIT).

See HDR Progress Management and Support Schedule 1 for more information.

Ethics

At your Confirmation of candidature you must clearly state your ethics and/or biosafety approval status by providing one of the following:

• Approval obtained – attach evidence of approval to your milestone submission
• Exemption granted – attach evidence of exemption notice 
• Application in progress – include a clear timeline for approval
• No ethics or exemption required – include a written rationale in your milestone documents (only if your project does not involve people, their data or animals)

Your milestone panel will assess how well you’ve planned your ethics and biosafety processes. 

• If your planning is clear and realistic, your milestone will be recorded as Achieved. 
• If your planning is unclear or incomplete, you’ll receive Major Amendments and a Candidate Action and Support Plan (CASP) to help you get back on track.

At subsequent milestones you’ll need to show that your approvals are still valid and current — or that your research continues to meet exemption criteria. This includes: 

• Evidence of current ethics or biosafety approval 
• Annual reports or renewals 
• Confirmation that no unapproved activities have taken place.

If your research has changed (for example, now involves human participants, their data, or animals) and you haven’t obtained or updated ethics approval, your milestone will be recorded as Major Amendments, and you must pause all research activities until approval is granted. 

The Second Milestone Review is the intermediate milestone in your Higher Degree by Research (HDR) program. It marks the mid-way point of your research degree. 

You will now be starting to gain a sense of the ultimate shape of your project or thesis. This milestone review is an opportunity for you to take stock of your progress and to receive valuable feedback from your research community. 

Successfully completing this milestone shows you are on the way to finishing your HDR on time. 

In your Second Milestone Review, you will produce a significant piece of work (written work and/or creative project) and present your research to your review panel and wider research community. 

Discuss the requirements and expectations of your Second Milestone Review with your supervisory team and/or your HDR Delegated Authority (HDR DA) before submitting the written documentation. Your school or discipline may have additional requirements. 

Submit written documentation at least 15 days before your milestone presentation to give your panel time to review. You will be given instructions once your milestone is scheduled. 

The written documentation for your Second Milestone Review must include: 

• A research summary and progress to date 
• Statement of ethics and institutional biosafety approval status
• Updated research data management plan, where appropriate
• Updated publication plan including evidence of any pending or completed research outputs and timelines.
• Updated statement of consideration of the responsible use of generative artificial intelligence in your research, as per RMITs guidelines, where appropriate. 
• Updated statement of consideration of the potential impact, positive and negative, of the proposed research and engagement of stakeholders, where appropriate. 
• Evidence you have completed required courses, where appropriate 
• Other requirements of your school or discipline.

Research summary 

Your research summary must include: 

• Your thesis/project title 
• Abstract (summary of your research) 
• The aim and rationale of your research including the research problem and significance
• The research questions, hypothesis and / or conceptual framework, as disciplinary appropriate
• A critical review of the relevant literature and initial list of key references, or community of practice context for the research, as disciplinary appropriate 
• The methods and rationale (methods and methodology)
• Updated outline/summary of your progress against your research plan 
• A summary of any changes to your candidature since your Confirmation of Candidature. 

Research progress to date

You are required to demonstrate your research progress.

If you are developing a thesis, you must submit (as appropriate for your discipline): 

• at least two draft chapters of your thesis or 
• equivalent in draft or published papers.

If you are doing creative project-based research, you must submit: 

• a draft of your dissertation and 
• a portfolio of work (a portfolio is a representation of your final project outcome, in images, recordings or text, depending on your project).

Required courses

You must provide evidence you have completed, are currently enrolled in or have been exempted from any compulsory courses as outlined in the program plan listed in your Program Guide.

Ethics

You will need to show that your approvals are still valid and current — or that your research continues to meet exemption criteria. This includes: 

• Evidence of current ethics or biosafety approval 
• Annual reports or renewals 
• Confirmation that no unapproved activities have taken place. 

If your research has changed (for example, now involves human participants, their data, or animals) and you haven’t obtained or updated ethics approval, your milestone will be recorded as Major Amendments, and you must pause all research activities until approval is granted. 

Congratulations! You are now moving into the final stages of your candidature. 

The Third Milestone Review is the third and final milestone in your Higher Degree by Research (HDR) program. Successfully completing this milestone shows you are on track to finish your HDR. 

In your Third Milestone Review, you will produce an advanced draft of your thesis or project (written work and/or creative project) and present your research to your Review Panel and wider research community. 

Discuss the requirements and expectations of your Third Milestone Review with your supervisory team and/or your HDR Delegated Authority (HDR DA) before submitting the written documentation. Your school or discipline may have additional requirements.

Submit written documentation at least 15 days before your milestone presentation to give your panel time to review. You will be given instructions once your milestone is scheduled. 

The written documentation for your Third Milestone Review must include: 

• A research summary and progress to date 
• Statement of ethics and institutional biosafety approval status
• Updated research data management plan, where appropriate
• Updated publication plan including evidence of any pending or completed research outputs and timelines.
• Updated statement of consideration of the responsible use of generative artificial intelligence in your research, as per RMITs guidelines, where appropriate. 
• Updated statement of consideration of the potential impact, positive and negative, of the proposed research and engagement of stakeholders, where appropriate. 
• Evidence you have completed required courses, where appropriate 
• Other requirements of your school or discipline.

Research summary 

Your research summary must include: 

• Your thesis/project title 
• Abstract (summary of your research) 
• The aim and rationale of your research including the research problem and significance
• The research questions, hypothesis and / or conceptual framework, as disciplinary appropriate
• A critical review of the relevant literature and initial list of key references, or community of practice context for the research, as disciplinary appropriate 
• The methods and rationale (methods and methodology)
• Updated outline/summary of your progress against your research plan 
• A clear path and detailed timeline showing how the thesis/project will be completed in the time between the third milestone review and the submission date.  

Research progress to date

You are required to demonstrate your research progress.

If you are developing a thesis, you must submit (as appropriate for your discipline): 

• at least four draft chapters of your thesis or 
• equivalent in draft or published papers.

If you are doing creative project-based research, you must submit: 

• an advanced draft of your dissertation and 
• a portfolio of work (a portfolio is a representation of your final project outcome, in images, recordings or text, depending on your project).

Required Courses

You must provide evidence you have completed, are currently enrolled in or have been exempted from any compulsory courses as outlined in the program plan listed in your Program Guide.

Ethics

You will need to show that your approvals are still valid and current — or that your research continues to meet exemption criteria. This includes: 

• Evidence of current ethics or biosafety approval 
• Annual reports or renewals 
• Confirmation that no unapproved activities have taken place.

If your research has changed (for example, now involves human participants, their data, or animals) and you haven’t obtained or updated ethics approval, your milestone will be recorded as Major Amendments, and you must pause all research activities until approval is granted. 

Generally, you will receive an official outcome notification via your student email address and access to your panel’s feedback via Enrolment Online within three weeks of your presentation. If you have not received your outcome and feedback contact Research Training Services via the Student Connect portal. 

Your milestone has the following possible outcomes: 

• Milestone achieved: you have successfully met the requirements of the milestone and your research is on track. Your milestone review panel may make recommendations. If the recommendations are specified in the formal feedback, you must work with your supervisory team to address the recommendations within a reasonable timeframe. 

• Major amendments required: you have not met the requirements of the milestone. Major amendments to your documentation are required. 
  If you receive this outcome, you will be nominated for action and support. Your supervisory team and your HDR Delegated Authority (HDR DA) will work with you to produce a Candidate Action and Support Plan (CASP) to help you get back on track with your research and represent your milestone to meet the requirements. 

• Transfer to PhD: you have opted to transfer from a Masters by Research program to a PhD program. This program transfer can only happen during the Second Milestone Review window and must be agreed to by your Milestone Review Panel, your supervisory team and your HDR Delegated Authority (HDR DA) before the milestone takes place. The notification will include instructions on the next steps to changing your program. 
• Achieved, transfer to Masters by Research: you have opted to transfer from a PhD program to a Masters by Research program. The program transfer must be requested before attempting the milestone and be in accordance with the HDR Admissions and Enrolment Procedure. Your milestone outcome notification will include instructions on the next steps for changing your program.
• Not achieved, transfer to Masters by Research: you have not met the requirements of your PhD milestone and the panel recommends that you consider a transfer to a Master by Research program, in accordance with the HDR Admissions and Enrolment Procedure. If you do not wish to transfer to a Masters by Research, the outcome could be changed to 'Major Amendments Required'.