CaRST FAQs

Participation in CaRST is compulsory for all PhD and Master of Philosophy students.

Only the following students are exempted from participating in CaRST and will not be required to complete a minimum number of CaRST activities (hours) prior to thesis submission:
• Professional Doctorate students
• HDR students in named degrees (e.g. Master of Clinical Science)
• Combined Master of Psychology/PhD program students
• HDR students who commenced prior to 2017

CaRST is only compulsory for HDR students commencing on, or after, 1 January 2017. If you commenced prior to this date, you are not required to participate. You are, however, encouraged to attend workshops and events provided by CaRST.

CaRST is a requirement of the PhD and Master of Philosophy at the University of Adelaide, and students undertaking a same-level transfer from another institution are required to complete CaRST provided they still have more than half of their candidature left. This is considered on a case-by-case basis, and as this is based on FTE of candidature remaining, students in this category need to contact carst@adelaide.edu.au within 2 months of commencing candidature at the University of Adelaide.

Master of Philosophy students upgrading to a PhD are required to complete CaRST and the total credits required will increase from 60 to 120 accordingly. Activities completed during the Master of Philosophy will carry over and count towards the 120 credit hour target.

Students who commenced a Master of Philosophy prior to 2017 and upgrade to a PhD after 1 January 2017 are able to apply for a waiver from CaRST. Eligible students must contact carst@adelaide.edu.au at the time of the upgrade.

CaRST is a requirement of the PhD at the University of Adelaide, and students upgrading from the Master of Clinical Science to a PhD are required to complete 120 credit hours of CaRST. Students are able to claim activities completed from the date they officially commenced their Masters as this is considered as part of their current candidature. We recommend that Master of Clinical Science students considering an upgrade opt-in to CaRST early to make it easier to track their activities. Please contact carst@adelaide.edu.au for more information.

PhD students transferring to a Masters are required to complete CaRST and the total credits required will decrease from 120 to 60 accordingly. Activities completed during the PhD will carry over and count towards the 60 credit hour target.

Students who commenced a PhD prior to 2017 and subsequently transfer to a Master of Philosophy can apply for a waiver from CaRST. Eligible students must contact carst@adelaide.edu.au at the time of the transfer to process the waiver.

Students who completed the CaRST program in a previous University of Adelaide PhD or MPhil program are able to apply for a waiver from CaRST, provided the duration between the two HDR programs is not more than two years. Eligible students must contact carst@adelaide.edu.au directly to seek approval. Waivers must be sought before submission of the CCSP.

CaRST is a requirement of the PhD and Master of Philosophy at the University of Adelaide, and students studying remotely are required to complete CaRST. There are many opportunities for remote students to acquire CaRST hours without the need to attend workshops in Adelaide. Most of our workshops are now delivered online via Zoom with recordings of many past workshops available through the CaRST MyUni course. A wide range of other online courses, for example through LinkedIn Learning and AdelaideX, are also eligible for CaRST. Further, students can seek credit for other training activities not already listed as eligible for CaRST credit as well as for other practical and applied experiences that are typically undertaken as an HDR. Please visit our activities page for more information.

CaRST is an integral part of research education at the University of Adelaide, and all PhD and Master of Philosophy students regardless of career stage and experience are required to participate in CaRST. The purpose is to engage students in determining their own skill needs and to ensure that their research degree experience is broader than their major project alone. We appreciate the diverse backgrounds and experience of candidates. This is why the program is consciously flexible and avoids a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Students engage in the development programs of their choosing, including participating in training offered outside of the CaRST system. Credit can also be earned through completion various practical and applied experiences that are typically undertaken as an HDR. Please visit our activities page for more information.

No, CaRST hours may not be reduced. Professional development is an important part of your research training and all PhD students are required to undertake the same number of hours, 120 hours, regardless of their backgrounds, prior learning, or past experiences.

Exempt students are encouraged to attend workshops and events provided by CaRST but are not required to achieve a minimum number of training hours or track your training activities. If you would like to enrol in the full CaRST program, you would need to contact carst@adelaide.edu.au before your CCSP is submitted.

When you enrol as a HDR student in one of the degrees required to undertake CaRST, you are automatically enrolled and participating in CaRST. There is no further action required from you to enrol in the program.

Your participation in CaRST begins when you commence candidature and extends throughout the entire candidature term. There is no set curriculum, you have the freedom to select training activities that you see as valuable for your professional development.

CaRST is listed as a key milestone in MyAdelaide with a due date corresponding to your candidature start date. This date is a placeholder required by the system and can be disregarded. Be assured that the CaRST requirement of achieving a minimum number of training hours is due at thesis submission, although your progress will be reviewed at each milestone throughout your candidature.

PhD students commencing from 2017 are required to complete:

• a total of 120 hours of CaRST activities
• activities in all four domains of the Vitae Researcher Development Framework with a minimum of 10 hours, but not more than 60 hours, in each.

Masters of Philosophy students commencing from 2017 are required to complete:

• a total of 60 hours of CaRST activities;
• activities in all four domains of the Vitae Researcher Development Framework with a minimum of 5 hours, but not more than 30 hours, in each

In addition to completing training, participation in CaRST requires you to:

• distribute your CaRST hours across the four domains of the Vitae Researcher Development Framework;
• complete a skills assessment and development plan to assist in identifying your training needs and developing your personalised program of professional development;
• record all your CaRST activities in CaRST Online;

CaRST progress is reviewed at all candidature milestones: the CCSP, major review, each annual review, and thesis submission. Students are required to submit a summary of their CaRST progress at each checkpoint.

CaRST is organised around the four domains of the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF), a widely endorsed framework for the professional development of researchers. The RDF is applicable to all career stages and details the knowledge, behaviour and attributes of successful researchers in four important areas (domains):

• A: Knowledge and intellectual abilities
• B: Personal effectiveness
• C: Research governance and organisation
• D: Engagement, influence and impact

Accumulating hours in each domain will broaden skills, help you become a more balanced researcher and enhance their employability. A copy of the RDF can be found here.

PhD students must achieve a minimum of 10 and maximum of 60 hours of training from each domain.

Masters of Philosophy students must achieve a minimum of 5 and maximum of 30 hours of training from each domain.

There is no a formal requirement to achieve a certain number of hours per year, however, you are encouraged to spread your hours throughout candidature, rather than collect them all up front or wait until the end. Your supervisor and the Adelaide Graduate Research School will assess your progress at each candidature milestone to make sure you are on track to complete the required hours.

CaRST progress is reviewed at all candidature milestones: the CCSP, major review, each annual review, and thesis submission. Students are required to submit a checkpoint summary of their CaRST progress which will be reviewed by the Adelaide Graduate Research School and feedback will be provided to the student.

You can start participating in CaRST activities and filling in your development plan from the beginning of your candidature alongside planning your research activities. The first formal checkpoint is at the CCSP when you must submit your development plan and a summary of your CaRST progress from CaRST Online.

All students participating in CaRST are required to complete a skills assessment and development plan, which will assist in identifying your training needs and designing your own unique program of professional development. When completing your development plan, consider your interests, career goals and aspirations. We also encourage you to discuss this with your supervisor who is an experienced researcher with a wealth of knowledge.

While completing the development plan, you will reference the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) which details the “knowledge, behaviours and attributes of successful researchers”. The development plan in conjunction with the RDF will assist you to consider the skills that are important to you.

There is no set curriculum with CaRST. You are able to create your own personalised program, selecting from a wide array of accredited training available within the University and from other relevant experiences that will enhance your knowledge and skills as a researcher.

Activities that contribute towards CaRST can be classified into three different types:

1. Training activities. This includes workshops, short courses, online courses and other structured training programs pre-approved for CaRST. All eligible training activities are listed in CaRST Online.
2. Experiential activities. This category includes other learning experiences that enhance the knowledge and skills of a researcher but are not formally taught, such as attending conferences and presenting research. Visit the CaRST experiential activities webpage for a list of experiential activities.
3. Other commercialisation and engagement activities. These activities focus on arrangements with external organisations that enable experiential learning related to the HDR. Visit the CaRST experiential activities webpage for a list of experiential activities.

Although we have tried to capture as many activities as we can, we recognise our list is not exhaustive and there will be other opportunities you want to pursue to satisfy the CaRST requirement. If you participate in an activity that has not been approved but think it should count towards CaRST, you can self-record the activity through CaRST Online. For more information, view the ‘Self-recording an Activity’ quick reference guide from the help section in CaRST Online.

Eligible activities include workshops, short courses, online courses, other structured training programs, or experiential activities not found on our pre-approved table.

Once saved, the activities will be reviewed by the Adelaide Graduate Research School, you will only receive feedback if issues are identified.

Log in to CaRST Online to view all CaRST training activities including upcoming events. In addition, the experiential activities webpage lists all approved experiential activities that are recognised for CaRST credit.

It’s important that you maintain a regular dialogue with your supervisor about CaRST. Your supervisor is an experienced researcher and will have valuable advice for you regarding your training needs and may be able to suggest relevant training activities. Your supervisor is also required to sign off on your CaRST progress at each candidature milestone.

There are many opportunities for remote students to acquire CaRST hours without the need to attend workshops in Adelaide. This includes participation in a range of online courses, viewing streamed or recorded workshops through the CaRST MyUni course, participating in experiential activities and other non-pre-approved training activities. If you are a remote student and would like to discuss these options, please contact carst@adelaide.edu.au.

Log in to CaRST Online to view all CaRST training activities including upcoming events. Follow the booking instructions at the bottom of an activity page.

All HDR students will automatically be given a CaRST Online account at the beginning of candidature.

CaRST Online can be accessed at http://carst.adelaide.edu.au

Your University ID (aXXXXXXX) and password is used to access your CaRST Online account.

Booking information will vary depending on the training provider, please follow the booking instructions at the bottom of the activity page.

Unfortunately, we are unable to recognise hours for activities completed prior to commencement. For this reason, we recommend attending CaRST events only after your candidature has officially commenced.

Yes! All of the CaRST training activities are free of charge for University of Adelaide HDR students. From time to time we will advertise an opportunity that is organised externally to CaRST and incurs a fee, but the fee charged will be clearly indicated.

Yes, all HDR students are welcome to attend CaRST workshops. If you’re not participating in the CaRST program, you don’t need to track, provide evidence of, or complete a minimum amount of training.

CaRST workshops are for HDR students only. These courses are always in high demand and so we need to reserve the spaces for HDR students.

There are 3 different booking methods for CaRST approved activities. You can find the booking method of a particular activity listed beneath the activity name.

• Bookable: these activities are booked via CaRST Online and your attendance will be automatically recorded.
• Externally booked: these activities are booked via an external system. Booking instructions are provided and these will be added to your CaRST Record automatically when we hear back from the external course organiser(s). You do not need to self-record this activity.
• Self-recorded: these activities are booked via an external system and are not added to your record automatically, therefore you are required to manually add these to your record and supply your own evidence of attendance/completion. You can do this by clicking the blue 'add to my record' button found on the relevant activity page.

Some CaRST approved activities are not exclusive to HDR students and may also be open to staff members. These activities need to booked externally to CaRST Online to enable all eligible participants to access the booking system. Regardless of the booking method, you will find clear instructions on how to book each CaRST activity.

Your CaRST Record in CaRST Online is your official record where you can view the activities completed and hours earnt. Only activities listed in CaRST Online will be accepted at future milestone reviews and the CaRST milestone will only be completed based on the hours and activities logged in CaRST Online.

This depends on the activity booking method, you can find the booking method of a particular activity listed beneath the activity name.

‘Bookable’ and ‘Externally booked’ activities will be automatically added to your CaRST Record. There is no need to self-record these activities.

If an activity is described as ‘self-recorded’ (the booking method is listed beneath the activity name), you will need to self-record the activity. Return to the activity page once the activity is completed and click the ‘Add to my record’ button. Complete the remaining fields of the online form to add the activity to your CaRST record. Remember to attach evidence of attendance.

Experiential activities can be self-recorded in CaRST Online. For more information, view the ‘Self-recording an Activity’ quick reference guide from the help section in CaRST Online. Remember to attached evidence of completion. Once ready to submit, click 'Mark ready for approval' and save. The activities will be automatically approved, but should be considered provisional until they are reviewed by the Adelaide Graduate Research School at your next milestone review (i.e. CCSP, Major Review, Annual Review).

Limits imposed within the CaRST program are taken into account when calculating the total CaRST credits. This number, therefore, may not be the same as the total number of hours you have accumulated.

These limits include:

• A maximum of 60 hours per domain for PhD students
• A maximum of 30 hours per domain for Masters students

Recognised CaRST credits displayed will not exceed the requirement of your degree. Therefore, a PhD student will show a maximum of 120 hours and a Masters student will show a maximum of 60 hours, even if the student has recorded activities beyond these amounts.

To view your total CaRST credits, click the 'show all' link.

If you participate in an activity that is not listed in CaRST Online and would like to claim these hours for CaRST, you can self-record the activity in CaRST Online. For more information, view the ‘Self-recording an Activity’ quick reference guide from the help section in CaRST Online. Remember to attach evidence of activity completion. Once ready to submit, click 'Mark ready for approval' and save. The activities will then be reviewed by the Adelaide Graduate Research School. Once approved, an activity will have an approval status of 'Approved' on your CaRST Record.

You can view the number of CaRST hours for an activity by viewing the activity details in CaRST Online or on the Experiential Activities page.

For activities that are not found in CaRST Online, you can also check the CaRST activity register for other activities that have been reviewed by the CaRST team but are not managed in CaRST Online. If you don't find your activity here, you can use your judgement to determine the number of hours the activity is worth. In general, 1 CaRST hour should equal 1 hour of active engagement. Credit will only be given to ‘in class’ hours, i.e. time taken to prepare assignments etc. will not be eligible.

A single activity may be worth a maximum of 30 hours.

You can view the Researcher Development Framework (RDF) domain pre-assigned to an activity by viewing the activity details in CaRST Online or on the Experiential Activities page. 

For activities that are not found in CaRST Online, you can also check the CaRST activity register for other activities that have been reviewed by the CaRST team but are not managed in CaRST Online. If you don't find your activity here, you can use your judgement to determine the most appropriate domain based on the learning outcomes that were achieved. Use the Researcher Development Framework to determine the most appropriate domain for your activity.

You are required to provide evidence of attendance or completion for self-recorded activities.

For experiential activities, suggested evidence is listed on the experiential activities webpage. For activities that are not pre-approved, you can use your judgement and consider what proves your attendance or participation in an activity. Some examples of evidence include:

• Certificate issued by the course organiser
• Email confirmation of attendance from the course organiser
• Event tickets or registration emails

If the organiser has not previously arranged to take attendance and there is no tangible evidence available, a blank certificate has been created that you can complete. You can download the CaRST certificate of attendance, fill in the activity details and print the form, then have it signed by a third party or your supervisor.

You are required to obtain evidence for any self-recorded activity. This includes all experiential activities and approved activities where the booking method is listed as 'self-recorded' in CaRST Online.

You don't need to collect evidence for 'bookable' and 'externally booked' activities.

Yes, you can continue to add activities to your CaRST Record. Be aware that only hours within the CaRST limits will be used to calculate the total CaRST credits.

Only activities undertaken during your candidature can be claimed towards CaRST, therefore activities completed prior to commencing are not eligible for credit. We don’t anticipate that you will have trouble reaching the CaRST hour requirement target. We therefore recommend spending your hours on participating in something new rather than repeating activities completed prior to candidature.

Only activities undertaken during your candidature are displayed by default on your CaRST Record. You can still view activities recorded prior to your candidature start by selecting the [+] Show old forms link at the bottom of the Record page in CaRST Online. However only activities recorded within candidature are recognised in your total CaRST credits.

Your progress with CaRST will be reviewed at various checkpoints throughout candidature to ensure you are on track to successfully meet the CaRST requirements before thesis submission. These checkpoints have been incorporated into existing milestones, i.e. the CCSP, major review, and annual review. You will be required to submit a summary of your CaRST progress at these milestone reviews.

The number of hours that need to be completed in each year is not stipulated; however; it is advisable to spread your activities throughout candidature so that you are not trying to achieve the bulk of your hours at the end of your degree. CaRST activities (hours) must be completed before thesis submission.

Your final CaRST progress review is completed when you notify the Adelaide Graduate Research School of your intention to submit your thesis. The Adelaide Graduate Research School will verify that the number of hours in the required domains has been fulfilled before sending the thesis for examination.

At each milestone review, you must submit a PDF of your CaRST progress summary (when on the Review page, click the ‘Generate PDF’ button and print to PDF).

If you have completed the CaRST requirement, you can instead submit your CaRST completion certificate (when on the Record page, click the ‘Download Completion Certificate’ button).

When on the Review page of CaRST Online, click the ‘Generate PDF’ button. Instead of sending to a printer, print to PDF. This will allow you to save a copy of the PDF on your computer.

If you complete your CaRST hours ahead of time, you can submit your CaRST Completion Certificate in place of the Progress Summary at future milestone reviews. You are encouraged to continue to participate in professional development and to log these activities, but the accrual of additional hours will not be required.

The CaRST sections of these forms are only applicable to CaRST students. If you commenced prior to 2017 or are exempt from CaRST, please mark these sections as ‘Not applicable’. You are not required to produce any CaRST documentation for your candidature milestones.

If you complete the minimum number of CaRST activities (hours), you will receive a statement on your transcript on completion of your degree, indicating that you completed the CaRST requirement. Your transcript, along with your record of activities, can be used to help demonstrate your skills to potential employers.