This document serves as manual and guideline on the processes, conditions and
procedure of Universiti Malaya Scholarship Scheme (UMSS) which offered to the
postgraduate students to be implemented at Universiti Malaya (UM).

Universiti Malaya Scholarship Scheme (UMSS) refer to the postgraduate students (Masters or Doctor of Philosophy) who are appointed as Graduate Research Assistants (GRA), whether or not they receive tuition fee waivers based on eligibility criteria.

Applicants need to meet the eligibility criteria for the GRA offer to qualify for the stipend payment and the tuition fee waiver eligibility criteria to be considered for the fee waiver.

(A) ELIGBILITY CRITERIA OF GRA OFFER

(1) Open to the postgraduate students (Malaysian and non-Malaysian) who are pursuing coursework, mixed-mode or full research program in Universiti Malaya (UM) with Ready for Enrolment (RE) or Active (AK) status in MAYA system and subject to the condition outline by the Research Grant;

(2) Applicant have obtained the offer letter for their postgraduate study from UM;

(3) Duration of the GRA offer shall be at least four (4) months or subject to the condition outline by the Research Grant;

(4) Minimum stipend payment amounting RM1,000.00 and subject to the condition outline by the Funding Agency/Research Grant;

(5) Stipend payment must be from Grant Vot 11000 allocation. The allocation research grant must be sufficient to pay for the stipend throughout their appointment as GRA;

(6) Applicant must not be sponsored or received any kind of financial support from federal/state/statutory body or any other organization during the time of application;

(7) Applicants must be free from any debt / outstanding fees with UM;

(8) This offer is subject to the terms and conditions outline by the Funding Agency/Research Grant;

(9) Applicants must be within the following semester at the time of application:
 a) Masters programme: 8 semester and below
 b) Doctor of Philosophy programme: 12 semester and below

(B) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR TUITION FEE WAIVER

(1) Open to the postgraduate students (Malaysian and non-Malaysian) who are pursuing full research program in Universiti Malaya (UM) with Ready for Enrolment (RE) or Active (AK) status in MAYA system;

(2) Applicant fulfilled eligibility criteria to be offered as GRA;

(3) Applicant offered as GRA at least four (4) months in the current semester of application;

(4)Applicant must be in the Graduate on Time (GoT) semester at the time of application as follows:
 a) Masters programme: 5 semester and below
 b) Doctor of Philosophy programme: 7 semester and below

(5) Consideration for tuition fee waiver application shall depend on the approval by Executive Director of Institute of Research Management and Services (IPPP);

(6) Waiver rate for the tuition fee (for those qualified) throughout semester are as follows:

(7) List of fees that are NOT waived are the following:
 a) Admission fee
 b) Thesis Submission fee
 c) Examination fee
 d) Graduation fee
 e) International Student fee (for international students only)

Principal Investigator is fully responsible in securing the operational cost for GRA stipend payment is sufficient throughout the offer period. In ensuring the research management is effective, the Principal Investigator required to do the calculation with exact amount of stipend payment offered. The amount of stipend is compulsory to align with the condition and guideline outline by the Funding Agency/Research Grant.

(1) Monthly stipend is subject to the Payment Schedule for Monthly Salary published at UM Bursary website;

(2) Notification on the number of salary to the UMSS awardee and the process of monthly stipend by IPPP will only be proceeded once the acceptance letter and supporting documents mentioned in the offer letter received by IPPP. The mentioned documents shall be forwarded to IPPP prior to the deadline of monthly salary process as stipulated in the Jadual Pengurusan Gaji/ Wangsaku attached with offer letter;

(3) In any case the documents are received by IPPP after the deadline of monthly salary process, the stipend will be processed in the next cycle of salary payment as stipulated in the Jadual Pengurusan Gaji/ Wangsaku;

(4) The offered GRA may consider to be paid for their backlog monthly allowance not more than three (3) months from the date of GRA application receive by IPPP;

(5) Should there be any urgent requirement or circumstances which cannot be avoid, the Principal Investigator shall refer to the IPPP immediately;

(6) For international students who have been offered as GRA, it is required to attach a copy of their validated Visa and Pass with the other supporting documents. The stipend will only be paid based on the validity of their said Visa and Pass.

(1) UMSS Awardee shall complete, sign and stamp two (2) copies of UMSS agreement;

(2) UMSS awardee shall undergo and fulfil the mentioned activities and key performance indicator of UMSS;

(3) UMSS awardee shall submit their research progress report (for mixed-mode and full research program) as stipulated by their academic programme every semester;

(4) UMSS agreement shall be ended once the awardee graduated or completion of their final thesis submission within semester as per detailed below:
 a) Masters programme: Maximum 8 semesters
 b) Doctor of Philosophy programme: Maximum 12 semesters

(5) UMSS awardee not necessary to undertake any teaching workload;

(6) The following matters will cause the stipend payment and/or tuition fee waiver to be stopped immediately and the UMSS agreement to be breached:
 a) Failure to fulfil terms and conditions of UMSS;
 b) Failure to undergo and fulfil activities and key performance indicator (KPI) of UMSS;
 c) Change programme of study without notification to IPPP;
 d) Semester deferment without any written approval from Principal Investigator and notification to IPPP;
 e) Hold any job positions whether permanent, contract or temporary status that may affect the UMSS awardee’s performance in research activities without written notification to IPPP; or
 f) Hold any other scholarship, fellowship, grant, award or allowance concurrently with UMSS without written notification to IPPP and have contract or bond with any Federal/State or any other Statutory Bodies.

(7) UMSS awardee require to repay amounting RM20,000.00 for Masters programme or RM25,000.00 for Doctor of Philosophy programme to UM in any case the terms and conditions stipulated in the UMSS agreement not fulfilled; or the agreement breached or terminated; or the awardee withdraw from their programme of study.

(1) Application of UMSS is through Research Assistant Recruitment System (RARS);

(2) GRA can be offered up to three (3) years depends on the grant active period and sufficiency of stipend payment allocation;

(3) UMSS agreement need to be completed only once throughout the programme of study;

(4) Only complete application documents will be accepted for review and consideration;

(5) Applications with incomplete documents or fraudulent documents will be rejected;

(6) The decision on selection of candidates is final and any appeal will not be entertained;

(7) UMSS offer and acceptance are as follows:

(1) Principal Investigator required to submit the application of GRA extension to IPPP before the current GRA offer ended.
(2) If the application of GRA extension using the same research grant and Principal Investigator from the previous, following are the procedure:

(3) If the application of GRA extension using different research grant / different Principal Investigator / more than one (1) month GRA appointment ended, the procedure in 7 should be followed.

(1) UMSS Awardee required to undergo activities as follows:
 a) Involved in research activities at UM;
 b) Attend courses decided by the University for the purpose of personal development.

(2) UMSS awardee required to fulfill the key performance indicator (KPI) as follows:
 a) Fulfil the candidature requirement as stipulated by academic programme as approved by UM;
 b) Present and pass the Proposal Defense as stipulated by academic programme;
 c) Present and pass the Candidature Defense not later than duration stipulated by academic programme;
 d) Attend all the training courses and sit for all the tests or examinations stipulated by academic programme as approved by UM;
 e) Forward progress report and receive positive feedbacks as stipulated by academic programme every semester;
 f) Attend all programme determined by IPPP; and
 g) Have excellent personal traits such as discipline, communication skills, attitude, motivation, proactive, teamwork and other positive traits at all-time throughout the UMSS.

(1) All of the equipment, information and research output are Universiti Malaya’s property right. GRA is strictly prohibited from taking any equipment, information and research output outside from UM;

(2) UMSS awardee is subject to the Regulations and Acts, and other regulations enforced at UM from time to time;

(3) Applicant have no familial bond with the Principal Investigator; and

(4) Any changes regarding title of thesis or dissertation need to be informed to IPPP.