General Rules:

Smoking policy

Smoking is not allowed in any buildings within the Centre as it represents a severe fire risk since the buildings are all wood . If you need to smoke please do so outside and dispose of you cigarette ends in bins . Please be considerate to non smokers .

Food and beverages

Please do not consume food or drink in any of the main buildings except the restaurant. Any food in chalets should be kept in animal proof containers or it will not be long before we have resident ants and rats.

Behaviour

Please be considerate to other guests at the Centre. This is a beautiful field site and therefore please help to keep it this way. Natural noises are preferred to human noise.

Student Stipends and conditions

General

Students must normally live and study at MRC and will be provided with a monthly stipend. The details of the stipend are given below. Accommodation will be provided free of charge. Student fees, use of facilities, and some research funds will be provided at the discretion of the supervisors.

Travel

Students must come to Thailand at their own cost to begin their studies. Travel for research purposes will be provided by MRF, however all other travel costs (e.g. attending University lectures and seminars, visiting professors, registration) will be paid for by the students from their stipend. This can be negotiated individually by the students/supervisors.

Termination

Payment of student stipends will be subject to satisfactory progress by the students. The students' supervisors will determine satisfactory progress.

Duties

1) Carry out research for a higher degree

2) Attend and pass necessary and prescribed coursework

3) Attend and/or teach at workshops

4) Interact with all students in the centre in a cordial way

5) Others requirements as prescribed by the supervisors

Value of Stipends Baht per month

Students doing MSc
1st year 6000, remaining years 7000

Students doing PhD
with BSc: 1st year 6000, 2nd year 7000, 3rd year 8000
with MSc: 1st year 7000, 2nd year 8000, 3rd year and subsequent years 8000

Annual Leave

Student may take up to 4 weeks leave from MRC per year. The dates of leave will be subject to agreement with the sponsoring supervisor. Leave over 4 weeks can only be taken with agreement of the sponsoring supervisor. This agreement should be relayed in writing to the Director of MRC.

Compassionate leave

Leave for other circumstances, e.g. illness, death of relatives, can be taken if the sponsoring supervisor is informed. The stipend will however, not be paid during this compassionate leave. If the period of compassionate leave is longer than one month the student should also apply to their University for compassionate leave and exemption from paying fees. Fees will not be paid by MRC during an extended period of leave.

Items not paid for by MRC

1. Visa costs
2. Airfares for leave
3. Non-work related transport
4. Airfares to Bangkok, travel in Chiang Mai or Bangkok for University events such as registration, lectures etc.
5. Reference request.

Collection and removal of fungal specimens from Thailand

Thailand became a party to the Convention of Biological Diversity when it ratified the convention on 29 January 2004. As a private organisation MRC cannot provide permission for scientists to remove living or herbarium specimens from Thailand and cannot sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Material Transfer Agreements (MTA) with overseas institutions. Scientists contemplating carrying out research in Thailand which may involve removing specimens from Thailand are advised to seek collaboration with Thai counterparts with whom they can sign an MOU and/or MTA. Thai scientists in Universities and at BIOTEC may form useful collaborations. All researchers at MRC must follow Thailand biodiversity laws and protocols.

An English version of Thai Plant varieties Protection Act can be found in a website of GRAIN (an NGO)
http://www.grain.org/brl/thailand-pvp-1999.cfm
"Text of Convention of Biological Diversity”
http://www.biodiv.org/convention/articles.asp