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Work-integrated learning (WIL) can be expensive for tertiary students. There are potential accommodation, equipment, and travel expenses, as well as opportunity costs associated with lost income when completing unpaid WIL placements. Non-remunerative financial support such as bursaries, scholarships, stipends, and honorariums (collectively 'WIL studentships') can defray student expenses and facilitate access to WIL for students of diverse backgrounds, alleviating equity concerns. Careful consideration is required, however, when designing WIL studentships to maximize the opportunities and minimize the hazards for stakeholders. This article arises from the first known systematic study examining WIL studentship design across Australian institutions, which included a qualitative web-based study of 59 WIL studentships. The article presents a typology of WIL studentships developed from that study. In addition, two case studies are presented as to facilitate examination of key features of WIL studentships, identify risks, and provide a basis for recommending effective practice in WIL studentship design.

We are 52 Black scientists. Here, we establish the context of Juneteenth in STEMM and discuss the barriers Black scientists face, the struggles they endure, and the lack of recognition they receive. We review racism's history in science and provide institutional-level solutions to reduce the burdens on Black scientists.

Viruses have brought humanity many challenges: respiratory infection, cancer, neurological impairment and immunosuppression to name a few. Virology research over the last 60+ years has responded to reduce this disease burden with vaccines and antivirals. Despite this long history, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented attention to the field of virology. Some of this attention is focused on concern about the safe conduct of research with human pathogens. A small but vocal group of individuals has seized upon these concerns - conflating legitimate questions about safely conducting virus-related research with uncertainties over the origins of SARS-CoV-2. The result has fueled public confusion and, in many instances, ill-informed condemnation of virology. With this article, we seek to promote a return to rational discourse. We explain the use of gain-of-function approaches in science, discuss the possible origins of SARS-CoV-2 and outline current regulatory structures that provide oversight for virological research in the United States. By offering our expertise, we - a broad group of working virologists - seek to aid policy makers in navigating these controversial issues. Balanced, evidence-based discourse is essential to addressing public concern while maintaining and expanding much-needed research in virology.

WIL practitioners encounter ethical issues, dilemmas, or conflicts ('risks') in the delivery of work-integrated learning (WIL) programs. Ethical risks which are not properly managed can have reputational, legal, and financial consequences for the higher education institution (HEI). Whilst students' experiences of ethical risks, particularly in health-related WIL programs, have been extensively reported in the literature, there is no known systematic study that has explored ethical risks in WIL from the sole perspective of WIL practitioners. A case study of 10 Canadian practitioners identifies five key characteristics of ethics underpinning the delivery of co-operative education programs, as well as ethical risks that they have experienced relating to the conduct of WIL practitioners, students, and employers. The findings can be applied by WIL stakeholders to enhance their ethical awareness, and to improve management of ethical risks.

An employment contract between the student and the host organization may be the unintended consequence of a work-integrated learning (WIL) placement. The student, as an 'inadvertent employee' of the host organization, can expose the university to risk. A case study involving thirteen Australian university lawyers identifies the legal and reputational risks associated with paid and unpaid WIL placements, and how university lawyers manage these risks through WIL agreements, legal advice and the support of external agencies. In Australia, the key themes which emerge from university lawyer experiences, and the existing literature, are the vocational placement exemption under the "Fair Work Act 2009" (Cth), and scholarship payments. The article concludes with a series of lessons for WIL practitioners in terms of managing the labor-related risks of WIL programs.

This article describes the evolution of, and rationale for, a mixed methods study of risk management by university lawyers in the specific context of work-integrated learning (WIL) programs. The evolution provides a road map of the research design, incorporating references to research methods texts used by the author at each stage of the mixed methods design. The roadmap also includes primary resources developed during the mixed methods study, such as survey instruments, invitations to participate, consent forms, conceptual models and interview guides. These resources can be accessed by WIL researchers to assist them with navigating mixed methods design. WIL researchers are also provided with a number of strategies to promote the validity of their research and research limitations to be mindful of when conducting WIL research using mixed methods.

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is a risky business for universities. WIL is a strategic risk worthy of pursuing by universities in the prevailing higher education environment, which is characterized by competition, changes in funding arrangements and stakeholder demand for WIL. Nevertheless the strategic opportunities that WIL presents cannot be achieved without the university taking on unavoidable and distinct legal risks that may have serious financial and reputational consequences for the university. This article examines WIL through a lens of enterprise risk management. The author describes how WIL is a strategic risk for universities, and identifies the possible legal risks of WIL through a review of empirical studies and case law in Australia. It is argued that risk management involves a balance between the university goals of maximizing the strategic value and minimizing the legal risks in relation to WIL.

With a government agenda to increase university participation, and larger numbers of students being "first-in-family" to attend university, students have a limited understanding and appreciation of their chosen profession. Adverse implications include reduced motivation towards study and non-appreciation of the required skills to succeed in the work force. Work integrated learning (WIL) can provide these career skills and understanding. This article analyses whether students undertaking an external off-campus internship in their 2nd and 3rd years of a business degree assists in "realizing the professional" within. Building on prior research for 1st year students, the article examines the effects on students' professional skills and professional identity of an off-campus internship while studying part-time. The results demonstrate the important role of WIL, with WIL students demonstrating greater improvement in professional skills and professional identity. Resources for WIL should be provided to conform to the government's aspiration for greater university participation.

The Fair Work Act (2009) in Australia deregulates "work" in work-integrated learning (WIL) by distinguishing "vocational placement" from "employee". Following concerns about the legal position of WIL and work experience, the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) published a fact sheet and commenced a joint research project into unpaid work practices. Nevertheless, the student remains vulnerable to exploitation. This article examines, through the lenses of flexibility and worker protection, the labor regulation of WIL and work experience in Australia and the United States. In particular, the author argues that deregulation in Australia and the legal uncertainty surrounding work experience is inconsistent with the protective function of labor law. Drawing on this examination as well as Australian migration law, the author recommends that the Fair Work Act (2009) be amended to strengthen the criteria for "vocational placement" and to provide a definition of "work experience" in the interests of a balanced regulatory framework. [Papers included in this "Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education" ("APJCE") Special Issue stem from selected manuscripts from the Australian Collaborative Education Network Annual Conference 2012.]

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is a risky business in higher education. The strategic opportunities that WIL presents for universities cannot be achieved without taking on unavoidable legal risks. University lawyers are involved with managing the legal risks as part of their internal delivery of legal services to universities. It is important to identify the risks that potentially arise, so these can then be managed. A case study involving Australian university lawyers reveals the "program risks" of WIL. Program risk is a type of legal risk that relates to the conduct of universities, host organisations and students before, during and after a WIL placement, as well as the personal characteristics of students that can expose the university to legal risk. The research findings may be applied by university lawyers, academic disciplines and university management to evaluate and improve risk management in WIL programs.

The ability of an RNA virus to exist as a population of genetically distinct variants permits the virus to overcome events during infections that would otherwise limit virus multiplication or drive the population to extinction. Viral genetic diversity is created by the ribonucleotide misincorporation frequency of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). We have identified a poliovirus (PV) RdRp derivative (H273R) possessing a mutator phenotype. GMP misincorporation efficiency for H273R RdRp in vitro was increased by 2-3-fold that manifested in a 2-3-fold increase in the diversity of the H273R PV population in cells. Circular sequencing analysis indicated that some mutations were RdRp-independent. Consistent with the population genetics theory, H273R PV was driven to extinction more easily than WT in cell culture. Furthermore, we observed a substantial reduction in H273R PV virulence, measured as the ability to cause paralysis in the cPVR mouse model. Reduced virulence correlated with the inability of H273R PV to sustain replication in tissues/organs in which WT persists. Despite the attenuated phenotype, H273R PV was capable of replicating in mice to levels sufficient to induce a protective immune response, even when the infecting dose used was insufficient to elicit any visual signs of infection. We conclude that optimal RdRp fidelity is a virulence determinant that can be targeted for viral attenuation or antiviral therapies, and we suggest that the RdRp may not be the only source of mutations in a RNA virus genome.

Work integrated learning (WIL) is in growing demand by multiple stakeholders within the higher education sector in Australia. There are significant and distinct legal risks to universities associated with WIL programmes. University lawyers, along with WIL administrators and university management, are responsible for managing legal risk. This quantitative study of 41 Australian university lawyers offers awareness and insight into their role, the legal risks and their risk management practices with respect to WIL programmes. The results furnish university management, WIL administrators and university lawyers in all jurisdictions with a series of issues related to risk management that warrant further consideration. In particular the authors suggest that the appointment of a dedicated WIL lawyer, a clear delineation of risk management responsibilities through university policy and education and greater collaboration between university lawyers and WIL administrators has the potential to improve institutional risk management in the specific context of WIL programmes.

When faced with a client scenario what would advisors recommend to their clients in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector as a business structure? This article reports a unique case study of Australian SME advisors and what business structure they would recommend to their clients based on 12 scenarios representing real world situations. Those professional advisors were accountants, lawyers, tax advisors, or business consultants. The findings demonstrate an overwhelming trend that in almost all circumstances a combination of structures was recommended for the one enterprise. Additionally, discretionary trusts featured prominently in these recommendations either as a trading entity or as a holding entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the influence of an authentic assessment item on three dimensions of oral communication in accounting education: skills, self-efficacy, and relevance. An explanatory mixed methods design is used to explore students' perceptions of their development. The results indicate that an elevator pitch assessment has a positive impact on all three dimensions. In particular, the employed video technology fosters greater self-awareness and a more accurate perception of skill levels, and enhances students' self-efficacy. The contextualised learning experience also enables students to better appreciate the relevance of oral communication to their future careers. The paper extends the literature on video technology, self-efficacy, and generic skills development in accounting education, and provides relevant stakeholders with evidence of an authentic activity that can assist with bridging the skills-expectation gap.