When School of Humanities and Social Science PhD student Gina Caddies heads to southern Italy later this year to do fieldwork for her thesis, she will still have ready contact with her supervisors in Australia and Switzerland thanks to a new scheme introduced at the University of Newcastle.

In partnership with DELL and Apple, eligible Research Higher Degree and Doctoral students are being given new laptops complete with a full suite of software and ongoing technical support from the University's IT team. After 18 months the students are able to keep the computers.

The University's Dean of Graduate Studies, Professor Scott Holmes, said the laptop scheme would provide a significant boost to students' research resources.

"The University recognises the importance of giving students access to the resources they need to support their research and successfully complete higher studies.

"The laptop scheme demonstrates the University's success in providing a competitive advantage for our research students.

"On top of our outstanding research reputation and performance, this is just another reason why students choose the University of Newcastle for their postgraduate studies."

Ms Caddies' research investigates the representation of children in domestic wall paintings in southern Italy from the first century BC to the first century AD, an area not previously explored by scholars.

The question of why children were depicted in wall paintings differently to public art is the major theme of her unique research.

"Later this year I will head to Italy to gather pictorial data and relevant archaelogical field reports. Through this scheme I will be able to effectively compile on-the-spot reports, easily record findings and download photographic evidence immediately during site visits."

"Having the ability to easily communicate via email with my supervisors is also of vital importance to the success of my field trips and my overall success as a PhD student."