Research scholarship information

ANU funds and administers a range of scholarships for PhD, Professional Doctorate and Master by research programs. The University also administers a number of scholarships funded by the Australian Government and other sources external to the University. The University's aim is to attract research degree applicants who have a proven capacity for research.

Many graduate research scholarships are offered by individual ANU Colleges. You are, therefore, strongly encouraged to contact the relevant ANU College, or a prospective supervisor, before lodging an application to discuss the proposed research topic and opportunities.

Search for a scholarship

Search for scholarships and funding support for:

Central Scholarship Rounds

ANU has two central scholarship application rounds per year. Central Scholarships include the Australian Government Research Training Program and University Research Scholarships. If you have applied for admission into a HDR program before the scholarship deadlines below and selected that you are interested in a scholarship you will automatically be considered in the next available scholarship round. There is no separate application form for the central scholarship round except for current HDR candidates who would like to be considered in a subsequent scholarship round by completing the 'Request for a current ANU student to be considered for a HDR Scholarship form'.

Scholarship round	Date	Commencement Year
Round 1 International	Closing 31 August each year	The following year by the 31^st of March
Round 1 Domestic	Closing 31 October each year	The following year by the 31^st of March
Round 2 (International and Domestic)	Closing 15 April each year	The same year by the 31^st of August

Eligibility

Applicants for research degree scholarships must hold a bachelor degree with at least upper second class honours although competition is such that applicants usually have to hold a first class honours degree to be competitive (and for some scholarships, this is mandatory), or a Master by coursework or a Graduate Diploma (which must be completed at a level equivalent to first or upper second-class honours) degree from a recognised University.

In special cases, applicants with other qualifications and/or research experience may be considered.

Some scholarships are open both to applicants who are Australian citizens/permanent residents or New Zealand citizens and those who are nationals of other countries, while others are open to one or other category only.

How to apply

Applications for research scholarships are completed when you apply for admission.

Research Program applications may be made at any time of year, but there are closing dates for scholarship applications and most scholarships must be taken up within a certain time-frame. Further information on the application process can be found on the ANU postgraduate research application information webpage.

Conditions of award

Conditions of award are the terms under which a scholarship is established and accepted. The conditions of award outline the duration of, and eligibility for the scholarship as well as a scholar's entitlement to leave and reimbursement.

Conditions may change from year to year. A scholar is bound by the conditions that they sign and accept in the year that they commence their scholarship.

Notification & acceptance

Research scholarship offers are emailed to successful applicants.

For students who have not yet commenced, an email will be sent to the email address you supplied when applying for admission. For continuing students, an email will be sent to your ANU student email account.

Scholarship offers normally need to be accepted within two weeks of the offer being made, however, you should check the date listed on your letter of offer.

Extensions

Some scholarships can be extended for six months. Please check the conditions of award specific to your scholarship to see if you are eligible to apply for an extension. Please note that extensions can only be granted based on circumstances beyond the scholar's control related to research - not matters of a personal nature.

You can apply to extend your scholarship using the Manage My Degree eForm, via ISIS. The Chair of your supervisory panel, the Head of Department and the Delegated Authority need to endorse your request before the extension can be processed.

Payments

Scholarship (stipend) payments are made in fortnightly instalments into your nominated bank account.

To nominate which bank account you want the the payments made to, use the Bank Account and Financial Distribution Details form.

Scholarship overpayments may occur when unpaid leave requests are not received prior to the appropriate Human Resources (HR) pay period cut-off date.

If a scholarship overpayment has occurred as a result of a leave of absence request, notification will be sent in writing by the HR Division. Repayment of overpaid amounts are required in accordance with the instructions from the University. Candidates who remain in debt to the University will not be permitted to submit their theses for examination or to graduate.

Payments can also be made for travel and removal reimbursement and dependent child allowances, depending on the conditions of award.

Cessation of Payments

Scholarships payments will generally cease:

at the conclusion of the period outlined in the scholarship conditions of award. A specific date will sometimes appear in offer letters; or
on submission of the thesis for examination; or
on the date on which the recipient withdraws or ceases to attend the University other than for approved absences; or
if a recipient is no longer meeting or has breached the conditions of award; or
if a recipient breaches academic or behavioural standards set by the University under the Academic Misconduct & Discipline Rules.

Conditions of award vary from scholarship to scholarship so it is essential that you check the specifics in the conditions of award that relate to your scholarship.

Changes & dates

The HR pay period cut-off date for paperwork relating to stipend payments is usually one week prior to the relevant pay day.

Paperwork relating to stipend payments must be received by the Graduate Research Office at least three working days prior to the HR pay period cut-off date to ensure that the paperwork can be processed in time.

Incomplete and incorrect forms will delay the processing of requests and may mean the paperwork is unable to be processed in time for the HR pay period cut-off. The ANU Pay Period Cut off Calendar can be found here.