PhD and MPhil/MRes Scholarship in Australia: If you are planning to study a PhD or MPhil/MRes in Australia, it is important to understand how the PhD scholarship system works.
Unlike in the USA, where students often rely on Teaching Assistantships (TAs) or Research Assistantships (RAs) to cover tuition and living costs, Australia offers a different model.
Overview of PhD and MPhil/MRes Scholarship in Australia:
The Australian Government provides funding to eligible HEPs through the RTP to support their training of domestic and overseas students undertaking research doctorate and research masters degrees.
The objectives of the RTP are to:
- provide flexible funding arrangements to support training domestic students and overseas students undertaking HDRs at Australian HEPs
- deliver graduates with the skills required to build careers in academia and other sectors of the labour market
- support collaboration between HEPs and industry and other research end-users.
Students can be offered RTP scholarships for one or more of the following:
- tuition fees offset
- a stipend for general living costs
- allowances related to the ancillary cost of HDRs.
From 1 January 2017, the RTP replaced the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA), International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS), and the Research Training Scheme (RTS).
RTP scholarship Duration
RTP scholarships are available for a minimum of 3 years and up to a maximum of 4 years at the discretion of the HEP for students undertaking a research doctorate at a full-time student load, and for a minimum of 6 years up to a maximum of 8 years for research doctorate students studying at a part-time student load.
For students undertaking a research masters, RTP scholarships are available for up to 2 years for students studying at a full-time student load, and for up to 4 years for those studying at a part-time student load.
Most research candidates in Australia are funded through Research Training Program (RTP) scholarships or equivalent schemes. These scholarships typically include:
- Full tuition fee waiver
Tax-free living allowance (stipend)
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
Relocation allowance
Research and conference allowance
Any additional income from Casual Academic (CA) work is extra and does not replace your scholarship benefits.
Publication Requirements for PhD and MPhil/MRes Scholarship in Australia
To secure a competitive PhD scholarship in Australia, having a strong research publication record is critical.
Specifically, universities assess publications based on the following:
Journal Indexing
- Web of Science (WoS) – Science
- Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) → Accepted
- WoS Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) → Not accepted
- Scopus → Not accepted
- SCImago (SJR) → Not accepted
Journal Ranking
Only Q1 and Q2 ranked journals are considered.
Authorship Requirement
- At least one publication as First Author in a SCIE WoS Q1/Q2 journal.
- Conference papers do not count as publications.
First Round: Entry Requirements for PhD and MPhil/MRes Scholarship in Australia
To enter the scholarship pool, applicants are assessed on two key requirements:
REQ 1: University Requirement
- If applying to Group of Eight (Go8) universities, your most recent degree (Bachelor or Master) must be from a Top 100 university in QS/THE rankings.
- If your country has no university in the Top 100, graduating from a Top 3 university in your country is acceptable.
- For other universities, rankings up to Top 300 globally or Top 3 locally may be accepted.
REQ 2: Grade Requirement
- Only your Bachelor’s degree CGPA is considered (not Master’s).
- You must be among the Top 3 in your class.
- If class rank is unavailable, a CGPA of at least 3.8/4.0 is expected.
Publication Combinations Based on Requirements
- If you fulfil both REQ 1 and REQ 2 → At least 1 SCIE Q1/Q2 publication as first author.
- If you fulfil either REQ 1 or REQ 2 → At least 2 SCIE Q1/Q2 publications (one as first author, another as third or higher).
- If you fulfil neither REQ 1 nor REQ 2 → At least 3 SCIE Q1/Q2 publications (one as first author, two as third or higher).
Meeting these requirements qualifies you for the First Round pool
Second Round: Ranking Process for PhD Scholarships in Australia
Once in the pool, candidates are ranked based on merit. Key ranking factors include:
- Higher CGPA scores receive more points (e.g., 3.9 > 3.8).
- Graduates from globally Top 100 universities rank higher than graduates from Top 3 local universities.
- Q1 publications weigh significantly more than Q2 publications.
University Quotas
Each university has a limited number of RTP scholarships annually:
- Large universities (e.g., University of Adelaide): 60–70 scholarships per year.
- Smaller universities (e.g., Charles Sturt, Charles Darwin): 5–10 scholarships per year.
Gender Equality Advantage
Australia has a Gender Equity Policy in RTP scholarships. Female candidates who meet First Round requirements often secure scholarships without competing in the ranking pool.
Alternative: Grant-Funded Scholarships
In rare cases, professors may offer grant-funded scholarships (partial or full). These do not follow the strict RTP rules.
However, they are highly competitive and usually require applicants with unique skills that align with the professor’s research.
RTP stipend rates
The RTP base and maximum stipend rates are indexed each year, effective from 1 January. The base and maximum RTP stipend rates for the following year are announced by 1 October each year. The table below details current and recent RTP stipend rates.
Final Thoughts
Applying for a PhD or MPhil/MRes Scholarship in Australia requires more than just good grades, it demands strategic preparation, strong publications, and awareness of ranking criteria. If you meet the requirements, Australia offers one of the most generous and straightforward PhD funding systems in the world.