Research scholarships

This scholarship is available for an applicant to undertake a direct entry PhD program full-time at Macquarie and València commencing 1 February or 1 April 2026 who:

• is successful to the domestic scholarship round and plan to commence a PhD in Session 1 2026; or
• holds a Macquarie offer for PhD and scholarship and is due to commence in Session 1 2026; or
• holds a Macquarie offer for PhD and scholarship and is still in their first year of PhD candidature.

Admission and scholarship criteria of both universities must be met:

• for València, see PhD entry requirements
• for Macquarie, see  PhD entry and English language requirements, and graduate research scholarship eligibility criteria.

Awards will only be available to applicants who:

• are a citizen of Australia or New Zealand, or an Australian permanent resident
• intend to reside in Sydney, Australia for 24 months and in València, Spain for 12 months during their candidature
• meet the admission criteria for commencement into the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• at the time of application, meet the English language requirement for Macquarie research degrees
• satisfy all the criteria for admission to Macquarie University
• at the time of application satisfy all the criteria for admission to Universitat de València
• have confirmation of supervision from both an eligible Macquarie University researcher and Universitat de València researcher.

Awards will not be available to those who:

• are receiving another equivalent or major award, full scholarship (ie tuition and stipend), or salary to undertake the proposed program
• have already completed a research degree at the same level or at a higher level than the proposed candidature in the same program of study
• are enrolled in a PhD at Universitat de València
• provide false or misleading information to the University. Where there is reason to believe this condition has not been upheld, the University reserves the right to reassess the student’s entitlement to the award
• submit an incomplete application.

Award-holders may:

• be in receipt of minor awards (eg a tuition only or stipend only scholarship), allowances or other earnings which are supplementary to an RTP or MQRES, or derived from part-time work undertaken within the guidelines set by the relevant scholarship conditions
• stipend top-up funding from industry or other sources to a maximum equivalent of 75 per cent of the standard stipend rate
• be in receipt of additional funds for field work, equipment and other such expenses not covered by the award.

If you are seeking to establish eligibility for a scholarship you are encouraged to provide full documentation of your achievements to assist in the assessment of your qualifications.

Other relevant research qualifications which may be considered include:

• completion of a research masters degree or equivalent eg a coursework masters with a substantial research component. You will be asked to provide information on your thesis eg the abstract, examiner reports, thesis copy, length, grade, examination process and the percentage of research component in the course
• published research, preferably in refereed publications eg journals, books, book chapters etc
• conference presentations, preferably refereed
• highly relevant and substantial work-related research experience.

Top ranked PhD applicants will receive a tuition fee offset and stipend (at $39,700 per annum) for three years.

The scholarship comprises the equivalent of a full-fees award and stipend for the normal full-fee paying period up to 36 months. Scholarship holders will be expected to have submitted their thesis for examination by the end of that period. Students are expected to spend 12 months on campus at València and 24 months on campus at Macquarie.

The Universitat de València scholarship contribution will include the following components:

• a tuition fee scholarship to cover València tuition fees for the duration of enrolment at València
• for the 12-month stay at València:
  • full board accommodation in a Residence Hall linked to the Universitat de València; and
  • health insurance, excluding the cost of drugs (provided solely to non-Spanish students).

The Macquarie scholarship contribution will include the following components:

• a tuition fee offset for three years to cover Macquarie tuition fees under the Australian Government’s Research Training Program (RTP)
• a stipend (at $39,700 per annum) for three years paid both while on campus at Macquarie and at Valencia
• an airfare allowance up to a maximum of $4000 AUD for flights between Spain and Sydney subject to Macquarie’s travel policy.

Unless otherwise specified, the scholarships do not cover:

• any continuation, extension, or resubmission period/fees
• a research training grant or another equivalent award for research expenses.
• support for travel, immigration, and related charges between the partner institutions.

Applicants should submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for this global PhD scholarship via email to gr.globalprograms@mq.edu.au.

Please use the subject line: Global PhD with Universitat de València.

Your EOI must include:

• statement (maximum 500 words) describing your fit for the global PhD position
• names, school, and contact details of prospective or, if applicable, current Macquarie supervisor and prospective València supervisor including evidence of their willingness to co-supervise you as a global PhD student. A copy of email communication is sufficient
• research proposal including an indication that the project will benefit from time spent at each university.
• evidence of:
  • formal application to the domestic scholarship round for S1 2026. Please provide your Macquarie application ID; or
  • Macquarie offer for PhD and scholarship for S1 2026; or
  • current enrolment in a Macquarie PhD with scholarship. Must indicate that you did not commence more than 12 months in advance of the target enrolment date for the global PhD program (1 February or 1 April 2026).

Full application:

• the preferred student will be invited to submit a formal application to the Universitat de València. At Universitat de València, students should send their application to doctorat@uv.es. They should also submit to the Doctoral School the Form for Joint Supervision Agreement, in order to start the procedure for the signature of the agreement
• the student will also be required to submit a formal scholarship only application for the cotutelle scholarship to Macquarie through Macquarie’s online application portal
• upon formal application, the Macquarie Global Programs Team and Universitat de València International Office/Doctoral School draft and finalise the student agreement. Enrolment is subject to formal offer, acceptance and agreement finalisation at Macquarie and València
• all relevant entry and immigration requirements for both universities must be met.