Research scholarships

About the scholarship

The RTP is the Australian Commonwealth Government scholarship scheme for supporting graduate research students. This scheme is administered by individual universities on behalf of the Department of Education. Applications for RTP scholarships are made directly to participating universities.

The MQRES scheme is a scholarship program that aims to support exceptional domestic graduate research students enrolled in research priority areas aligned with the University’s Strategic Research Framework 2015 to 2025 (World-Leading Research with World-Changing Impact), as well as that of the broader University.

Availability

The scholarship is available to candidates eligible to undertake the following courses:

• a one-year MRes Year 2
• a direct entry three-year PhD
• a four-year MRes Year 2 + PhD.

Awards will only be available to applicants who, at the time of application:

• are a citizen of Australia or New Zealand, or an Australian permanent resident
• intend to reside in Sydney, Australia during their candidature
• satisfy all the criteria for admission to Macquarie University
• meet the English language requirement for Macquarie University research degrees
• plan to undertake a MRes Year 2 or PhD in Session 2 2024 (no deferrals possible)
• meet the admission criteria for direct entry into MRes Year 2 or PhD, for commencement in Session 2 2024
• have confirmation of supervision from an eligible Macquarie University researcher (compulsory for the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences and desirable for the other faculties).

Awards will not be available to those who:

• are currently enrolled in a progressing MRes Year 1 to MRes Year 2 or MRes Year 2 to PhD cohort
• commenced enrolment in a Macquarie University research degree prior to 1 January 2024
• are receiving another equivalent or major award, full scholarship (eg tuition and stipend) or salary to undertake the proposed program
• have already completed a research degree at the same or higher level than the proposed candidature in the same program of study
• submit incomplete applications
• 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.

Applications cannot be held over to a future scholarship round, so if you miss the deadline you will need to re-apply for the next round.

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
• receive stipend top-up funding from industry or other sources to a maximum equivalent of 75 per cent of the basic stipend rate ($35,000 p.a. in 2024)
• be in receipt of additional funds for field work, equipment and other such expenses not covered by the award.

Macquarie University ranks applicants based on academic merit, relevant research output and experience and/or potential, and the research environment in which they will study.

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.

Components

• Top ranked PhD applicants will receive a tuition fee offset and stipend (at $35,000 per annum) for three years.
• Top ranked MRes Year 2 applicants will receive a tuition fee offset and stipend ($35,000 per annum) for four years to undertake a bundle MRes Year 2 and PhD. Candidates are required to meet the base admission criteria to the PhD upon completion of the MRes.
• Scholarships for Master of Research Year 2 only are also on offer and will include a tuition fee offset and stipend (at $35,000 per annum) for one year.

How to apply

We encourage applicants to submit their application as early as possible prior to the deadline.

All applicants should select ‛Domestic Research Scholarship’ as the scholarship type in their application.

Outcomes will be available from early to mid June 2024.