Research scholarships

Eligibility criteria

Applicants should be eligible for one of the HDR degrees listed under the heading 'Eligible Program' for each opportunity. Eligible programs include:

• MRES2: The Research Training Pathway MRes (Year 2) program followed by a possible Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship for PhD (a MRes/PhD 'bundle offer').
• PHD: Direct entry to a 3 year Doctor of Philosophy program
• MPHIL: Direct entry to a 2 year Master of Philosophy program

Prospective candidates are also encouraged to explore external funding for their research. Prominent opportunities can be found under the HDR scholarships externally funded webpage.

Information about HDR scholarship funding for Indigenous Australians can be found under our HDR Scholarships for Indigenous Australians webpage.

Each scholarship scheme specifies some eligibility requirements that need to be met in order to be considered for the award of that scholarship, for example, being of specified citizenship, meeting minimum English language proficiency levels, enrolment in a specific program, demonstrating an outstanding academic background and/or research experience and/or potential in an area of expertise.

A major prerequisite is eligibility for admission to a Higher Degree program at Macquarie University. Information about eligibility criteria for Doctorate (PhD) and Master of Philosophy (MPhil) programs is available through the following links:

http://www.hdr.mq.edu.au/information_about/research_degrees/doctor_of_philosophy_phd

http://www.hdr.mq.edu.au/information_about/research_degrees/master_of_philosophy_mphil 

Information about eligibility criteria for the MRes program is available at Research Training Pathway Program Admission Requirements and the criteria for MRes program scholarships at Research Pathway Scholarships.

How to apply

Applicants are assessed on academic merit; proven research capacity including peer-reviewed research activity; prior scholarships, awards and prizes; and relevant work or professional experience.

Scholarship applicants should complete the combined HDR candidature and scholarship online application form which can be accessed at the How to Apply webpage. There is no need to submit separate application forms for scholarship and candidature. Currently enrolled Macquarie University HDR candidates wishing to apply for a scholarship only should use the hard copy form which can be downloaded from the Forms webpage.

Applications are initially assessed for completeness and eligibility before they are forwarded to a Faculty for consideration. This generally takes around 2-4 weeks, but can take longer at peak times. Time in the Faculty varies. Once a scholarship nomination returns from a Faculty the Higher Degree Research Committee delegate reviews the application and recommendation of Faculty. For major scholarship rounds applications are usually ranked by a Selection Committee. Once an outcome is finalised we will advise applicants of the decision. Please note that any advice on outcomes supplied via other parties, such as your potential supervisor, cannot be considered an official University offer.

Refer to the 'Scholarship Rating Criteria' guidelines document linked in the Rating Scholarship Applicants section below, for a guide to how scholarship applications are rated at Macquarie for specified scholarships.