Students have lots of questions regarding the Australian Government International Postgraduate Research Scholarship Program. It is the scholarship program offered by the Australian Government to international and national students who want to study in Australia. Here are the answers to your questions regarding this scholarship program.

Frequently Asked Questions:

(Q) Is it easy to apply for this scholarship program?

(A) Yes.

(Q) Is it easy to be selected for this scholarship program?

(A) Yes, if eligible.

(Q) What is IPRS and RTP?

(A) In January 2017 International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS) program was replaced by the Research Training Program (RTP) which is offered to both international and domestic students.

(Q) What is the aim of this scholarship program?

(A) The aim of this scholarship program is to support the training of both national and international students by providing them funding arrangements who are undertaking higher degrees by research (HDRs) at Australian higher education providers (HEPs), to provide graduates with skills which helps them to make careers in academia and other sectors of the labour market, to hold up the partnership between HEPs and industry and other research end users and to support international students who are undertaking HDR studies at Australian HEPs.

(Q) How to apply for the Australian Government International Postgraduate Research Scholarship Program? Or procedure to apply for this scholarship program?

(A) Apply online directly to a participating Universities/Higher Education Providers (HEPs) in Australia at which the applicant wishes to conduct their postgraduate research program. Students should need to approach the scholarship office at their chosen university for direction about the process to apply for an IPR scholarship and key deadline dates.

(Q) Do you have to pay fees for an online application?

(A) No.

(Q) Is it necessary to submit a hard copy of your application?

(A) No.

(Q) What is the duration of this scholarship program?

(A) Two years for a Masters and three years for a Doctorate.

(Q) How many students get scholarships per year?

(A) About 330 IPRS places are awarded to HEPs annually at a cost of around $20m per annum.

(Q) Is it a fully funded scholarship program?

(A) IPRS scholarship provides many different allowances as:

  • Covers tuition fees
  • Health cover costs for recipients
  • Health cover costs for their dependents
  • General living cost stipend
  • Expenses related to the ancillary cost of research degrees.
  • All students of RTP must be awarded at least the published minimum annual RTP stipend amount from 1st January of the relevant calendar year.

Note: Stipend rates are mentioned here.

(Q) Is it possible to submit your application after the deadline?

(A) No.

(Q) Who can apply for this scholarship program?

(A) Anyone can apply.

(Q) Scholarship will be awarded on merit?

(A) Yes.

(Q) Which fields of education does this program offers?

(A) Any eligible postgraduate research program offered at Australian Universities.

Other latest Scholarships in Australia are also offered for different degrees and subjects all over Australia.

(Q) What is the eligibility criteria for this scholarship program?

(A) Applicants should possess the following eligibility criteria:

  • Applicant must be commencing full-time enrollment in a higher degree by research at an eligible university in Australia
  • Having an excellent academic record with top positions in their whole academic career
  • The basic eligibility criteria for an IPRS are listed in section 3.10.1 of the Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines (Research) 2012.

(Q) What are the names of participating institutions?

(A) Following are the names of participating institutions:

Central Queensland University

Charles Darwin University

Charles Sturt University

Curtin University of Technology

Deakin University

Edith Cowan University

Griffith University

James Cook University

La Trobe University

Macquarie University

Monash University

Murdoch University

Queensland University of Technology

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

Southern Cross University

Swinburne University of Technology

The Australian National University

The Flinders University of South Australia

The University of Adelaide

The University of Melbourne

The University of New England

The University of Queensland

The University of Sydney

The University of Western Australia

Federation University Australia

University of Canberra

University of Newcastle

University of New South Wales

University of South Australia

University of Southern Queensland

University of Tasmania

University of Technology, Sydney

University of the Sunshine Coast

University of Western Sydney

University of Wollongong

Victoria University

Australian Catholic University

Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

Bond University

The University of Notre Dame Australia

MCD University of Divinity

Torrens University of Australia

(Q) What if an applicant submits only their application form and not the documents?

(A) Application form will not be considered.

(Q) A person who already is availing any other scholarship, can apply for this scholarship program?

(A) An applicant may apply for other scholarship programs but cannot hold two scholarships at the same time.

(Q) From where can a candidate obtain more knowledge about government financial assistance and courses of universities to take on a postgraduate research degree in Australia?

(A) To obtain more information about Australian Government assistance visit the Study Assist website. To gain information about Australian universities, postgraduate research and course options visit Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website.

(Q) If an applicant is enrolling in a coursework degree, then is he eligible for commonwealth funded postgraduate research scholarship?

(A) No.

(Q) Is a candidate allowed to apply to RTP for more than once?

(A) Yes.

(Q) Is a candidate allowed to apply to RTP at more than one university?

(A) Yes.

(Q) Is a candidate eligible to apply if he has not attained a Bachelor Degree with First Class Honours?

(A) Yes.

(Q) If a candidate has previously completed a higher degree by research, then is he eligible for the RTP?

(A) Yes.

(Q) Is the candidate allowed to apply for another RTP place if he has received an RTP place in the past but withdrew before completing it?

(A) Yes.

(Q) Is a candidate allowed to receive another award or scholarship which is related to their current course of study, if he is receipt of an RTP stipend?

(A) Yes.

(Q) Is the candidate allowed to do part time job which is not related to their studies while receiving an RTP?

(A) Candidate needs to take permission or approval from the university before starting the work outside of the RTP.

(Q) If a candidate undertakes a research degree at an overseas university, is he eligible for support of RTP?

(A) No.

(Q) Is the candidate allowed to extend their duration of RTP place?

(A) No.

(Q) If a candidate holds a research degree from an overseas university, is he eligible to apply for RTP?

(A) Yes.

(Q) What happens if any information is found to be untrue?

(A) Application will be terminated.

(Q) What is the last date of this scholarship program?

(A) Various, May / October (annual).

(Q) How to contact the Australian Government International Research Postgraduate Scholarship program?

(A) Contact detail:

Email: RBGrants@education.gov.au

(Q) Want to know more about the Australian Government International Research Postgraduate Scholarship program?

(A) Visit their official website.

By- Syed Pashmina Dolly.