Graduate researchers who have Australian citizenship, Australian permanent residency or New Zealand citizenship are eligible for the following scholarships:

  • Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarships – Domestic
  • VU Diversity Postgraduate Research Scholarship
  • Nigel Stepto Doctoral Research Scholarship
  • Industry Supported Scholarships
  • Project-based Scholarships
  • Vice-Chancellor’s Graduate Research Award
  • Moondani Balluk Research Scholarships
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Scholarship
    • Foley Collection Research Scholarship
    • Lisa Bellear Indigenous Research Scholarship
    • Aboriginal History Archive Research Scholarships

 

Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarships – Domestic

RTP Stipend Scholarships – Domestic are awarded to graduate researchers on the basis of academic merit and research potential. The Award includes:

Successful recipients will still have to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) every semester.

Successful RTP Stipend Scholarship (Domestic) applicants are also assessed for the Vice Chancellor's Graduate Research Award.

VU Diversity Graduate Research Scholarship

The VU Diversity Graduate Research Scholarship (VU Diversity Scholarship) provides living allowance support to promising researchers wishing to undertaking a graduate research degree. It is designed to increase the diversity of graduate researchers at VU.

VU is committed to encouraging people whose educational opportunities have been disrupted or adversely affected by their life circumstances to participate in graduate research. Applicants must meet the diversity eligibility criteria to be considered for this scholarship.

The Award includes:

Successful recipients will still have to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) every semester.

Industry Supported Scholarships

Industry Supported scholarships relate to specific PhD projects agreed with our industry partners, who contribute at least half the funds for the stipends.

Stipends and fee offset are also supported through the Australian Government Research Training Program.

The Award includes:

Successful recipients will still have to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) every semester.

For more details on Industry Supported Scholarships and associated projects, visit the Project and Industry Research Scholarships page.

Project-based Scholarships

Victoria University offers scholarships to undertake a PhD on a specific topic as part of an externally funded research project. Conditions and stipend value vary for these projects, as do the funding sources.

As a minimum, for Domestic applicants, each scholarship includes:

  • annual stipend 
  • tuition fees.

Successful recipients will still have to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) every semester.

To see what project-based scholarships are available, visit the Project and Industry Research Scholarships page.

Vice Chancellor's Graduate Research Award

In addition to the three main scholarship schemes on this page, successful RTP Stipend Scholarship (Domestic) applicants will be also considered for the Vice Chancellor’s Graduate Research Award.

The Vice Chancellor’s Graduate Research Award comprises a top-up living allowance (stipend) of $10,000 per year in addition to the RTP Stipend Scholarship – Domestic.

Eligibility

To be eligible for one of these scholarships, you must:

  • be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or New Zealand citizen
  • enrol as a full-time student (part-time awards may be available for compelling social or medical reasons)
  • have had your enrolment into the proposed degree approved by the institution.

You are not eligible for one of these scholarships if you are receiving another equivalent award, scholarship or salary to undertake the proposed program (“equivalent” stipend is regarded as more than $21,000 per annum).

Nigel Stepto Doctoral Research Applicants

The Nigel Stepto Doctoral Research Scholarship has been established in memory and honour of Professor Nigel Stepto.

Nigel was a significant contributor and leader in research and research training at Victoria University (2007-2020) specialising in exercise physiology and Women’s Health in the Institute of Health and Sport (IHeS). Nigel was also the Co-Deputy Director – Research Training of the Institute of Health and Sport (IHeS) from 2018 until his untimely death in early 2020.

To be eligible for the Nigel Stepto Doctoral Research Scholarship applicants must demonstrate academic excellence and conduct research that is within an area of Health research in one of the four IHeS research programs.

VU Diversity Scholarship

To be eligible for a VU Diversity Scholarship you must have experienced hardship that has disrupted or adversely affected your studies.

If you are applying on grounds of hardship, you must provide evidence of one of the following:

  • traumatic events beyond your control
  • significant illness and/or disability
  • socioeconomic and/or family circumstances.

In addition to providing supporting evidence, you must submit a confidential statement of no more than one page, outlining how your circumstances have adversely affected your studies and academic career.

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicants

Within the Moondani Balluk Academic Unit, VU Research offers a range of research scholarships, including:

  • Lisa Bellear Indigenous Research Scholarship
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Scholarships
  • Foley Collection Scholarship
  • Aboriginal History Archive Research Scholarships

If you are a prospective Aboriginal Australian applicant, you are encouraged to submit a VU Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Profile Information form in conjunction with your scholarship application.

VU recognises that Aboriginal Australians are under-represented in graduate research studies and encourages qualified indigenous applicants to undertake their research studies at VU

Read more about the Moondani Balluk Research Scholarships.

Vice Chancellor's Graduate Research Award

To be eligible for the Vice Chancellor's Graduate Research Award you must also demonstrate academic excellence and conduct research that is strategically aligned with the University’s research focus.

How to apply

Applications for 2024 are now open.

Applications close: 15 October 2023 (11:59pm AEST)

For information about applying for a scholarship please:

Contact us

Externally-funded scholarships

External organisations offer scholarships for students throughout the year. Before you view the external scholarships available, please note:

  • the information is listed at the request of the external organisations
  • we try to ensure these opportunities are legitimate, but we don’t endorse any of the organisations or information listed
  • you are responsible for making your own enquiries prior to submission of an application or contact with any external organisation.