Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarships
Applications are open for the Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarships 2025‑26, a fully funded opportunity for international and domestic students to pursue Master’s by research or PhD degrees at the University of Melbourne. These scholarships include University-funded awards alongside Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) funding. They enable outstanding candidates to study across a wide range of disciplines at Australia’s premier research university—without financial burden.
The scholarships support up to 2 years for master’s and 3.5–4 years for PhDs, covering nearly every research field. With no separate scholarship application required, all applicants to graduate research programs by the closing moment are automatically considered. The University of Melbourne historically awards over 600 scholarships annually to top international talent—making this one of the most competitive and prestigious research opportunities in Australia.
Scholarships Overview
- Host University: University of Melbourne
- Host Country: Australia
- Degree Levels: Master’s by research, PhD
- Financial Coverage: Fully funded
- Application Deadline: 31 October 2025
Scholarship Duration
| Degree | Duration |
|---|---|
| Master’s | 2–3 years |
| PhD | 3.5–4 years |
Eligible Fields
- Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
- Agriculture, Architecture & Design
- Business, Economics & Law
- Engineering, IT & Computer Science
- Environment, Food Science & Health
- Music, Visual & Performing Arts
- Veterinary & Science
Scholarship Benefits
- Full tuition waiver for up to 2 years (Master’s) or 4 years (PhD)
- Annual living stipend of AUD 38,500 (with paid sick/parental leave)
- Relocation allowance: AUD 2,000 for domestic or AUD 3,000 for international students
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) membership for international candidates
- Access to world-class research facilities, networks, and a multicultural research community
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify, applicants must:
- Be Australian citizens or international students
- Apply for and meet entry requirements for a graduate research program at UniMelb
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree (min. 75%/honours) for Master’s or Bachelor’s + Master’s (min. 75%) for PhD
- Demonstrate research potential and academic excellence
- Have sufficient health and English language capability
Required Documents
- Research proposal (if required)
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates
- English proficiency scores (e.g. IELTS, TOEFL) if last degree wasn’t taught in English
- Two referee reports
- Curriculum vitae
- Publications, GRE/GMAT or writing samples (where applicable)
Application Process
- Apply for a graduate research program via the University of Melbourne research portal
- Pay the non-refundable application fee
- Complete your research application by 31 October 2025 for automatic scholarship consideration
