Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Domestic Stipend Scholarship

Important Information for Round 2, 2025

If you are applying for a scholarship in round 2 2025, please read the following:

• Do you hold a currrent offer of admission? or are you currently enrolled?  - If you are currently enrolled in HDR or have a valid offer of admission and would like to apply for a scholarship, please complete this form. Please submit online via the future students for those who are not currently enrolled or via askUNE for those who have already commenced their candidature.
• For new candidates - If you are a new candidate who does not have an offer of admission in Higher Degree Research (HDR), you must first apply for candidature via the online application portal. Please refer to How to Apply Enrol. Scholarship applications will only be processed during round opening dates therefore we encourage you to submit your EOI and complete the online application for cadidature at any time prior to the scholarship opening date, to allow sufficant processing time.

Please note, all scholarship applications received will be reviewed concurrently using the same assessment mechanisms. Enrolment status will not impact the outcome.

Scholarship Information

The Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarship provides a living allowance for high-quality research higher degree students. They are awarded on academic merit and research experience and/or potential. The RTP also includes a tuition fee off-set for all domestic Research Masters or PhD students. Please refer to the website for further information about the tuition fee off-set.

To be eligible for a RTP Stipend Scholarship:

• Must be a domestic student accepted into an accredited HDR course of study at an Australian HEP.
• Must not be receiving another source of income that is greater than 75 per cent of that student’s RTP Stipend rate from another source that is to support that student’s general living costs while undertaking their course of study. Income unrelated to the student’s course of study or income received for the student’s course of study but not for the purposes of supporting general living costs is not to be considered.
• Must not be receiving an equivalent award or scholarship from the Commonwealth designed to offset HDR tuition fees.

2025 Stipend Information:

AU$36,862 (2025) per annum tax-free for full-time students, paid in fortnightly instalments.

AU$18,431 (2025) per annum, taxable, for part-time students, paid in fortnightly instalments.

Maximum Duration:

Three years and six months full-time for a doctoral degree, two years for a research Master's degree. The duration of an RTP stipend scholarship cannot be extended.

Exemption Request for Online/Part-Time Study:

UNE administered stipend scholarships are normally offered subject to enrolment as a full-time, on campus student for the duration of candidature. If you are applying for a scholarship but are unable to enrol as a full-time or on-campus student, you must apply for an exemption request.

Please complete the Exemption Request Form and submit it with your scholarship or candidature application. The request will be reviewed by the Graduate Research Scholarships Committee alongside your application. Circumstances for consideration may include but are not limited to caring responsibilities, illness, disability, employment, industry engagement or required location of the research. Applicants must clearly demonstrate their willingness and capacity to establish effective supervisory support through access to regional study centres, regular visits to UNE or similar.

RTP Round Dates and Timeline:

Applications will only be accepted during round dates. Any applications received after this point will need to reapply in the following round.

Referee Reports

All applicants must provide two referee reports. The University will not request reports on your behalf. Referees must be qualified to speak with knowledge and experience about the applicant regarding it is advised that you request your referee to submit this report within two weeks of receieving the link:

• academic achievement and/or ethic during the qualification that is of most relevance
  to this application;
• research capacity and/or research achievement; and
• if applicable, employment experience/training of most relevance to this application.

Applicants must request their referees to submit their written reports directly to the University using the Referee's Report Form within two (2) weeks of receiving the link.

Your referee should not have a close personal relationship with you (e.g. family member). Please refer to the conflicts of interest policy if you require any further information. Referee reports must be submitted no later then one week after the closing date of the scholarship round. Applicants must provide contact details of referees in the candidature application form.

Further Information:

Please contact the Graduate Research School for further information.

Further information about these scholarships can be found on the UNE HDR Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship Policy and in the Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines (Research) 2017.