university of melbourne funded phd

• Scholarships

Melbourne Research Scholarship

Scholarship

No application required. Check eligibility

Key scholarship details

Application status

Open for automatic consideration

Benefit amount

100% fee remission and up to $135,000

Eligible study level

Graduate research

Eligible student type

Domestic and international students

Eligible study stage

Future study, Current study

Benefit duration

One or more years

This scholarship is offered to high-achieving domestic and international students who are enrolling in a graduate research degree..

Melbourne Research Scholarship (Fee Offset)

Full fee offset for up to two years for students undertaking a Masters by Research degree or up to four years for students undertaking a doctoral degree.

Melbourne Research Scholarship (Stipend)

• Full fee offset for up to two years for students undertaking a Masters by Research degree or up to four years for students undertaking a doctoral degree.*
• A fortnightly stipend with a rate of $37,000 per year (2024 full-time study rate) for up to two years for students undertaking a Masters by Research degree or up to 3.5 years for students undertaking a doctoral degree. The living allowance may be indexed annually and includes limited paid sick, parental and partner leave.
• A one-off relocation allowance of $2,000 for students moving from States or Territories other than Victoria or $3,000 for students moving from outside Australia.
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) Single Membership for international students who require a student visa to study in Australia

* Domestic research students will receive an offer for a Research Training Program Scholarship (Fee offset) together with their course offer.

Melbourne Research Scholarship (Stipend and Fee offset)

Combined benefits of Stipend and Fee Offset scholarships

For further information, contact Stop 1 Scholarships or visit Manage my scholarship

Eligibility and selection criteria

Eligibility.

To be considered for this scholarship, you must:

• have applied for and meet the entry requirements for a graduate research degree at the University of Melbourne, or
• be currently enrolled in a graduate research degree at the University of Melbourne

Selection criteria

The Melbourne Research Scholarship is offered to students who are ranked highest by relevant selection panesl based on their academic results for previous study and their research potential in their field of study. Factors such as completion of a degree at the same level of the research course for which the scholarship is sought, relevant professional experience, refereed publications, specialist medical qualifications or composition of original music may be taken into consideration.

These scholarships are subject to the Graduate Research Scholarships Terms & Conditions (as amended).

Study level:

Student type:

Study stage type:

Need help understanding the process?

Application, how to apply.

If you have applied for a graduate research course by the application closing date for that course, you do not need to apply for this scholarship. Within seven days of having submitted your course application, you will receive confirmation that you will be automatically considered for a range of graduate research scholarship.

If you already have received an offer for a graduate research course and deferred commencement of your course to the following year, or you are currently enrolled in a graduate research course for which you seek a scholarship, you will need to submit an online application form .

When will I know the outcome?

Domestic students will receive an offer for Research Training Program Scholarship (Fee Offset) as part of their course offer.

Offers for Graduate Research Scholarships that provide a stipend and fee offset are made separately but around the same time course offers are made.

See: Graduate Research Scholarships

The information listed here is subject to change without notice. Where we have listed information about jointly run scholarships programs, please also see our partners' websites. Information describing the number and value of scholarships awarded is indicative.

Looking for more study options?

Courses and career pathways.

Browse all undergraduate and graduate courses, study areas and career pathways on the Study website. Explore courses

Whatever your passion, you'll discover stimulating research opportunities at Australia's #1 ranked university. Research at Melbourne

International students

Find support, advice and what to expect living and studying as an international student at the University of Melbourne. Learn more

How can we help?

Applications

International applications, graduate research.

When you apply for graduate research courses at Melbourne, you need to choose a research area, check you meet entry requirements, then apply directly with the University of Melbourne. If eligible, you’ll automatically be considered for a Graduate Research Scholarship. You may also be eligible for other scholarships and bursaries, which require an application.

To help you do this, follow our step-by-step guide below on how to apply for graduate research courses.

Step 1. Choose your course

Choose the graduate research course you want to apply for. Options include:

• Doctor of Philosophy – Up to 4 years in duration, you will undertake original research on a specialised topic and produce a thesis of approximately 80 000 words. Some of our PhDs include taught subjects in the first year.
• Doctorate by Research – offering a coursework component in parallel with meetings with your research, giving high-level engagement with the key literature in your research area.
• Master of Philosophy (MPhil) – an internationally recognised masters course by research that requires the completion of a thesis of 30 000–40 000 words.
• Masters by Research – different from the MPhil it offers a coursework component, along with a shorter thesis of about 30 000 words.

You can find these on graduate course pages . Also check out our University of Melbourne Research website for information on applications, funding opportunities and more.

Step 2. Check eligibility and fees

Eligibility.

You need to meet minimum eligibility to apply for graduate research courses. This includes course requirements, English language requirements and meeting student visa conditions set by the Department of Home Affairs.

If you want to study for less than an academic year, you'll need to apply as an exchange or study abroad student through a separate application.

For more information on eligibility, see entry requirements

If eligible, you will automatically be considered for a Graduate Research Scholarship that provides a living allowance and/or tuition fee-remission scholarship. More than 300 of these scholarships are offered to international graduate researchers each year.

If you are unsuccessful for a tuition fee-remission scholarship, you'll enter as a full fee paying student.

Tuition fees are based on the course you take and your subject load. You can find estimates of fees on every course page. You'll also need to factor in other costs while at university, such as for social events, travel and accommodation.

There are other scholarships and bursaries that can help with tuition and the cost of living while you study.

To find out how tuition fees are calculated and ways to pay, see Fees & payments

Step 3: Prepare your documentation

At minimum, you will need to provide academic transcripts and a CV with your application. If you're currently studying, you'll also need to provide a transcript of your final results and evidence of completion as soon as they’re available.

Depending on the course, you may also have to provide a research proposal, folio of creative works, GRE or GMAT test result or writing sample.

If you don’t have verified digital copies of academic documents for prior or current studies and wish to obtain during your application, you can select Digitary VIA when requested during your submission. This includes English translated documents and can be fulfilled for both interim qualifications and completed qualifications.

Obtaining verified digital copies of academic documents can help fast-track your application and retained for use with other applications you wish to make. The Digitary VIA option includes a one-off charge.

Academic transcripts

If you're currently studying, you'll also need to provide a transcript of your final results and evidence of completion as soon as they’re available. Some graduate schools will consider applications at any time, others only assess applications at fixed times of the year.

Check the graduate course you're applying for to find out application due dates before submitting your application.

If you don’t have verified digital copies of academic documents for interim or complete qualifications, you can select Digitary VIA during the application submission to help fast-track your application. The Digitary VIA option includes a one-off charge.

You will also need to provide the name and contact details of two referees. If it is less than 5 years since you completed your last course, they should be academic referees. If it is more than 5 years since you completed your last course, they may be professional referees. Once you submit your application, your referees will be emailed a link to provide their reference online.

In the event your referee does not receive the email with the link, please check that you have entered their email address correctly and contact us through Stop 1 to confirm their details and that their form has been sent.

It is important that you contact your referees well before submitting an application. This ensures they expect the request for a reference. Some graduate schools will consider applications at any time, others assess applications at fixed times of the year only.

Publications

If you want to include in your application details of publications of which you are the author or co-author, please follow the following formatting conventions.

Relevant publications include refereed journal articles, refereed conference papers, book chapters or books that have been published or are forthcoming. Please present publications in the format below:

Begin with the most recent publication first:

• Journal articles: author(s), title of article, journal title and issue/number, year of publication, page references;
• Book chapters: author(s), chapter title, book editors, title of book, page references, place of publication, publisher and year of publication;
• Books: author(s), book title, place of publication, publisher and year of publication;
• Refereed conference papers: author(s), paper title, title of conference, date(s) of conference.

Do not include articles or other works which have not yet been accepted for publication.

Find a supervisor

Your graduate research study will be guided by an academic supervisor . This person will be an expert in the area you are proposing to study and will guide and support you through all of the stages of candidature and ensure that you have access to necessary resources and facilities to complete your research project.

For most courses and areas of study you will need to find an appropriate supervisor as part of your application process. If your course does require evidence of supervisor support at the time of application, you can either upload an email from them stating that they are providing in-principle support for your application or complete this form and upload it to your application after the supervisor has signed it. If you are unsure whether in-principle support is required, you will be able to see this once you start your online course application as there will be a link to the form.

The University's Find an Expert website is a useful place to start. Use the “Experts for Research Supervision” filter to find those who are registered to supervise.

Know the faculty

The faculty your supervisor belongs to will be the faculty your course of study is with. It is important you note the faculty (or graduate school) of your supervisor so you apply for the right study package. This information will be shown in their entry in the Find an Expert website.

Creative works

Please consult the entry requirements for the course you are applying for.

• Melbourne Conservatorium of Music
• Victorian College of the Arts

Step 4: Apply with Melbourne

Early application is recommended for graduate research courses, as you may be given an early offer by some schools. Late applications may also be accepted if places are available.

How to apply

• If you're a current student at Melbourne, apply through your student account
• If you're a new student, you can apply online . You'll need to provide a copy of your academic results as part of your application.
• If you need help applying, you can find an overseas representative to help you with lodge an application, accept your offer and apply for a student visa (if admitted into the University). To find out about their costs and services, see Find an overseas representative .

Ensure you apply by the relevant deadline. Check the graduate course you're applying for to find out application due dates before submitting your application.

You can track your application by logging back into your student account, or online account where you applied, and viewing the status of your application.

Don't have your results yet?

You can still apply if you haven't received your final results. You'll need to submit your most recent results on application, and your final results when you receive them to be admitted into a graduate research course.

You can select Digitary VIA during the application submission to obtain verified digital copies of academic documents for interim qualifications, to help fast-track your application. The Digitary VIA option includes a one-off $USD199 charge.

View our Privacy Collection Notice

Step 5. Be assessed and wait for offers

After you submit your application, you'll receive a confirmation email with your unique student ID and application reference number. If anything is missing from your application, we'll email you.

Graduate schools may assess research applications in selection rounds on specific dates or continually throughout the year.  Check the course website  for more details on the application process for the research course you have chosen.

If you are selected for admission, we'll email you directly with an offer.

If the offer is conditional, you need to meet the offer conditions before accepting it. If you've been sent an unconditional offer, you can choose to accept it immediately.

To find out how to do this, see  Offers and enrolments .

Step 6: Search for a scholarship

We have one of the most generous scholarship programs in Australia to help with your tuition and living costs.

If eligible, you will automatically be considered for a Graduate Research Scholarship . Other scholarships are available by application.

These include:

• Endeavour Scholarships – competitive, merit-based scholarships and fellowships offered by the Australian government, providing opportunities for Australians to undertake study, research or professional development overseas and for overseas citizens to do the same in Australia.
• Travelling scholarships – for students undertaking research at an overseas institution, such as the Rae and Edith Bennett Travelling Scholarship.
• Other grants and bursaries – some offered by faculties to reward you for academic achievement and to help with the general cost of living and tuition while studying at Melbourne.

To find out more about our graduate research scholarships and funding, see Research funding .

For all scholarships offered through Melbourne, see Melbourne Scholarships .

Step 7: Plan for accommodation

If you're planning to move to Melbourne for your studies, there are a range of student accommodation options you can choose from including residential colleges, student apartments, share houses, homestay, hostels and temporary accommodation.

To find out more, see Accommodation .

Accepting your Melbourne offer

Find out how to receive and accept your offer, enrol as a student, and start getting ready for your graduate research studies.

Graduate research website

Check out our University of Melbourne Research website for comprehensive information on research support, applications, funding opportunities, industry connections and more.

• School of Physics
• Study with us
• Graduate research

Graduate research in physics

Start your research career in physics here. Our PhD students work on cutting-edge research at the frontier of physics. Join them!

Why research with us?

Join Australia's leading physics community: Our department offers world-class research programs across modern physics, with faculty leading projects in several prestigious Australian Research Council Centres of Excellence. The University of Melbourne's consistent high ranking (Times Higher Education & Academic Ranking of World Universities) reflects our commitment to excellence.

Some of the areas you can specialise in when you study a PhD with us are:

• Astrophysics
• Atomic, molecular and optical physics
• Complex systems
• Condensed matter physics
• Particle physics
• Physical bioscience
• Quantum information.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Science)

Make contributions to an area you're passionate about - it could be quantum mechanics, electrodynamics or even statistical mechanics. Solve universal problems at the frontier of physics, drawing upon advanced, graduate-level knowledge and experience.

View course details

If you've just finished a Bachelor of Science degree, you should start with the Master of Science (Physics) or the  Master of Philosophy (Science) – they're both pathways into graduate research with us.

Getting started in graduate research

Throughout your PhD, you'll be guided by a supervisor who is an expert in their field – so the first thing you need to do is find a researcher, group or project to work with. There are two great ways to find your passion and a supervisor or group to help you reach it:

Option 1: Explore our research groups

There is a wide range of research being performed across our School – explore the Our research page to learn more about the projects and supervisors you could join. Send a prospective supervisor a message on their Find an Expert profile and explain what you'd like to do.

Explore our research

Option 2: Find a graduate research project

The University's Graduate Research Opportunity Tool is a directory of PhD and Masters by Research projects – search by course, field of research or location to find a research project that you're excited to join. Send a prospective supervisor a message on their Find an Expert profile and explain what you'd like to do.

Explore research opportunities

What do I say to a prospective supervisor?

You need the written support of a supervisor before submitting an application to the University. Once you've found a prospective supervisor, contact them with the following documents and information:

• Your curriculum vitae (CV)
• All higher education transcripts
• A brief summary of your intended area of research
• The names of at least two prospective supervisors that align with your intended area of research.

They will consider your past academic performance and whether there is someone in their team available to supervise your study.

Scholarships and fees

The University of Melbourne offers a variety of scholarship opportunities alongside its PhD programs. When you apply for a PhD with us, you'll automatically be considered for a Graduate Research Scholarship . This scholarship covers tuition fees and provides a living allowance, along with a relocation grant if you're moving to Melbourne.

Looking for additional funding options? Explore our comprehensive scholarships database to discover even more possibilities you might be eligible for!

Need advice or help getting started?

Before getting in touch, please read this page and Doctor of Philosophy (Science) carefully. If you still have questions, email the Graduate Research team and we’ll be happy to help.

Graduate Research Hub

• Scholarships

Graduate research scholarships

The University of Melbourne offers generous and comprehensive scholarship opportunities to recognise talent and support graduate researchers.

Graduate researchers who have applied for a graduate research degree are automatically considered for a range of scholarships, however some other scholarships require a standalone application.

If you currently hold a research scholarship awarded by another higher education provider, and you wish to commence or resume a graduate research degree at the University of Melbourne, you will need to apply for admission and be considered again for a research scholarship.

Find the right scholarship for you

The University also administers Research Training Program Scholarships on behalf of the Australian Government. For more information, see: Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship policy

Applications for COVID-19 stipend extensions are now open to candidates whose stipend expires up to 30 June 2023. Visit the COVID-19 scholarship extensions page for further information and the application form.

Research scholarships may provide a stipend, specific allowance or tuition fee remission or offset.

Scholarship benefits can only be activated if you have accepted your scholarship offer, commenced your course, updated your bank details and met the conditions of your scholarship as specified in your scholarship offer.

For more information, see: Graduate research scholarship terms and conditions

Scholarships that provide a one-off payment, quarterly payments or a stipend are paid every fortnight via the University’s Payroll, and will appear as a University of Melbourne Salary on your bank statement.

For more information, see scholarship payment dates .

Fee remissions

Domestic graduate researchers who are offered a masters degree by research or doctoral degree will be enrolled in a fee exempt place and receive a Research Training Program Fee Offset Scholarship to acknowledge the contribution from the Australian Government towards the cost of their tuition.

Please note tuition fee remission scholarships do not cover the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). If the SSAF appears on your Statement of Liability, you are required to pay it.

International graduate researchers who receive a scholarship that provides a partial or full fee remission will have their remission activated after accepting their course and scholarship offer, and before they are due to commence their course. If you do receive an invoice, please contact Stop 1 .

Overseas Student Health Cover

Some scholarships for international graduate researchers who require a student visa to study in Australia will provide Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). If the University arranges OSHC on your behalf, the membership cost is automatically covered.

Acknowledging funding

All financial support for your research, including Australian Government stipend and fee remissions, should be acknowledged in your thesis and other publications.

Providing your bank and address details

To receive scholarship payments, you will need to provide us with the details of your Australian bank account and address via my.unimelb. You can update or check your details after you have accepted your scholarship offer, or if you are currently located outside Australia and do not have an Australian bank account, you can wait until you arrive in Melbourne and activated your bank account.

Scholarship payments can only be made to an Australian bank account (BSB code and account number) Most  Authorised Deposit-taking Institution registered with the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority are banks that require you to confirm your identity in person at one of their branches in Australia before you can transact on your account. Others provide online money transfer services (‘purchased payment facilities’), for example Wise (TransferWise), that allow you to create a currency account with a BSB code and account number online without needing to be present in Australia. Research your options before deciding on setting up a bank account. To check and update your bank details:

• Log on to my.unimelb
• Click on Student admin at the top of the page  and go to Financial Support
• Select View and update my bank account details
• Click Update
• Click Enter and save your bank details

If Step 3 sends you to Personal Details,  click on  Awards and Achievements at the top of the page, then on  Payment on the left side bar to access Payment Details.

Please note:

• You will need the name and six-digit BSB number of your bank. If you do not know your BSB, contact your bank.
• The BSB and account number should only contain numbers. Do not include dashes, letters or spaces - this will cause an error which stops us processing your payment.

If you are outside Australia and unable to open and activate an Australian bank account, you may consider deferring the commencement of your course and scholarship until you are able to open and activate an Australian bank account. Otherwise, the University will hold payments until you have arrived in Australia and open an Australian bank account.

For information on how to check or update your address details, see how do I update my contact details? Make sure the name of your suburb is spelt correctly and your postcode and suburb match. If you are not sure, check the  Australia Post Find a Postcode website.

Payments may be delayed if we do not have your bank details or if the details you provided are incorrect.

Centrelink benefits

Most scholarships provided by the University of Melbourne are equity or merit-based scholarships. Payments from these scholarships are exempt from the Centrelink income test as long as they are less than the payment threshold . Any scholarship amounts over the threshold may affect your Centrelink payment rate.

Commonwealth scholarships, or scholarships that provide a tuition fee remission or exemption, are not considered income for Centrelink purposes.

For further information, please refer to the Services Australia website .

Notifying Centrelink about your scholarship

If you have applied for or are receiving Centrelink benefits, you are obliged to notify Centrelink of any scholarships you have received. We will not do this on your behalf.

If you are asked for a scholarship reference number, you can fill the field with your student ID number.

If you are asked for evidence of your scholarship(s), you can request one by submitting an online enquiry . This scholarship statement will include the details of your current (active) scholarships.

Scholarship payments are normally exempt from income tax, as long as:

• You are enrolled full-time
• The scholarship is provided for educational purposes, and not as part of an employment agreement.

If you are enrolled part-time, the University will withhold income tax from your scholarship payments to avoid the accumulation of a tax debt. You will be asked to provide a Tax File Number Declaration with your instructions on the treatment of the tax-free threshold, and at the end of each financial year you will be able to access your  income statement via myGov to use for your Tax Return. We recommend you seek independent tax advice to ensure that your individual circumstances are covered.

For more information, see:

• Australian Taxation Office: Is my scholarship taxable?
• Tax Help program

Concurrent scholarships or awards

Recipients of a Graduate Research Scholarship are permitted to receive a concurrent award, scholarship or salary in relation to their course of study, provided the concurrent awards, scholarship or salary is less than 75% of the annual value of the living allowance.

For further information, please refer to the  Graduate Research Scholarship terms and conditions .

If you wish to accept an award, scholarship or salary that is equivalent to or greater in value than the Graduate Research Scholarship, you can apply for leave from your Graduate Research Scholarship.

To apply for leave from your scholarship:

• Log into my.unimelb .
• Go to the 'Student admin' tab
• Scroll down to the 'Financial support' heading and select the 'Go to financial support' link
• Under the 'Scholarships' heading, click on 'Apply for scholarship leave or extension'.

Making changes

Scholarships are usually awarded for the maximum duration and cannot be extended. However, making changes to your enrolment can affect your payments or the duration of your scholarship.

For example:

• Taking leave
• Changing your study rate
• Withdrawing from your research degree
• Submitting your thesis .

Your scholarship offer lists the terms and conditions of your scholarship, such as the graduate research scholarship terms and conditions . If you have any questions, contact Stop 1 .

Evidence of your scholarship

Your scholarships, bursaries or prizes will be included in your academic transcript and Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) , as well as your  Statement of Results .

If you require a more detailed statement of your scholarships or studentship as proof of income or eligibility (e.g. for a visa, loan, or course/ scholarship application), you can  purchase an Evidence of Scholarship Statement.

The Evidence of Scholarship Statement includes:

• Your full name, date of birth and student ID number
• The name, start and end date, and value of your scholarship(s).

Once you place an order, a digital copy will be sent to your student email address.

• Resources for candidates
• Orientation and induction
• Mapping my degree
• Principles for infrastructure support
• Peer activities
• Change my commencement date
• Meeting expectations
• Working with my supervisors
• Responsible Research & Research Integrity
• Outside institutions list
• Guidelines for external supervisors
• Pre-confirmation
• Confirmation
• At risk of unsatisfactory progress
• Unsatisfactory progress
• Add or drop coursework subjects
• Apply for leave
• Return from leave
• Apply for Study Away
• Return from Study Away
• Change my study rate
• Check my candidature status
• Change my current supervisors
• Request an evidence of enrolment or evidence of qualification statement
• Change my project details
• Change department
• Transfer to another graduate research degree
• Late submission
• Withdraw from my research degree
• Check the status of a request
• Re-enrolment
• Advice on requesting changes
• Extension of candidature
• Lapse candidature
• How to cancel a form in my.unimelb
• Resolving issues
• About Study Away
• Finishing on time
• Accepting an offer for a joint PhD online
• Tenured Study Spaces (TSS) Usage Guidelines
• Tenured Study Spaces Procedures
• Research skills
• Academic writing and communication skills
• Building professional and academic networks
• Research internships
• Commercialising my research
• Supplementary PhD Programs
• Writing my thesis
• Examples of thesis and chapter formats when including publications
• Thesis with creative works
• Research Integrity in my Thesis
• Graduate researchers and digital assistance tools
• TES Statuses
• Submitting my thesis
• Depositing multiple components for your final thesis record
• The Chancellor's Prize
• TES Graduate Researcher FAQs
• Career planning
• Publishing my research
• Getting support
• Key graduate research contacts
• Melbourne Research Experience Survey
• Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT)
• Current Students