StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
The ANU International Research Scholarships are the Australian National University’s research awards for domestic and international students in a Higher Degree by Research — a Master’s by Research or a PhD — in Canberra. The two main awards are the Australian Government Research Training Program (AGRTP) Stipend Scholarship and the ANU University Research Scholarship, both awarded through the same admission process.
The package is fully funded: a stipend of AUD $39,069 a year at the 2026 full-time rate, paid fortnightly, for up to 3.5 years (with a 6-month extension available), plus a tuition fee offset, travel and removal allowances for relocating to Canberra, a thesis allowance, a dependent child allowance for international students, and paid medical, maternity and parental leave. ANU is Australia’s top-ranked university, and the scholarship is awarded by competitive ranking in two rounds a year.
Eligibility
- A domestic or international student enrolled in, or applying for, an accredited Higher Degree by Research (Master’s by Research or PhD) at ANU.
- First Class Honours (H1) or an H1 equivalent in your prior studies.
- You must meet the academic and English-language requirements for the HDR programme (one guide reports IELTS 6.5 overall, no subscore below 6.0).
- Industry PhD candidates receiving a full-time salary are not eligible.
- Selection is competitive, based on academic record, research potential, supervisor support, referee reports, English competency and comparison with other applications in the same round. A qualified supervisor is essential — without one, an application has little realistic chance.
Benefits
- A stipend of AUD $39,069 a year (2026 full-time rate, paid fortnightly) for up to 3.5 years, with a 6-month extension available.
- A tuition fee offset covering the cost of the research degree.
- Travel and removal allowances for students relocating to Canberra.
- A thesis allowance and a dependent child allowance for international students.
- Paid medical, maternity and parental leave.
- No separate scholarship application — you are automatically considered on your HDR admission application.
Documents to prepare
- The HDR admission application, in which you select the scholarships you want to be considered for.
- Academic transcripts and a research proposal, a CV, and letters of recommendation (referee reports are part of the ranking).
- Proof of English language proficiency.
- Contact 3–5 potential supervisors per field before applying — supervisor support is part of the selection criteria.
How to apply
- Find and contact a qualified supervisor at ANU in your research area — supervisor support is essential.
- Apply for admission to a Higher Degree by Research programme at ANU.
- In the admission application, select the scholarships you want to be considered for, including the University Research Scholarship and the AGRTP Stipend Scholarship. There is no separate application form for new candidates.
- Submit by the round deadline — 15 April 2027 for Round 2 — ideally 2–3 weeks early so referee reports can arrive.
- Current ANU HDR students (typically with less than one year of full-time equivalent study completed) use the "Request for a current ANU student to be considered for a HDR scholarship" form.
FAQs
Round 2 (international and domestic) closes 15 April 2027, for commencement by 31 August 2027. Round 1 international closed 31 August 2026 and Round 1 domestic closes 31 October 2026, for commencement between 1 January and 31 March 2027. The "April 2026" date in the listing title was the Round 2 date for the 2026 cycle.
AUD $39,069 per annum at the 2026 full-time rate, paid fortnightly, for up to 3.5 years (with a 6-month extension available). One secondary source gives AUD $40,475 per annum, which appears to be the 2027 rate and is not stated as confirmed.
No, for new candidates. You are automatically considered when you apply for admission to a Higher Degree by Research programme — just select the scholarships you want to be considered for in the admission application. Current ANU HDR students use a separate request form.
Domestic and international students in, or applying for, a Master’s by Research or PhD at ANU, with First Class Honours (H1) or equivalent, who meet the academic and English-language requirements. Industry PhD candidates receiving a full-time salary are not eligible.
Effectively yes. Selection depends on supervisor support and available space and resources in a research area aligned with ANU’s research strategy, and guides advise contacting 3–5 potential supervisors per field.
A stipend of AUD $39,069 a year (2026 rate), a tuition fee offset, travel and removal allowances, a thesis allowance, a dependent child allowance for international students, and paid medical, maternity and parental leave.
Up to 3.5 years full-time, with a 6-month extension available, subject to satisfactory academic progress.
You must meet ANU’s English language requirements for the HDR programme. One guide reports IELTS 6.5 overall with no subscore below 6.0.
Verified 28 Oct 2026 from multiple independent sources agreeing on the rounds, the stipend and the automatic-consideration route — the AGRTP Stipend Scholarship round table (o4af.com: 2026 Round 1 International 31 August 2026, Round 1 Australian 31 October 2026, Round 2 15 April 2027; AUD $40,475 per annum; travel/removal stipends, thesis allowance, dependent child allowance, paid leave), IDP's ANU University Research Scholarship listing (H1 or equivalent; no separate application — automatic consideration on the HDR admission application; Round 1 International closing 31 August each year; Round 2 closing 15 April each year; award deadline 31 Aug 2026), CoursMooc (AUD $39,069 per annum, 2026 rate; 3.5 years; 6-month extension; rounds 31 August / 31 October / 15 April; apply 2–3 weeks early for referee reports), AfterSchoolAfrica (AUD $39,069 per annum, 2026 full-time base rate; 3.5 years; 6-month extension; apply for HDR admission, indicate interest, no separate application) and ScholarshipsFuture (Round 1 31 August 2026, Round 2 15 April 2027; AUD 38,950 tax-free stipend — an older figure). CONFLICTS: (1) The stipend is reported as AUD $39,069 (2026 rate, two sources), AUD $40,475 (o4af, appears to be the 2027 rate) and AUD $38,950 (ScholarshipsFuture, older figure) — the article uses the 2026 rate of $39,069 and notes the $40,475 figure. (2) ScholarshipsFuture describes applications as "rolling" — the official rounds are fixed (31 August / 31 October / 15 April), so the article uses the round dates. (3) The queue's "April 2026" deadline was the Round 2 date for the 2026 cycle; the live Round 2 is 15 April 2027.
