StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
Macquarie University in Sydney runs its international research scholarships in rounds, and the round that matters right now is the International Road to Research Scholarship (iR2R). It is for international students who are already onshore in Australia and about to start a Master of Research (MRes) in January 2027: a tuition-fee offset for up to one year plus a living stipend of AUD $40,900 for one year (the 2027 rate). It is the on-ramp to the three-year MRes-to-PhD progression scholarship, which is also $40,900 a year in 2027 — but the iR2R itself is one year, so “fully funded” is an overstatement for it.
The main International Research Scholarship Round (iRTP / iMQRES) for MRes and PhD — the round most listings describe — closed on 31 July 2026 at 11pm. If you are offshore, that round is gone and the iR2R does not help you either: it requires you to be onshore in Australia at the time of application and to intend to reside in Sydney. Selection is by academic merit (WAM/GPA ranking), and you need confirmation of supervision from an eligible Macquarie researcher — compulsory for the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, desirable for other faculties.
Eligibility
- Be an international student — not an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
- Be onshore in Australia at the time of application and intend to reside in Sydney.
- Be commencing an MRes full-time in January 2027 (Session 1 2027).
- Meet the English language and MRes admission criteria.
- Have confirmation of supervision from an eligible Macquarie researcher (compulsory for FMHHS, desirable for other faculties).
- Hold a valid Student Visa (or an alternative visa permitting full-time study until the end of June 2028).
- Excluded: current Macquarie graduate research students, holders of another equivalent or major award, those who have already completed a research degree at the same or a higher level, and Session 2 2027 starters.
Benefits
- A tuition-fee offset for a maximum of one year.
- A living allowance stipend of AUD $40,900 for one year (2027 rate).
- A pathway to the three-year MRes-to-PhD progression scholarship, also $40,900 a year in 2027.
- A Graduate Diploma of Research scholarship of $5,000 per session (separate route).
- Not confirmed: OSHC and visa-cost coverage claimed by aggregators for iRTP/iMQRES — not on the official pages read.
- Not used: the $39,700 a year figure quoted by several aggregators — the official 2027 rate is $40,900.
Documents to prepare
- No full document list is published on the official iR2R page — this article does not invent one.
- Confirmation of supervision from an eligible Macquarie researcher is officially required (compulsory for FMHHS).
- Aggregators list a CV, two academic referee reports, academic transcripts, proof of English proficiency, a research proposal and a passport copy — treat that list as aggregator-only, not officially confirmed.
- Your course application itself is combined with the scholarship application in Macquarie’s online system.
How to apply
- Confirm supervision with an eligible Macquarie researcher.
- Submit the combined course and scholarship application through Macquarie’s online application system (the official R2R page links “Online applications”).
- Apply by 31 October 2026 at 11pm AEDT for an MRes commencing January 2027.
- For questions: gr.applications@mq.edu.au, +61 (2) 9850 4741.
FAQs
The open round — the International Road to Research Scholarship — closes 31 October 2026 at 11pm AEDT, for an MRes commencing January 2027. The main international round (iRTP/iMQRES) closed 31 July 2026.
Not for the open round. The iR2R requires you to be onshore in Australia at the time of application and to intend to reside in Sydney. Offshore applicants should wait for the next international round.
AUD $40,900 for one year (the 2027 rate), plus a tuition-fee offset for up to one year. The three-year MRes-to-PhD progression scholarship is also $40,900 a year. Aggregators quoting $39,700 are wrong.
Not for the open round: it covers one year (tuition offset plus stipend), not a full multi-year package. The “fully funded” label overstates it.
Yes — confirmation of supervision from an eligible Macquarie researcher is officially required, and it is compulsory for the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences.
No full document list is published on the official iR2R page. Aggregators list a CV, two referee reports, transcripts, English proof, a research proposal and a passport copy, but that list is not officially confirmed — check the official page and your supervisor’s requirements.
Verified 27 Oct 2026: mq.edu.au official pages — Road to Research Scholarship page (mq.edu.au/research/phd-and-research-degrees/how-to-apply/scholarship-opportunities/scholarship-search/road-to-research-scholarship), graduate research scholarships overview, and the closed International Scholarship Round page — iR2R closes 31 October 2026 at 11pm AEDT for MRes commencing January 2027 (Session 1 2027); main international round (iRTP/iMQRES, MRes + PhD) closed 31 July 2026 at 11pm; iR2R award is a tuition-fee offset for a maximum of one year plus a living stipend of AUD $40,900 for one year (2027 rate); three-year MRes-to-PhD progression scholarship $40,900 p.a. in 2027; Graduate Diploma of Research scholarship $5,000 per session; eligibility (onshore in Australia at time of application, intend to reside in Sydney, commencing MRes full-time January 2027, English and MRes admission criteria, supervisor confirmation compulsory for FMHHS and desirable for other faculties, valid Student Visa or alternative visa permitting full-time study until end of June 2028; exclusions: current Macquarie graduate research students, holders of another equivalent/major award, those who already completed a research degree at same/higher level, Session 2 2027 starters); selection by academic merit (WAM/GPA ranking); contact gr.applications@mq.edu.au, +61 (2) 9850 4741; scholarships.af and scholarshiptab.com — corroboration of both deadlines, the $40,900 figure and the onshore requirement. CORRECTIONS: Bright's vague "October 2026" deadline hides that the main international round is already closed and the open round is onshore-only. NOT USED: the $39,700 p.a. figure quoted by several aggregators (conflicts with the official $40,900); aggregator claims of OSHC and visa-cost coverage (not confirmed on the official pages read); the aggregator document list (CV, referees, transcripts, English proof, research proposal, passport) is aggregator-only — no full document list is published on the official iR2R page.
