Research scholarships

Transform your future with a research scholarship

At Adelaide University, we’re committed to expanding access to education for all which is why we provide a range of competitive and assistance scholarships designed to help support graduate research students with living expenses, tuition fees, industry experience, and research-related travel.

Adelaide University Research Scholarships (AURS) and Research Training Program Scholarships (RTPS)

Available in every discipline area to support outstanding candidates pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy or Master of Philosophy degree, the Adelaide University Research Scholarships (AURS) and Research Training Program Scholarships (RTPS) include:

• a stipend (living allowance) for the duration of the scholarship,
• a 100% tuition fee waiver for the duration of the award,
• additional allowances for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples,
• additional allowances for relocation and (if applicable, Overseas Student Health Cover).

Further information is available in the Conditions of Award.

Scholarship rounds

Adelaide University offers three types of scholarship rounds for Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Philosophy applicants:

Merit rounds

Merit-based scholarships are available to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy or Master of Philosophy in every discipline area and are awarded competitively, based on the applicant’s academic merit, research experience and research alignment with the University’s strategic goals. You can propose your own projects, or they can be chosen from the Find a Research Project webpage, or you can develop a new project with your proposed supervisor.

Project rounds

Scholarships advertised in the Project Round are available to Doctor of Philosophy or Master of Philosophy students to undertake a specified research project aligned to one of four Signature Research Themes:

• Creative & Cultural
• Food, Agriculture & Wine
• Personal & Societal Health
• Sustainable Green Transition. 

Available scholarships will be advertised on the Find a Research Project webpage from 7 October 2025, and these projects will be clearly marked for consideration as a “Project Round project”. 

Applicants must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the project they are interested in, and the principal supervisor of that project will contact applicants they wish to interview. Following the interview process, the preferred applicant will need to apply via the Apply for a research degree page.

Cohort rounds

A Cohort Round has several scholarships available to graduate research students to undertake projects in a research area of strategic importance. In 2025, the Cohort Round will focus on Defence and National Security. Students may start around the same time to foster collaboration and accelerate learning. The Cohort Round is open to PhD, MPhil and MRes students. 

View Defence and National Security cohort round

Upcoming scholarship application timeframes

Out-of-round scholarships

In addition to the scholarships available during scholarship rounds, Adelaide University offers:

• externally-funded major awards,
• top-up scholarships,
• research internship scholarships,
• travel scholarships,
• Master of Research Assistance Scholarships (designed to support domestic students who would qualify for Austudy or Youth Allowance payments if they were not enrolled in a Master of Research program).

How to apply

The application process isn’t the same for all scholarships. The majority of scholarships are offered during the Merit or Project scholarship rounds, whilst those available ‘out of round’ will usually have their own application process and closing dates.

• Merit round, submit your application by the closing date, following the steps at how to Apply for a research degree. Applications are centrally assessed, and you will be offered both admission and scholarship(s) if your application is competitive.
• Project round is a multi-stage process:
  • Identify a project scholarship you wish to apply for on the Find a Research Project webpage (October 2025),
  • Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the project supervisor (3 November 2025),
  • If you are the preferred candidate, apply for admission via the Apply for a research degree webpage by 12 December 2025 and include the name of the project you were assessed for.
• Cohort round
  Express your interest in the Defence and National Security Cohort Round.
• Master of Research Assistance scholarships
  More information to come.
• Out of round scholarships, including external awards will have their own processes and closing dates. Opportunities will be advertised on the website, social media or in the graduate research newsletter.

Find scholarships

Available scholarship opportunities connected to a project (internally and externally funded) will be listed throughout the year on the Find a Research Project webpage. Scholarships without a dedicated project (e.g. philanthropic) will also be promoted throughout the year, please refer to the Research Scholarships webpage.

Boost your scholarship competitiveness

Your competitiveness for scholarship(s) will be based on a combination of academic merit, research experience and alignment with the University’s strategic research goals.

Strengthen your application by using the Adelaide University’s structured CV template to highlight your:

• qualifications & grades,
• research outputs (e.g. publications, blogs, creative work),
• relevant research and professional experience, and
• achievements.

Scholarships are awarded to the highest ranked eligible applicants. Whether you are awarded a scholarship will be determined by the quality of your application relative to the other applications received.