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The Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarships 2027–28 offer fully funded research study opportunities at the University of Melbourne in Australia for high-achieving domestic and international students.

The scholarships support students undertaking a Master’s by Research or doctoral degree and can provide a full tuition fee waiver, living allowance, relocation support, and Overseas Student Health Cover for eligible international students.

The scholarships include support through the Melbourne Research Scholarship and Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship.

Applicants are assessed based on their academic results and research potential, with stipend scholarships awarded to highly ranked candidates. The University of Melbourne currently offers approximately 600 Graduate Research Scholarships.

Degree Level

The Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarships are available for:

• Master’s by Research
• Doctoral degree
• PhD
• Other eligible graduate research degrees at the University of Melbourne

The scholarship supports both new applicants and eligible students who are already enrolled in a graduate research degree at the university.

Available Subjects

Graduate Research Scholarships are available across a broad range of academic disciplines at the University of Melbourne.

Eligible study areas include:

• Agricultural and veterinary sciences
• Architecture, building, planning and design
• Arts, humanities and social sciences
• Business and economics
• Education
• Engineering
• Environment
• Health
• Information technology and computer science
• Law
• Music, visual and performing arts
• Science

Applicants must meet the specific academic and research requirements of their chosen graduate research course.

Graduate Research Scholarships may provide the following benefits:

• 100% tuition fee remission
• Living allowance of AUD $39,500 per year pro rata based on the 2026 full-time study rate
• Living allowance for up to two years for a Master’s by Research
• Living allowance for up to 3.5 years for a doctoral degree
• Full fee offset for up to two years for a Master’s by Research
• Full fee offset for up to four years for a doctoral degree
• Relocation grant of AUD $3,000 for students moving from outside Australia
• Relocation grant of AUD $2,000 for students moving from another Australian state or territory outside Victoria
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) Single Membership for eligible international students who require an Australian student visa
• Limited paid sick, maternity and parenting leave as part of the living allowance conditions

The university currently lists the overall benefit as 100% fee remission and up to AUD $135,000, although the exact value depends on the scholarship type, degree level, duration and applicable conditions. The living allowance may also be indexed annually.

Is the Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarship Fully Funded?

Yes, the stipend-and-fee-offset version of the Graduate Research Scholarship can reasonably be described as a fully funded research scholarship because it combines a full tuition fee offset with a living allowance and additional support.

However, applicants should distinguish between the different scholarship benefits. Some Graduate Research Scholarships provide only a full fee offset, while competitive stipend scholarships provide both the fee offset and living allowance.

For international students who require a student visa, eligible stipend-and-fee-offset scholarships also include single-membership Overseas Student Health Cover.

Eligible Nationalities

The Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarships are open to:

• Australian citizens
• Australian permanent residents
• International students

The university specifically identifies domestic and international students as eligible student types for the Graduate Research Scholarships.

International applicants must independently satisfy the admission, English-language, visa and other requirements applicable to their chosen graduate research course.

Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for the Graduate Research Scholarships, applicants must generally:

• Have applied for and meet the entry requirements for an eligible graduate research degree at the University of Melbourne, or
• Be currently enrolled in a graduate research degree at the University of Melbourne
• Meet the academic requirements of the selected graduate research course
• Demonstrate appropriate research potential for competitive stipend scholarships
• Submit the required course application and supporting documents by the applicable deadline

The university ranks candidates for stipend-and-fee-offset scholarships according to their previous academic results and research potential. Additional factors may also be considered, including relevant professional experience, refereed publications, specialist medical qualifications or original music composition, depending on the applicant and field.

Selection Criteria:

Graduate Research Scholarships with a stipend are competitive.

The university states that eligible candidates are ranked by relevant selection panels based on:

• Academic results from previous study
• Research potential in the chosen field
• Relevant professional experience, where applicable
• Refereed publications, where applicable
• Specialist qualifications or other relevant achievements

For the Melbourne Research Scholarship, candidates ranked highest by the relevant selection panels receive the scholarship offers.

Application Procedure

The application process depends on whether you are a new applicant, a deferred student or an existing graduate research student.

Step 1: Choose a Graduate Research Degree

• First, identify an eligible Master’s by Research, MPhil, PhD, or other graduate research course at the University of Melbourne.
• Review the individual course page carefully because admission requirements and application closing dates can vary between courses.

Step 2: Prepare Your Application

• Prepare the documents required for your selected graduate research course.
• Depending on the course, applicants may need academic transcripts, evidence of previous qualifications, English-language evidence, research-related information, references, and other supporting materials.
• Course-specific requirements should be checked directly on the University of Melbourne course page.

Step 3: Apply for Admission

• Submit your application for admission to the graduate research course by the applicable course closing date.
• New students who apply for an eligible graduate research course by the relevant closing date are automatically considered for the Graduate Research Scholarships.
• No separate scholarship application is required for these new applicants.

Step 4: Automatic Scholarship Consideration

• After submitting the graduate research course application, eligible new applicants are automatically considered for the Graduate Research Scholarships.
• The university states that applicants receive notification that a scholarship application has been added to their record within ten business days of submitting the course application.

Step 5: Scholarship Selection

• Candidates eligible for stipend scholarships are assessed and ranked by the relevant selection panels.
• The assessment considers previous academic performance and research potential, with additional factors potentially considered depending on the field and applicant.

Step 6: Receive the Outcome

Domestic students who receive an RTP Fee Offset Scholarship will receive the scholarship offer as part of their course offer.

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

Application Deadline:

There is no single universal application deadline for all Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarships.

For new students, you must submit your graduate research course application by the closing date of the specific course you are applying for to be automatically considered for eligible Graduate Research Scholarships. The University of Melbourne states that application closing dates vary by course and faculty.

For students who have already received a graduate research offer and deferred commencement, or students currently enrolled in a graduate research course, a separate online scholarship application must generally be submitted by 31 October to be considered for a scholarship in the following year.

For example, some University of Melbourne graduate research courses list 31 October 2026 as a closing date for 2027 commencement, while other faculties may use different dates or application rounds. Applicants should always check the closing date on their specific course page before applying.

Documents Required:

The required documents vary according to the graduate research course.

Applicants may need to provide:

• Academic transcripts
• Previous degree certificates
• Evidence of meeting academic entry requirements
• English-language proficiency evidence, where required
• Research proposal or research-related information, where required
• References or referee information, where required
• Evidence of professional or research experience, where applicable
• Other documents specified by the selected graduate research course

Because requirements differ between programs, applicants should follow the document checklist provided on their specific University of Melbourne course page.

Melbourne Research Scholarship and RTP Scholarship:

• The Graduate Research Scholarships page brings together major research funding opportunities, including the Melbourne Research Scholarship and Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

Melbourne Research Scholarship

• The Melbourne Research Scholarship is available to high-achieving domestic and international students undertaking a Master’s by Research or doctoral degree.
• It can provide a full fee offset, living allowance, relocation allowance and OSHC for eligible international students under the stipend-and-fee-offset arrangement.

Research Training Program Scholarship

• The Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship is supported by the Australian Commonwealth Government and the University of Melbourne.
• It is available to high-achieving domestic and international research students. The stipend-and-fee-offset version can provide full fee offset, a living allowance, relocation support, and OSHC for eligible international students.

How Competitive Is the Scholarship?

• The stipend version of the scholarship is highly competitive because applicants are ranked by relevant selection panels.
• Strong academic results and evidence of research potential are central to the selection process. Depending on the discipline, professional experience, publications, and other research-related achievements may also contribute to the assessment.
• Meeting the minimum admission requirements therefore does not automatically guarantee a stipend scholarship.

Important Points for International Students:

International students can apply for eligible Graduate Research Scholarships at the University of Melbourne.

However, international applicants should remember:

• You must meet the admission requirements for your chosen research degree.
• You must satisfy the applicable English-language requirements.
• Scholarship consideration is linked to your graduate research course application.
• New eligible applicants are automatically considered when they apply by the relevant course closing date.
• Eligible international students receiving a stipend-and-fee-offset scholarship can receive single-membership OSHC.
• A relocation grant of AUD $3,000 is available for eligible students moving from outside Australia.
• You must meet Australian student visa requirements separately.

The University of Melbourne advises international applicants to check the specific requirements of their intended graduate research course before applying.

Important Points:

• The Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarships support Master’s by Research and doctoral study.
• Domestic and international students are eligible.
• Scholarships may provide a full tuition fee offset.
• Competitive stipend scholarships provide a living allowance.
• The current 2026 full-time living allowance rate is AUD $39,500 per year pro rata.
• Doctoral students may receive the living allowance for up to 3.5 years.
• Master’s by Research students may receive the living allowance for up to two years.
• Full fee offset can cover up to four years for doctoral study.
• Eligible international students can receive single-membership OSHC.
• International students moving to Australia may receive an AUD $3,000 relocation grant.
• New eligible students are automatically considered for the scholarships.
• There is no separate scholarship application for new students who apply by the relevant course deadline.
• Existing or deferred students generally need to submit a separate scholarship application by 31 October for consideration in the following year.
• Scholarship selection considers academic results and research potential.
• Course-specific admission requirements and deadlines must be checked carefully.
• The scholarship supports a wide range of research disciplines.
• Around 600 Graduate Research Scholarships are currently listed by the university.