Swinburne Research Stipend Scholarships

Swinburne Research Stipend scholarships are awarded to candidates of exceptional research potential undertaking doctoral studies.  The awards are provided to assist with general living costs.  

Successful scholarship applicants are automatically awarded a RTP Fees-Offset (Domestic) Scholarship (domestic students) or a Tuition Fee Scholarship (international students) which covers tuition fees for up to four years.

Research scholarships are available by application to both future and current students enrolled in or applying for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Professional Doctorate course at Swinburne.

In 2025, two types of research scholarships are available for application:

In 2025, applications are being considered from domestic students and international students who:

• meet the entry requirements  for a PhD or Professional Doctorate as set out for their proposed program at Swinburne.  
• hold a Bachelor Degree with First Class Honours (or equivalent)
• propose a research project that aligns with a Swinburne Research Strategy and Ecosystem area
• would not be receiving income from another source to support their general living costs while undertaking their course of study if that income is greater than 75 per cent of that student’s scholarship stipend rate. Income unrelated to the student’s course of study or income received for the student’s course of study but not for the purposes of supporting general living costs is not to be taken into account

Applicants should ensure that they meet one of the following criteria:

• are applying for entry into a PhD or Professional Doctorate 
• are currently enrolled in a Swinburne PhD or Professional Doctorate for less than two years at the closing date of the application round
• have received an offer for candidature for a Swinburne PhD or Professional Doctorate and have not yet enrolled

The competitive assessment process may take into the account the following:

• candidature and scholarship eligibility requirements
• advertised selection criteria for the round
• alignment of research proposal with Swinburne Research Strategy and Ecosystem
• previous academic achievement
• referee reports
• research and publication experience
• relevant work experience
• quality of the supervisory team

Swinburne Research Scholarships are open for application during two scholarship rounds:

• Round 1 opens Monday 31 March 2025, 9am AEDT
• Round 1 closes Friday 9 May 2025 AEST
• Round 2 opens Monday 25 August 2025, 9am AEST
• Round 2 closes Monday 6 October 2025, AEDT

Applicants applying for a research scholarship are automatically considered for both SUPRA and RTPS scholarships – they do not have to nominate one of these scholarships. 

Application Outcomes

Application outcomes are anticipated to be sent progressively commencing on:

• Round 1 – Wednesday 9 July 2025
• Round 2 – Wednesday 3 December 2025

Enrolment

Domestic students successful in receiving a scholarship offer must enrol by:

• Round 1 offer – Friday 31 October 2025
• Round 2 offer – Friday 27 February 2026

International students successful in receiving a scholarship offer must enrol by:

• Round 1 offer – Friday 30 January 2026
• Round 2 offer – Friday 29 May 2026

How to apply

Applicants must apply and submit their application when a scholarship round is open.

Prior to submitting an application, applicants are encouraged to liaise with their nominated research supervisor to seek support for their project and research scholarship application.  They must work with their supervisor to complete a Swinburne HDR Research Proposal template .

Prospective (new) students:

Please follow the step-by-step application process .  

When completing your online application, at the Select a Scholarship option, you must select Swinburne Research Scholarships.

Please ensure you attach the following supporting documentation to your application.  

• Completed HDR Research Proposal template  signed by your nominated Principal Supervisor.
• Certified academic transcripts and evidence of completion.
• Proof of citizenship/ID.
• Resume.
• Evidence of prior research including publications. 

Please note that incomplete applications may affect the final outcome.

Current Swinburne PhD or integrated PhD students (including those who have already received an offer for candidature but have not yet enrolled):

Please follow the instructions in the 2025 Swinburne Research Scholarship Current Student Application Form . The form will be available on this webpage when the application round is open.  

Please ensure you attach the following supporting documentation to your application.  

All applicants:

You are also required to organise a minimum of two referees to complete a Swinburne Research referee report .  Your referees should send completed referee reports directly to HDRscholarships@swin.edu.au by the closing date of the round.

Applications and referee reports must be submitted by the closing date of the scholarship round to be considered for a Swinburne Research Scholarship. 

Information: