University of Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarships ($39,500 a Year Plus Full Fee Offset)

The University of Melbourne offers one of Australia’s most generous packages for postgraduate research students through its Graduate Research Scholarships, which combine the Melbourne Research Scholarship and the Australian Government’s Research Training Program. Successful applicants can receive a living stipend of A$39,500 per year at the 2026 full time rate, paid fortnightly, alongside a full tuition fee offset, for a combined package worth up to roughly A$135,000 over the course of a degree. Around 600 of these scholarships are awarded each year across Master’s by Research and PhD programmes, open to both domestic and international students.

What the Scholarship Actually Covers:

• A living stipend of A$39,500 per year (2026 full time rate, indexed annually), paid fortnightly and including limited paid sick, maternity, and parenting leave
• A full tuition fee offset for up to two years for a Master’s by Research degree, or up to four years for a doctoral degree
• The stipend itself is paid for a slightly shorter window than the fee offset: up to two years for a Master’s by Research, or up to 3.5 years for a PhD. This distinction matters and is easy to miss, since it means PhD students may have their final six months of tuition covered without an accompanying stipend payment for that period
• A one off relocation allowance of A$2,000 for students moving from another Australian state or territory, or A$3,000 for students relocating from outside Australia
• For international students requiring a student visa, single membership Overseas Student Health Cover

Not every awarded scholarship includes the full package. Some successful applicants receive a fee only award without the stipend component, since the university separates fee support and stipend support in its ranking process and the more competitive stipend component is not guaranteed simply by being accepted onto the course.

The Two Application Paths (This Is the Part Worth Understanding Clearly):

This is where a lot of confusion comes from, and it is worth being precise. There are two genuinely different processes depending on your situation:

If you are a new applicant who has not yet started at the University of Melbourne, you do not submit a separate scholarship application at all. Your graduate research course application itself becomes your scholarship application. Once submitted, your profile is automatically entered into the university’s merit ranking pool, where selectors assess academic achievement and research potential. Because of this, your effective scholarship deadline is simply whatever deadline applies to your specific graduate research course, which varies depending on your programme, faculty, and intended start date. There is no single fixed date that applies to every new applicant, which is why course specific deadlines, not one blanket date, are what actually matters here.

If you are a current University of Melbourne student, or you have deferred a previous course offer to a later intake and now want to be considered for a scholarship, you do need to submit a separate online scholarship application form. This is where the 31 October 2026 deadline specifically applies. If this describes your situation, that date is the one to work toward, not the general course deadlines relevant to new applicants.

How Applicants Are Ranked:

Selection is merit based, and the university has been fairly specific about what selectors actually weigh:

• Academic achievement in your most recently completed degree
• Demonstrated research potential in your intended field of study
• Relevant professional experience where applicable
• Refereed publications, if you have any
• Specialist medical qualifications, for relevant clinical or medical research fields
• Prior completion of a degree at the same level as the one you are now applying for
• Original creative or scholarly output such as music composition, where relevant to the specific research area

Strong grades matter, but the university explicitly states that research potential can carry equal weight, so a compelling research proposal and a clear supervisor fit are not secondary considerations here.

Eligibility:

• Open to both domestic and international students
• Applicants must be applying for, or already enrolled in, a Master’s by Research or PhD programme at the University of Melbourne
• Domestic students who receive admission to an eligible graduate research degree automatically receive a Research Training Program fee offset alongside their course offer
• Domestic and international candidates both compete for the more comprehensive stipend plus fee offset packages through the merit ranking process

How to Apply:

1. Choose your graduate research programme, whether Master’s by Research or PhD, and identify a potential supervisor whose research area matches yours
2. If you are a new applicant, submit your graduate research course application by your specific course deadline. This single application also functions as your scholarship application, so no separate scholarship form is needed
3. If you are a current or deferred student, submit the separate online scholarship application form before 31 October 2026
4. Once submitted, wait for your ranking and offer outcome, which is typically communicated around the same time as your course admission decision
5. If offered a scholarship, review carefully whether it includes both the stipend and fee offset, or a fee only award, since these differ significantly in value

Frequently Asked Questions?

How much is the University of Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarship worth?

A living stipend of A$39,500 per year plus a full tuition fee offset, for a combined value of up to approximately A$135,000 over the duration of a degree, though the exact figure depends on your programme length and whether you receive a stipend plus fee award or a fee only award.

Do I need to submit a separate scholarship application?

Only if you are a current University of Melbourne student or have deferred a previous offer. New applicants are automatically considered through their graduate research course application, with no separate scholarship form required.

What is the deadline for new applicants?

There is no single fixed date. New applicants follow the specific deadline for their chosen graduate research course, which varies by programme and faculty, so check your specific course page directly.

What is the deadline for current or deferred students?

31 October 2026, submitted through the separate online scholarship application form.

Is the stipend paid for the same length of time as the fee offset?

Not always. The fee offset can run up to four years for a PhD, while the stipend itself is paid for up to 3.5 years, so PhD students should be aware of this six month gap when budgeting for their final months of study.

Are international students eligible?

Yes. Both domestic and international students are eligible for the Graduate Research Scholarships and compete under the same merit based ranking process.