Funding

Fully Funded

PhD Scholarship•Australia · Sydney

Macquarie University International Research Scholarship Round (iRTP / iMQRES)

Macquarie University

Application Deadline

Closed · July 31, 2026

Reopens ~Jul 2027

Official Page

Macquarie University runs one international research scholarship round a year, covering two schemes at once: the International Research Training Program (iRTP) and the International Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship (iMQRES). The iRTP is the Australian Government scholarship scheme for international graduate research students; the iMQRES is University-funded and supports students working in research priority areas aligned with Macquarie’s Research Strategy 2035. A single application covers both — iRTP applicants are assessed for the iMQRES in the same round.

Recipients move to Sydney and enrol full time in a Master of Research or a Doctor of Philosophy, commencing in Session 1 of the following year. Eligible fields span the whole University, from engineering, information technology, medicine and health to law, linguistics, media and creative arts.

Benefits & funding

  • Living allowance stipend of A$40,900 per year (2027 rate), indexed annually
  • Stipend paid for up to three years of candidature
  • Tuition fee offset for a maximum of three years
  • Travel concession on a local OPAL public transport card, for iRTP PhD recipients
  • Recipients may also hold minor awards, tuition-only or stipend-only scholarships, allowances, part-time earnings, industry stipend top-ups capped at 75 per cent of the RTP rate, and field work or equipment funding
  • The number of international places funded through the RTP varies from year to year

Eligibility

  • Citizens of countries other than Australia and New Zealand; Australian permanent residents are not eligible
  • Intending to commence a full-time Master of Research or PhD at Macquarie in Session 1 2027, and to reside in Sydney for the whole candidature
  • Meets the admission criteria of the chosen program, including English proficiency: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each component, TOEFL iBT 86, or PTE Academic 60 (English Literature and Law require IELTS 7.0 overall)
  • Has completed all requirements of the qualifying degree; applicants in their final semester are not eligible, except current Macquarie students and Macquarie Business School applicants
  • Holds written confirmation of supervision from an eligible Macquarie researcher — compulsory for the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, and the Faculty of Science and Engineering; desirable for Macquarie Business School
  • Holds a valid visa allowing study to commence onshore
  • Not eligible: candidates already enrolled in a progressing Macquarie cohort, anyone who commenced a Macquarie graduate research degree before 1 July 2026, holders of an equivalent or major award, full scholarship or salary, and anyone who has already completed a research degree at the same level

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.

  • Education required

    Bachelor · Master

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Application process

  1. 1
    Choose a Master of Research or PhD program and check its entry requirements.
  2. 2
    Approach a Macquarie researcher for supervision and obtain written confirmation, and develop the research proposal.
  3. 3
    Gather transcripts with the issuing university’s grading scale, degree certificates, a detailed CV including research outputs, passport, English test results, and two referees.
  4. 4
    Apply through the online graduate research application portal and select International Research Scholarship as the scholarship type.
  5. 5
    Applicants already enrolled, or holding a recent offer, instead submit a scholarship-only application through the same portal.
  6. 6
    Submit well before the 11pm close; incomplete applications are withdrawn and cannot be carried over to a future round.

Program timeline

  1. Round opens

    Jun 15, 2026

  2. Applications close, 11pm

    Jul 31, 2026

  3. Outcomes released

    Early October 2026

  4. Applicants not notified by this date are unsuccessful

    Nov 15, 2026

  5. Candidature commences in Sydney

    Session 1 2027

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