Postgraduate and Research Funding in Australia and New Zealand

Research degrees are funded differently from coursework

Funding for a masters-by-research or a PhD works differently from undergraduate or coursework-masters scholarships. Research students are often supported through dedicated research scholarships that combine a living stipend with a fee offset, reflecting that a research degree is closer to apprenticeship-style scholarly work than to taught study.

In both Australia and New Zealand, this funding is competitive and usually tied to securing admission to a research programme and, in most cases, a supervisor who agrees to take you on. Understanding the building blocks — stipend, fee offset and university scholarships — helps you target the right awards.

Australia: Research Training Program and university scholarships

In Australia, the Australian Government's Research Training Program (RTP) supports domestic and international students undertaking higher-degree research. Universities administer RTP support, which can include a contribution to tuition fees and, for some students, a stipend and allowances; the precise allocation is decided by each university under the programme's rules, and RTP applications are made to the university, not to the Department of Education.

Alongside RTP-supported places, Australian universities offer their own research scholarships and stipends from institutional funds, and some research is linked to externally funded projects with their own positions. Because the mix and the amounts are set by each university and updated regularly, confirm what is available on the specific university's official higher-degree-research scholarships page.

• Research Training Program (RTP) — government support administered by universities
• University-funded research scholarships and stipends
• Project-linked positions funded by specific research grants
• Amounts and conditions set per university — verify officially

New Zealand: doctoral scholarships and domestic-rate fees

In New Zealand, research funding centres on university doctoral scholarships, which commonly pair a stipend with a fee component. A distinctive feature of the New Zealand system is that, at many universities, international PhD students are charged tuition at the domestic rate, which can lower the cost of a research doctorate — confirm the current policy on the specific university's official page, as it can vary by university and programme.

Doctoral scholarships are competitive and awarded on academic record and research potential. As in Australia, you generally need to secure a supervisor and admission to the research programme before, or as part of, applying for the funding.

• University doctoral (PhD) scholarships — often stipend plus fees
• International PhD students frequently pay domestic-rate tuition — verify officially
• Awarded on academic record and research potential
• Supervisor and admission usually required first

Fee offsets, stipends and what they cover

It helps to separate the two parts of research funding. A fee offset (or fee scholarship) reduces or removes tuition for the research degree, while a stipend is a living allowance paid to support you during candidature. A fully supported place typically includes both; some students hold only one and fund the rest another way.

Stipend rates, the duration of support, and any allowances (for example, relocation or thesis costs) are set by each university and programme and change over time. We do not state figures here — check the current rate and conditions on the official scholarship page before relying on them.

How to apply for research funding

The research path usually runs: identify a field and potential supervisors, make contact with a clear research interest, secure agreement and admission to the research programme, then apply for the scholarship — often these last steps overlap.

Prepare a strong research proposal, your academic transcripts, references, and English-test results where required. Note that research-scholarship rounds have their own deadlines, separate from admission. This is general information, not immigration advice; confirm eligibility, value and closing dates on the university's official higher-degree-research pages, and pair any visa or work-rights question with the official immigration source (Home Affairs in Australia, Immigration New Zealand in New Zealand) and a verify-on-official-source check.

• Identify a field and potential supervisors early
• Contact supervisors with a clear research interest
• Secure admission to the research programme
• Apply for the scholarship and meet its separate deadline
• Prepare a proposal, transcripts, references and English results