The RTP is a block grant scheme that distributes funding to qualified Australian universities. These funds support domestic and international students pursuing Higher Degrees by Research (HDRs), which include research doctorates and research master’s degrees.

Universities can award recipients one or more of the following forms of support:

• Fees Offset: Covers the tuition fees for the HDR program.
• Stipend: Helps pay for day-to-day living expenses during the degree.
• Allowances: Assists with extra costs related to research study, such as relocation expenses, thesis printing, academic publishing, or Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for international candidates and their dependents.

Individual universities manage their own application dates, selection criteria, and offer procedures. You must apply directly through your chosen eligible Australian institution. You are permitted to submit applications to multiple universities, or apply multiple times to the same institution. Universities outline their exact processes in their specific RTP policies.

You must be an enrolled domestic or international student in an accredited HDR program at a qualifying Australian university. To receive a fees offset, you cannot hold another equivalent Australian Government award meant to cover HDR tuition.

No. Students taking bachelor’s or master’s coursework programs are not eligible. An RTP requires enrollment in a research-based program where at least two-thirds of your effort is dedicated to research.

The official government guidelines do not explicitly require a first-class honors undergraduate degree, nor do they disqualify applicants who hold an overseas research degree or have previously finished an HDR. However, because universities award these scholarships competitively, they enforce local selection rules. They may evaluate past studies, publications, and references, or give preference to first-time HDR candidates and specific strategic research areas.

The government guidelines permit part-time study and living overseas while enrolled. Despite this, universities retain the authority to restrict part-time awards to specific situations or prioritize on-campus, in-person researchers during their competitive selection process.

No. You cannot use an RTP scholarship to enroll at a foreign university; your degree must be undertaken through an eligible Australian higher education provider.

If you previously held an RTP scholarship but dropped out before graduating, government rules allow you to apply for a new RTP for a different degree. However, individual university selection committees may choose to prioritize first-time applicants.

Support timelines depend on the degree level and study load:

• Full-time Doctorate: Minimum 3 years, maximum 4 years.
• Part-time Doctorate: Minimum 6 years, maximum 8 years.
• Full-time Research Master’s: Maximum 2 years.
• Part-time Research Master’s: Maximum 4 years.

Universities choose the exact duration within these defined limits and cannot grant extensions past the maximum caps. Time limits are calculated starting from your HDR commencement date, regardless of whether you changed schools or were funded by the RTP from the very beginning.

Stipend holders are eligible for paid and unpaid leave, including recreation, personal, parental, partner, and family/domestic violence leave. Standard paid recreation and personal leave will not extend your scholarship duration. However, approved scholarship suspensions, extra paid personal leave, parental leave, or domestic violence leave will successfully extend your total period of support clock.

You can transfer your RTP to another qualifying Australian university if the new institution accepts you and agrees to continue the funding. Because funding does not physically move between schools, the target university must have available RTP budget to support you. Transferring does not reset your maximum support limits; your overall timeline remains tied to your original HDR start date.

The monetary value of a fees offset varies depending on the university and academic discipline. Stipends must fall between the government’s published base and maximum full-time rates for the current calendar year (part-time stipends are funded at 50% of the full-time rate). Annual rate updates apply automatically to both incoming and existing students.

The previous restriction preventing stipend recipients from earning outside course-related income exceeding 75% of their stipend has been eliminated. However, domestic students receiving a fees offset cannot hold another Commonwealth award dedicated to paying HDR tuition. Each university outlines specific employment rules (including secondary working hour caps) inside their local handbooks.

Full-time living stipends are typically exempt from income tax if they meet Australian Taxation Office (ATO) conditions. Part-time stipends, however, are considered taxable income.

Whenever you publish research supported by an RTP offset, stipend, or allowance, you must include this exact phrasing:

“This research was supported by the Commonwealth through an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship [DOI: https://doi.org/10.82133/C42F-K220] .”

If you maintain an ORCID account, you must add the RTP DOI (https://doi.org/10.82133/C42F-K220) to your profile, ideally under the “Funding” section. Creating an ORCID profile is not mandatory if you do not already have one.

Yes, international candidates are fully eligible to apply for all RTP support types for an HDR. However, universities are legally capped at spending a maximum of 10% of their annual RTP grant allocation on international students.

International applicants must check directly with their chosen university’s postgraduate research office to learn about specific application steps, tailored intake deadlines, and English language proficiency (e.g., IELTS) requirements.

For queries regarding visa funding documentation, consult the Department of Home Affairs or your university’s research office. Questions regarding eligibility for the Child Care Subsidy must be directed directly to Services Australia.