Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarships
The Australian Government Research Training Program supports eligible Australian higher education providers to train domestic and overseas students undertaking research doctorate and research masters degrees. RTP scholarships may be offered as tuition fee offsets, stipends for living costs, and allowances related to the ancillary costs of higher degrees by research.
Quick Overview
Programme: Research Training Program
Opportunity Type: Higher Degree by Research Scholarship
Host Organization: Australian Government Department of Education
Country: Australia
Study Level: Research doctorate and research masters degrees
Funding: Tuition fees offset, stipend, and allowances may be offered through RTP scholarships
Eligibility: Domestic and overseas students undertaking higher degrees by research at eligible Australian higher education providers
About the Australian Government Research Training Program
The Research Training Program provides funding to eligible higher education providers in Australia. The programme supports the training of domestic and overseas students undertaking higher degrees by research.
The RTP aims to support research training, develop graduates with skills for careers in academia and other sectors, and encourage collaboration between higher education providers, industry, and other research end-users.
Prospective students do not apply through the Department of Education. RTP scholarships are administered by individual eligible higher education providers.
What RTP Scholarships May Cover
Students can be offered RTP scholarships for one or more types of support.
Confirmed RTP scholarship support may include:
✓ Tuition fees offset
✓ Stipend for general living costs
✓ Allowances related to the ancillary cost of higher degrees by research
RTP Scholarships include RTP Fees Offset, RTP Stipends, and RTP Allowances provided to a higher degree by research student through the programme.
RTP Scholarship Periods of Support
The RTP provides different support periods depending on the research degree and study load.
For research doctorate students, RTP scholarships are available for:
• A minimum of 3 years and up to a maximum of 4 years for full-time students, at the discretion of the higher education provider.
• A minimum of 6 years and up to a maximum of 8 years for part-time students.
For research masters students, RTP scholarships are available for:
• Up to 2 years for full-time students.
• Up to 4 years for part-time students.
A student’s support period is not increased for periods of paid recreation leave or personal leave approved by their higher education provider. However, it may be increased by the length of any approved RTP scholarship suspension or approved additional paid personal, parental, partner, or family and domestic violence leave.
RTP Stipend Rates
The RTP base and maximum stipend rates are indexed each year and take effect from 1 January.
The official page lists the 2026 full-time stipend rates as:
✓ Full-time base RTP stipend rate: $34,315
✓ Full-time maximum RTP stipend rate: $53,608
The base and maximum RTP stipend rates for the following year are announced by 1 October each year.
Application Process
RTP scholarship applications are managed by individual eligible higher education providers. Each provider has its own application and selection process.
Prospective students should:
• Choose an eligible Australian higher education provider.
• Contact the chosen provider directly about RTP scholarship availability.
• Review the provider’s scholarship application process.
• Follow the provider’s application and selection requirements.
• Apply to more than one higher education provider if suitable.
The official Department of Education page states that RTP scholarship applications cannot be made through the Department of Education.
Related opportunity on GlobalLinkX: Sir James McNeill Postgraduate Research Scholarship at Monash University in Australia
RTP Industry Internship Weighting
The Australian Government introduced the RTP industry internship weighting to support early engagement between industry, higher education providers, and research doctorate students.
The additional weighting is applied in the RTP funding allocation formula for each research doctorate student reported from 2022 as completing their course after undertaking an eligible industry internship.
Eligible industry internships must:
• Be at least 3 months long.
• Consist of 60 full-time equivalent days of engagement.
• Be agreed in written form between the student, higher education provider, and research end-user.
• Be agreed within 18 months of course commencement for a full-time student.
• Be agreed within 36 months of course commencement for a part-time student.
The research end-user must be an eligible research end-user when the internship agreement is made.
Acknowledgement of RTP Funding
The Research Training Program has a digital object identifier.
From 3 December 2025, the Commonwealth’s contribution must be acknowledged when material is produced through RTP-supported higher degree by research study. RTP-supported students with an ORCID profile are also required to include the RTP DOI in their profile.
There is no requirement for RTP-supported students who do not already have an ORCID profile to create one.
Application Deadline
The official Department of Education page does not provide one central application deadline for students.
RTP scholarship applications are administered by individual higher education providers. Prospective students should contact their chosen eligible provider directly and follow the provider’s stated application timeline.
Official Link
Review the official programme details and follow the application instructions provided on the official page.
