Flinders International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (FIPRS)
Overview
Title
Flinders International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (FIPRS)
College
Not College specific
Opening date
30-04-2026
Closing date
18-06-2026
Scholarship value
$36,061 (2026 rate)
Scholarship duration
3.5 years
Payment term
Paid fortnightly
Student type
International students
Level of Study
Higher Degrees Research
Selection basis
Academic merit
Description
The Flinders International Research Scholarship (FIPRS) is a scholarship specifically intended to support international students that covers international tuition fees and also provides a stipend.
Please note: for visa purposes, the FIPRS is not a Commonwealth Sponsored Scholarship.
A limited number of FIPRS are available each year. Due to the limited number of scholarships available, this scholarship is highly competitive.
The FIPRS is awarded to candidates who demonstrate outstanding aptitude for independent research, academic merit, academic research training and research outputs (maximum 5 publications).
In 2026, successful applicants submitted 5 publications.
The scholarship is tenable for up to 3.5 years for a Research Doctorate degree. Successful applicants are required to undertake full time study and must be commencing a higher degree by research in Australia for the first time.
Applicants for the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship (AGRTPS) for international students will be automatically considered for the FIPRS.
Benefits
The FIPRS pays the international student tuition fees charged by Flinders University for a research higher degree.
In addition, a stipend provides the recipient with a generous living allowance paid at the rate of of $36,061.00 pa tax free (2026 full time rate). It is tax exempt and indexed annually.
A FIPRS student who moves to Adelaide from overseas is eligible for an establishment allowance (after arrival at Flinders) of up to $1,485 to assist with relocation costs and airfares, provided receipts can be produced by the student.
Eligibility
Awards will only be available to those who:
- who are a citizen of any overseas country except New Zealand, and do not hold Australian citizenship, Australian permanent resident status or New Zealand citizenship; and
- Intend to commence full-time study for a higher degree by research in Australia for the first time, in the year for which the award is to be offered. Students who commenced their higher degree by research in the previous year but who, due to the timing of their application for admission and subsequent enrolment, were unable to apply for a FIPRS in that year, or commenced a higher degree by research and terminated that enrolment within six months of commencement, may be considered; and
- Intend to enrol in an area of research concentration. These are areas in which the University has particular strength, has concentrated its research resources and has attracted external funding; and
- Satisfy all entry requirements for a higher degree by research, including the English proficiency levels in accordance with the English Language Proficiency Requirements for HDR Candidature. Evidence of English proficiency must be provided when you lodge your application. Please note that your English test results must be valid until 31 March 2027. English test results not valid until 31 March 2027 will deem your scholarship application ineligible.
Please see the Conditions of Award for full eligibility criteria.
Selection Criteria
Selection of award holders will be undertaken by the Scholarships Committee based on academic merit and research potential.
Applications will be scored on academic merit, academic research training merit and research outputs [max. 5 publications].
The University will give priority to students undertaking a higher degree by research for the first time.
Please see the Conditions of Award for full selection criteria.
Application information
IMPORTANT APPLICATION INFORMATION
All applicants are required to read the application guidelines provided below before submitting an application. Please use the application checklist to support you in submitting your application.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
To ensure your application is complete and competitive, please read and attend to the following:
Research Supervisor
You must make contact with an academic staff member in your relevant academic area, and have an agreement from that person to supervise you if you are successful. Email evidence of the supervisor’s agreement should be included with your application. Applicants who do not have a supervisor at the time of application will not be considered for an AGRTPS/FIPRS.
Publications
You must include up to five of your publications, each accompanied with a completed coversheet that must provide a publication URL on each coversheet; publications without coversheets will not be considered. Publications are used to judge the quality of your previous research in the area that you intend to study at Flinders University. Applicants with more than five publications should consult with their Flinders University supervisor to select the best five. Explain briefly why these five were chosen. Do not provide more than five publications. Additional publications may be noted on your CV or in a separate list. Coversheets are not required for publications listed on the CV but not included among the top five.
Publications should not be more than 5 years old.
Typically, only publications in English should be included among the top five. Publications in other languages will be accepted only if the nature of the publication (for example, a report to a government agency) dictates that another language is most appropriate.
Please note, due to the highly competitive nature of the international scholarship round, applicants who have not published are unlikely to be competitive.
Academic Transcripts
Applicants must provide a certified copy of all university level academic transcripts, translated into English, please do not provide secondary school certificates or non-educational certificates or awards.
Research Proposal
You must include a research proposal of approximately 500 words in length, outlining the problem, hypothesis or question and the methodology or approach.
Academic Referee Reports
Complete Section A of two copies of the Academic Referee’s Confidential Report forms and forward them to two appropriate referees of your choice. If possible, the referees should have an informed, personal and professional knowledge of your academic ability and be able to exercise judgment of your research potential. Academic Referee reports must be returned to hdr.scholarships@flinders.edu.au by the closing date.
Curriculum Vitae
An updated CV outlining your work experience, all research experience, and a full list of cited publications should be included with your application.
Format & Language
All documents must be uploaded via the application portal and should be in English. Please save as a PDF and scan and save in the correct orientation. Please name all documents with your family name and document name, for example: name_Transcript, name_publication 1.
APPLICATION
To apply for an AGRTPS and FIPRS, you will need to first submit an application for admission to a Higher Degree by research (PhD or Master of Arts by research) followed by an application for the International RHD Scholarship Group.
If you already have a valid offer for admission to a Higher Degree by Research, you no not need to apply for admission again.
To apply for admission
International applicants – apply via Studylink and details about international admission can be found https://www.flinders.edu.au/international/apply/apply-research-degree/how-to-apply
Once you have read the information you should complete a registration https://student-flinders.studylink.com/index.cfm?event=security.showLogin&msg=eventsecured&fr=sp&en=default
Once you have completed a registration, you will be able to log back into that portal to complete your application for admission.
A Flinders student ID is created within 1 hour after a registration has been submitted – you will need to take note of this number.
How to apply for a scholarship
You will need to activate your account using the Student ID from your registration and your date of birth provided at time of registration.
Once you have activated your account, you will receive a Flinders Authentication Name (FAN), you can then submit your application for the international HDR scholarship group via the Student System.
See further instructions on how to apply for a scholarship.
Need to reactivate your FAN?
If you have studied at Flinders University but graduated more than 12 months ago you will need to reactive your FAN via the FAN reactivation page. With an active FAN you will then be able to submit your application for scholarship via the Student System as advised above.
If you have previously applied to study at Flinders, you will be able to reactive your FAN via the FAN reactivation page, you will need to enter your first name, last name, date of birth and your student ID (normally found on university-issued letters). The system will be able to identify you more accurately if you can enter your student ID.
Once your application is complete, including all mandatory questions and documentation, your application will be assessed.
Applications close Thursday 18 June 2026 Australian Central Standard Time.
Questions about the application process should be directed to the Scholarship Office via AskFlinders.
Any questions about the candidature application process should be directed to the Office of Graduate Research via Ask Flinders.
