Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship (International)

The Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarships (AGRTPS) (International) are specifically intended to support international students to undertake a Higher Degree by research at Flinders University. The AGRTPS includes an international tuition fee offset, a living stipend and Overseas Health Care cover.

Please note: For visa purposes, the AGRTPS is a Commonwealth Sponsored Scholarship.

A limited number (up to 5) of AGRTPS are available each year. Due to the limited number of scholarships available, this scholarship is highly competitive.

The AGRTPS is awarded to candidates who demonstrate outstanding aptitude for independent research. AGRTPS are considered on the basis of academic merit, academic research training and research 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.

Frequently asked questions

Benefits

The AGRTPS pays a stipend at the standard rate set by the Australian Government of $36,061.00 pa tax free (2026 full time rate). The AGRTPS also includes a Research Training Program place (RTP), which provides an off set for tuition fees for up to 4 years.

An AGRTPS 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:

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 an AGRTPS 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 at the time of application. 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.

Conditions of Award

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 and have an informal agreement from that person to supervise you if 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 evidence that you have published; you may include up to five of your publications with your application.
Each publication must be accompanied with a completed coversheet that must provide a publication URL on each coversheet; publications wihtout coversheets will not be considered. Publications will be used to judge the quality of 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 and select the top 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.

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.

Publications must not be more than 5 years old

Please note, due to the highly competitive nature of the AGRTPS, applicants who have not published are unlikely to be competitive.

Academic Transcripts
You must provide certified copies 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 Referees
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. Indicate on your application form who the Referee Report forms have been sent to. Academic Referee reports must be returned to hdr.scholarships@flinders.edu.au by the application 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 studied at Flinders University but graduated more than 12 months ago, you will need to reactivate your FAN through the FAN reactivation page. Once your FAN is active, you can submit your scholarship application via the Student System as advised above.

If you have previously applied to study at Flinders, you can reactivate your FAN through the FAN reactivation page by entering your first name, last name, date of birth, and student ID, which is usually found on letters sent by the university. The system will 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 midnight Thursday 18 June 2026 Australian Central Standard Time.

Questions about the application process should be directed to the Scholarships Office via AskFlinders.

Questions about the candidature application process should be directed to the Office of Graduate Research via AskFlinders.

Publication Cover Sheet

Scholarship Application Checklist & Guidelines

Confidential Referee's Report

Submit an application

Frequently asked questions