2026 Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships – University of Sydney, Australia

Location: Australia

Program: Postgraduate (PhD and Master of Research Degrees)

Eligibility: All Nationalities

Duration: 2 to 3.5 years

Deadline: September 11, 2026

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The Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship at the University of Sydney is one of the most prestigious and comprehensive fully funded research degree awards available to international students in Australia combining a generous tax-free living stipend, full tuition fee coverage, and health insurance into a single integrated financial support package that enables recipients to devote their complete academic focus to world-class research at one of the Asia-Pacific’s leading universities. Funded by the Australian Government through its national Research Training Program, the scholarship is awarded competitively to the most outstanding international applicants seeking admission to or already enrolled in a higher degree by research (HDR) covering either a PhD or a Master of Research.

The University of Sydney, established in 1850 as Australia’s first university, is one of the world’s truly great research universities and a founding member of the prestigious Group of Eight Australia’s alliance of leading research-intensive institutions. Consistently ranked among the global top 20 universities by the QS World University Rankings and with an unparalleled track record of research excellence across the sciences, humanities, law, medicine, engineering, and the arts, the University of Sydney offers international research students access to world-class supervisors, state-of-the-art research infrastructure, a vibrant and diverse academic community of over 70,000 students from more than 130 countries, and the incomparable energy of one of the world’s most liveable and internationally connected cities.

Benefits of the Scholarship

This scholarship will provide the following to its recipients:

Tax-free living stipend of AUD $42,754 per annum (2026 rate), paid on a regular fortnightly or monthly basis throughout the funded period
Full 100% tuition fee coverage for up to 14 research periods (automatically awarded alongside the stipend scholarship)
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of the scholarship period (RTP Fee Offset recipients only)
Relocation allowance to assist with costs of moving to Sydney to commence the research degree
Thesis allowance to cover costs associated with the production and submission of the final research thesis
Other benefits

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Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must meet the following:

Must be an international student (non-Australian citizen and non-Australian permanent resident) seeking to commence or currently enrolled in a higher degree by research (PhD or Master of Research) at the University of Sydney
Must apply for admission to an HDR programme through Sydney Courses and submit all required admission documentation by the relevant scholarship application deadline — admission and scholarship applications are submitted concurrently
Currently enrolled HDR students must be in good academic standing and enrolled in an eligible higher degree by research programme at the time of application
Must submit the RTP scholarship application form via the University of Sydney’s official online scholarship portal (Formstack) by the published deadline for the relevant research period intake
Must demonstrate strong academic merit, typically evidenced by a Bachelor’s degree with First Class Honours, a Master’s degree with a substantial research component, or equivalent postgraduate research qualification with evidence of academic distinction
Must provide evidence of research experience and outputs (publications, conference presentations, research reports, or prior thesis work) using the University’s Research Experience Evidence Template and Research Experience Information and Appendix Guide — these are mandatory components of the scholarship application
Must meet the University of Sydney’s English language proficiency requirements for HDR admission (IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, or equivalent)
Must be eligible to hold an Australian student visa for the full duration of the scholarship
May not hold another scholarship that duplicates any funded component (stipend or fee waiver) of the RTP or USYDIS award without prior approval

Note: Kindly check the official webpage for full and detailed requirements*

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Selection Criteria

The RTP and USYDIS scholarship selection at the University of Sydney is conducted through a rigorous, merit-based competitive process that evaluates all eligible international applicants against a standardised scoring framework applied consistently across all faculties and research disciplines. The primary criterion is academic excellence — assessed through the applicant’s academic transcripts, the calibre of their prior degrees, and their overall academic record relative to the standard expected at their previous institution. A significant and heavily weighted second criterion is demonstrated research experience, evaluated through the mandatory Research Experience Evidence Template submitted as part of the application; this component considers the nature, depth, and impact of any prior research the applicant has undertaken, including peer-reviewed publications, conference contributions, industry research reports, honours or master’s theses, or other original research outputs.