Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarship

The Australian Government offers Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarships to support both domestic and international candidates undertaking a Research Doctorate or Research Masters degree.

Benefits

Successful applicants will be awarded a scholarship package consisting of:

Domestic applicants

• Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarship: Living allowance of AUD $33,511* per annum (full-time), paid as a fortnightly stipend.
• Research Training Program (RTP) Fees Offset Scholarship: Full fee offset valued at approximately AUD $30,000 per annum for the minimum duration of your degree.

International applicants

• Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarship: Living allowance of AUD $33,511* per annum (full-time), paid as a fortnightly stipend.
• ACU Tuition Fee Scholarship: Full fee offset valued at approximately AUD $30,000 per annum for up to 3.5 years.
• RTP Allowance (Overseas Student Health Care Policy): A single Overseas Student Health Care policy.
• RTP Allowance (Relocation): Up to AUD $2,000 to support the costs of relocation to Australia for the purposes of commencing a Research Doctorate or Research Masters degree at ACU.

* 2025 value, indexed annually.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an RTP Stipend Scholarship, the following criteria must be met:

• a student must be a domestic student or an overseas student enrolled in an accredited research higher degree at ACU; and
• a student must not be receiving income from another source to support their general living costs while undertaking their course of study if that income is greater than 75 per cent of the student's Stipend rate. Income unrelated to the student's course of study or income received for the student's course of study, but not for the purposes of supporting general living costs, will not be taken into account.

Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarships are open to all applicants whose research aligns with any of ACU's broad areas of expertise:

• Explore research in the Faculty of Education and Arts
• Explore research in the Faculty of Health Sciences
• Explore research in the Faculty of Law and Business
• Explore research in the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy
• Discover ACU's Institutes and Centres

Applications

Application deadline

Applications open twice per annum in April and October. Application deadlines for 2025 and 2026 are as follows:

• Wednesday 1 October 2025, 11:59 PM AEST
• Wednesday 1 April 2026, 11:59 PM AEDT
• Thursday 1 October 2026, 11:59 PM AEST

How to apply

RTP Stipend Scholarships are competitive and are awarded following a merit-based selection process. Candidates with strong academic credentials and research potential are encouraged to apply.

Visit the How to apply page for application instructions.

Are you a current research candidate?

• Visit the Student Portal and download the scholarship application form.
• Submit your completed form with required documentation to the Graduate Research School at grad.research@acu.edu.au.

Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend Scholarships are funded by the Australian Government and are awarded and administered in accordance with the ACU Research Training Program Scholarship Policy. The information listed here is subject to change without notice.