Australian National University RTP Scholarship 2026–27

The Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra funds PhD and Master of Philosophy (MPhil) students through the Australian Government's Research Training Program (RTP). A full-time RTP Stipend Scholarship pays a living allowance of AUD $39,069 a year at the 2026 rate, rising to AUD $40,475 in 2027. It comes with a fee offset that covers tuition and, for international students, health cover. Domestic and international students both apply, in the same rounds but with different deadlines.

ANU RTP Scholarship at a Glance

What the Scholarship Pays

1. A living allowance

The full-time stipend is AUD $39,069 a year in 2026, about AUD $3,256 a month. ANU has already published the 2027 rate of AUD $40,475 a year, about AUD $3,373 a month, and the award is indexed every 1 January. It is paid fortnightly and you do not pay it back. Part-time scholars receive half the rate.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are awarded the maximum RTP stipend rate, which is AUD $55,537 a year in 2027.

2. Tuition fees

• Domestic students receive an RTP Domestic Fee Offset Scholarship automatically when they are admitted. It covers four years for a PhD and two years for an MPhil, and domestic students are not charged tuition on a program extension.
• International students receive an RTP International Fee Offset Scholarship, or an ANU HDR Fee Merit Scholarship, together with a stipend award. It is competitive, not automatic, and covers tuition for four years (PhD) or two years (MPhil). Beyond that, international students pay an extension fee.

3. Overseas Student Health Cover

The international fee offset includes Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for you and your immediate family. It has to be claimed when the scholarship starts.

4. A relocation allowance

If you live outside the ACT, or outside Australia, when you apply, ANU refunds travel and removal costs against original receipts, up to AUD $1,000 for domestic students or AUD $2,500 for international students. Claim within 12 months. Insurance, accommodation and meals are not covered.

5. Thesis and child allowances

• A thesis allowance of up to AUD $500
• For international students only, a dependent child allowance of up to AUD $3,000 a year per child, to a maximum of AUD $9,000 a year

Conference travel is not part of the scholarship. After your first year you can apply once for a Vice-Chancellor's HDR Travel Grant of up to AUD $5,000 to present your research overseas.

6. Paid leave

• 20 days of paid recreation leave and 10 days of paid medical leave a year
• 60 days of paid parental leave once you have held the award for 12 months

7. How long the money lasts

The stipend runs for 3.5 years for a PhD and 1.5 years for an MPhil. ANU can extend it by up to 3 months for delays beyond your control, or up to 6 months for an industry internship or for Indigenous candidates, but never past a total of four years for a PhD or two years for an MPhil.

8. Tax

ANU says living allowance stipends paid at the full-time rate are not considered taxable income, while part-time stipends are taxable. The Australian Taxation Office adds conditions: the payment must be made principally for your education and you must be a full-time student. If your stipend is exempt, you leave it out of your tax return and should tell ANU.

Who Can Apply

Domestic or international

You count as a domestic student if you are an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen, or hold an Australian permanent resident visa or a permanent humanitarian visa. Everyone else applies as an international student, from any country.

Academic results

• PhD admission: a bachelor's degree with first class honours or upper second class honours, or an equivalent qualification
• MPhil admission: an overall grade of distinction or higher
• The scholarship: ANU's conditions of award ask for first class honours (H1) or an H1 equivalent, so admission alone is not enough to win funding

ANU does not set a GPA cut-off such as 3.0. What counts is how your honours or equivalent result compares, and your research experience.

English language

For PhD and MPhil programs ANU asks for IELTS Academic 6.5 overall, with no band below 6.0, or an accepted equivalent. The PhD in Clinical Psychology is higher, at 7.0 in every band.

Degrees You Can Study

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Master of Philosophy (MPhil), ANU's master's by research

Research degrees are offered across ANU's colleges, from science, engineering and computing to medicine, business, law, and the arts, humanities and social sciences. Coursework master's degrees are not covered. Browse programs on ANU Programs and Courses.

Deadlines and Scholarship Rounds

You can submit an application at any time of year, but you are considered for a scholarship in the round your complete application falls into.

• Complete means complete. Your application, including your referees' reports, has to be in by the deadline. ANU suggests submitting two to three weeks early.
• Round 1 starts run from January to the end of March.
• Results: ANU does not publish a central results date. One college says international applicants hear towards the end of October and domestic applicants in December.

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Choose your program. Find the PhD or MPhil in your field on ANU Programs and Courses and check its entry requirements.
2. Get a supervisor's support. Most ANU colleges want you to find a potential supervisor and secure their support before you apply. Without that endorsement ANU says it may not be able to assess your application, and some programs require a supervisor's written approval.
3. Write your research proposal. ANU sets no fixed length, so follow your program's guidance and agree the scope with your potential supervisor.
4. Line up your referees. You need at least two. If one of them is your proposed supervisor, add a third.
5. Apply for admission online through ANU's postgraduate research application. There is no application fee.
6. Select the scholarship option. In the application, choose to be considered for a scholarship (listed as "Australia: ANU - Other Scholarship"). There is no separate scholarship form.
7. Submit early. Aim for two to three weeks before the round closes, so your referees' reports arrive in time.

Documents to Prepare

• Academic transcripts and degree certificates (ANU does not ask for certified copies)
• A research proposal
• A CV listing your research experience, publications and awards
• Contact details for at least two referees
• Proof of English language proficiency, if it applies to you

Rules While You Hold the Scholarship

• Study full-time. ANU expects 35 to 40 hours a week on your research for 48 weeks a year.
• Meet your milestones. A First Year Plan within 3 months, Confirmation of candidature at 9 to 12 months, and an Annual Progress Review each February. Missing them can end the scholarship.
• Part-time only for a reason. A part-time award is approved for caring commitments, a medical condition, a disability or similar circumstances. It pays half the rate, is taxable, and international students need a visa that allows it.
• Extensions are limited to the amounts above, and international students pay tuition during a program extension.

Claims About This Scholarship to Ignore

• "A GPA of 3.0 is enough." ANU asks for first or upper second class honours for PhD admission and H1 or equivalent for the scholarship.
• "No health cover for international students." The international fee offset includes OSHC for you and your immediate family.
• "The PhD stipend lasts 3 to 4 years." It lasts 3.5 years, with only short extensions up to a four-year total.
• "The 2027 rate will be about $40,000." ANU has already published it: AUD $40,475.
• "Australia's number one university." ANU says it placed fourth in Australia in the QS World University Rankings 2027, and lists itself as 29th in the world.
• "50 to 60% of eligible applicants win." ANU publishes no success rate; it says only that not everyone offered admission receives a scholarship.

ANU vs Sydney vs Monash: RTP Stipends Compared

At 2026 rates ANU pays AUD $3,685 a year less than Sydney and AUD $1,924 more than Monash. Living costs differ too: ANU's own estimate for Canberra is AUD $33,000 to $39,000 a year. Compare the full details in our Sydney RTP International, Sydney RTP Domestic, University of Melbourne RTP, Monash RTP and Adelaide University (formerly UniSA) guides. Past the PhD, the EPFL AI Center Postdoctoral Fellowship shows how different postdoc funding is: it pays about half a salary and expects a laboratory to find the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the ANU RTP Scholarship pay?

AUD $39,069 a year at the 2026 full-time rate, about AUD $3,256 a month, paid fortnightly. The 2027 rate is AUD $40,475 a year.

Is the 31 August 2026 international deadline still open?

No. International Round 1 closed on 31 August 2026. International applicants now apply by 15 April 2027 to start by 31 August 2027.

When is the deadline for domestic students?

31 October 2026 for Round 1, to start by 31 March 2027. The next domestic deadline is 15 April 2027.

Do I need a separate scholarship application?

No. You apply for admission and select the scholarship option in the same application. It must be complete, including referee reports, by the round's deadline.

Does the scholarship include OSHC for international students?

Yes. The RTP International Fee Offset Scholarship includes Overseas Student Health Cover for you and your immediate family, claimed when the scholarship starts.

What marks do I need?

PhD admission needs first class or upper second class honours, or an equivalent. The scholarship itself asks for first class honours (H1) or an H1 equivalent. ANU sets no GPA cut-off such as 3.0.

What IELTS score does ANU need for a PhD?

IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, or an accepted equivalent. The PhD in Clinical Psychology asks for 7.0 in every band.

Is the ANU stipend taxed?

ANU says full-time stipends are not considered taxable income and part-time stipends are. The ATO's conditions are that the payment is principally for your education and you study full-time.

How long does the scholarship last?

The stipend lasts 3.5 years for a PhD and 1.5 years for an MPhil, with short extensions possible up to four and two years in total. Tuition is covered for four years (PhD) and two years (MPhil).

Do I need a supervisor before I apply?

Most ANU colleges want you to secure a potential supervisor's support first, and ANU says it may not be able to assess an application without that endorsement.

Contact and Official Links

• RTP scholarship enquiries: grs@anu.edu.au, +61 2 6125 5777
• Research admissions: hdr.admissions@anu.edu.au
• Official RTP Stipend Scholarship page
• RTP International Fee Offset Scholarship
• RTP Domestic Fee Offset Scholarship
• Research degree scholarships and round dates
• How to apply for postgraduate research at ANU

JobGader is not part of the Australian National University. This guide was checked against ANU's official pages on 11 September 2026. Amounts and dates change, so confirm them on the official page before you apply.