The objectives of the APA scheme are to:
- support postgraduate research training in the higher education sector
- provide financial support to domestic postgraduate students of exceptional research promise who undertake their higher degree by research at an eligible Australian higher education provider.
APA scholarships are awarded to students of exceptional research potential undertaking a Higher Degree by Research (HDR). APAs are provided to assist with students' general living costs.
Awards are available for a period of two years for a Masters by research degree or three years, with a possible extension of six months, for a Doctorate by research degree. Award holders receive an annual stipend and may also be eligible for other allowances.
Australian government funding is provided through annual block grants to eligible Australian Higher Education Providers (HEPs) who are responsible for the APA application, selection and offer process. Applications by students for an APA should be made directly to a participating HEP.
The allocation of funding to participating providers is based on a formula that is reflective of their overall research performance.
Important Note: Payments are made to HEPs who administer the schemes on behalf of the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. Individual students or researchers need to approach their HEP to obtain funding support.
Guidelines, Conditions and Process for determining APA grant amounts
The requirements for the Australian Postgraduate Awards (APA) for 2010 are in Chapter 2 of the Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines (Research) 2008, which can be downloaded from the Australian Government's Federal Register of Legislative Instruments at:
Stipend Rates
- APA stipend rates for 2010 are $22,500 for full-time students and $12,176 for part-time students.
- APA stipend rates for 2009 were $20,427 for full-time students and $10,957 for part-time students.
- APA stipend rates for 2008 were $20,007 for full-time students and $10,710 for part-time students.
- APA stipend rates for 2007 were $19,616 for full-time students and $10,480 for part-time students.
Further information
For more scholarships for postgraduate research students, please refer to the Going to uni website.
Contact
For more information, please email RBGrants@innovation.gov.au with "APA" as the subject line.