Scholarships

There are a number of scholarships that are available to students applying for admission to the graduate research program at ANU to fund tuition fee costs and living expenses over the course of the degree.

PhD and MPhil (HDR)

RSAA PhD Scholarships for international PhD applicants - application deadline each year in late November/early December

The Research School for Astronomy & Astrophysics (RSAA) at the Australian National University invites applications from outstanding undergraduate and Master's students of all nationalities for a number of fully-funded PhD scholarships to commence in 2024. Students with previous research experience in astrophysics are particularly encouraged to apply. The application deadline is December 8th, 2023. No application will be considered prior to this deadline.

We are seeking outstanding students from around the world.  Students should normally have a strong background in physics, including classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, thermodynamics, special relativity, quantum mechanics, and nuclear physics.  Courses in mathematics through differential equations are also required.  An undergraduate course in introductory astronomy is recommended.  Students with previous research experience in astrophysics (as an undergraduate or as a Masters student) are strongly encouraged to apply. A grade point average of >80% is a minimum (but not the only) requirement for consideration for our program.  In selecting scholarship candidates, we consider academic achievement, the letters of recommendation, and independent research ability and experience.

Applicants for the RSAA Scholarship ("pre application round") are asked to submit the following documents to rsaa.internatonal@anu.edu.au by the application deadline:

- all transcripts and graduation certificates from prior university study (Bachelor degree, Master's degree) with grading scale;

- copies of Master's thesis or of papers published by the applicant in international peer-reviewed journals;

- short curriculum vitae (1-2 pages);

- short personal statement (1-2 pages) in which the applicant describes past and current reserach interests and how a PhD at RSAA will fit into their future career.

- English language test results (if available). For ANU rules on English language requirements for admission please see the Policy here.

You should also arrange to have 3 letters of reference arrive at rsaa.international@anu.edu.au by the deadline. Applicants should send the PhD referee template to thieir referees. Referees send their reference directly to rsaa.international@anu.edu.au.

If you have any other questions regarding the RSAA or our graduate program, please do not hesitate to contact us on rsaa.sa@anu.edu.au; or contact the RSAA Associate DIrector for HDR, Associate Professor Christoph Federrath, directly by sending an email to christoph.federrath@anu.edu.au.

Central ANU PhD Scholarships (AGRTP and URS)

These include government-funded scholarships such as the Australian Government Research Training Program (AGRTP) Stipend Scholarships which are available to domestic (Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, New Zealand citizens) and international students enrolled in an accredited Higher Degree Research (HDR) course of study (PhD or MPhil) at the Australian National University. ANU also funds and administers similar research stipend scholarships, including ANU Research Scholarships which are funded by the University.

Domestic students enrolled in an accredited HDR course of study do not have to pay tuition fees. For eligible international students there is the HDR Fee Remission Merit Scholarship which covers the tuition fees for the standard duration of a PhD or MPhil program.

Please refer to the ANU Scholarships page for details about these and other scholarships that are available.

RSAA awards and supplementary scholarships

There are also a number of other scholarships that are available to students enrolled at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. Most students enrolled in the PhD program, both domestic and international, receive an RSAA HDR Supplementary Scholarship funded by RSAA. PhD students are also eligible for several other scholarships that provide additional benefits:

In addition, all PhD students may apply for the following scholarships to fund research-related travel, including collaborative activities, during their research program:

External scholarship programs

There are also other scholarship programs administered by external organisations that may be of interest to future PhD applicants:

For additional external sponsorship opportunities, please see the central ANU website.

Awards for ANU Science PhB students

RSAA offers several ASTRO 3D Science PhB Advanced Studies Course Awards and RSAA Science PhB Advanced Studies Course Awards in the amount of AUD$3,000 each to Science PhB students undertaking an astronomy, astrophysics or astronomical instrumentation research project as part of their Advanced Studies course (SCNC-code). For eligibility criteria, application deadline and process, please click on the respective link above or search the ANU Scholarships database.

Master of Science (Advanced) in Astronomy and Astrophysics Scholarship

The Master of Science (Advanced) in Astronomy and Astrophysics Scholarship may be awarded to suitably qualified students who have received an offer for or are currently enrolled in the Master of Science (Advanced) in Astronomy and Astrophysics degree at RSAA. Note: A scholarship is only available for the Master of Science (Advanced) in Astronomy and Astrophysics, not for the Master of Science in Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Honours Year

The Bok Honours Year Scholarship in Astrophysics may be awarded each year to an outstanding student intending to study Astrophysics in the Honours program at RSAA.

Students intending to study Astrophysics in the Honours program at RSAA are also eligible to apply for an ANU Honours Scholarship and for the Angus Nichols Honours Scholarship in Science.

Honours students enrolled in the RSAA program may be eligible for support from external organisations. It includes:

Full details of all scholarships for ANU programs (including RSAA-specific scholarships) can be found on the ANU Scholarships page.