Postgraduate Scholarships

Overview

NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarships are awarded for a maximum period of three years full time equivalent (FTE) for a PhD degree, and two years for a Research Masters degree. Part-time Scholarships (0.5-0.9 FTE) are available under certain conditions. Refer to section 3.2.2 of the Guidelines (page 12).

Research, Innovation & Commercialisation (RIC) has a submission procedure for Major NHMRC grant rounds. Please review this scheme's specific eligibility criteria below and the RIC instructions on how to apply below.

New NHMRC Requirement

The NHMRC has introduced a new requirement to account for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation as part of application and assessment processes. Refer to the NHMRC Policies section below and the MDHS Faculty's Sex and Gender Inclusion in Research Guidelines.

Funding

The NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarships grant opportunity has previously offered different stipend amounts according to scholarship categories. All scholarship categories now receive the same stipend amount. The stipend rate for funding commencing in 2027 is $53,299 per annum. Refer to section 5.1.2 of the Guidelines. for other allowances including costs for a personal computer and/or travel to relevant conferences; a thesis allowance; and a relocation allowance.

Stipend amounts are updated annually on the NHMRC Personnel and Salary Support Packages website.

Additional funding of $11,000 is available for researchers who identify as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent to support travel to international conferences and/or short term international collaborative activities. The funding to facilitate international Indigenous researcher networks (FIIRN supplement) must be requested at the time of application. Refer to section 3.1.1 of the Guidelines (page 11).

Eligibility

According to section 4.1 Who is eligible to apply for a grant? of the Guidelines (pages 13-14) the CIA must:

• be undertaking a higher degree by research (i.e. a PhD or a Research Masters degree); coursework degrees do not qualify as higher degrees by research
• ensure a complete application is submitted, including supervisor report and other documents required to conduct a complete assessment of an application
• not have previously received an NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship
• not be a recipient of, or have accepted, an Australian Government funded Research Training Program (RTP) stipend or MACH-Track Scholarship for the degree applied for, prior to or at the time of application, during peer review, at any time prior to commencement of the grant, or for the duration of the grant.
• not exceed 12 calendar months of full-time equivalent enrolment for a PhD degree, or six calendar months for a Research Masters degree, up to 31 December in the year of application
• include a proposal for a research project based in Australia; elements of the project can be undertaken outside Australia (e.g. data gathering) but the CIA, supervisor and project must be all Australian based and located at an Australian institution
• apply under the Research Stream that their research proposal aligns with.

The CIA will not be able to hold a full-time academic position, or other full-time positions, in conjunction with their NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship. The CIA must inform NHMRC if such situations arise.

Scholarship Categories

There are two scholarship categories which the applicant must choose from.

• The Priority Scholarship is provided to
  • graduates holding an MBBS, Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM) or similar degree. Medical and dental professionals must be registered to practise in Australia at the time of application, with no conditions or suspensions attached to the registration that prevent them from practising. Administering Institutions must retain the evidence of an applicant’s registration to practise in Australia, and provide such evidence to NHMRC, if requested.  OR
  • nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, pharmacy and other allied health graduates. Allied health professionals must be registered to practise in Australia at the time of application, with no conditions or suspensions attached to the registration that prevent them from practising. Administering Institutions must retain the evidence of an applicant’s registration to practise in Australia, and provide such evidence to NHMRC, if requested. For allied health professions which do not require registration, Administering Institutions must retain evidence of the applicant’s authority to practise in Australia at the time of application, and provide such  evidence to NHMRC, if requested. OR
  • graduates undertaking a combined MBBS/PhD program or equivalent.
• The Standard Scholarship is provided to graduates who do not hold Priority Scholarship qualifications/registration.  
  • Applicants in this category who select the Clinical Medicine and Science Research, or Dora Lush Basic Science Research Streams, must have achieved their most recent academic qualification at  least five years before 31 December in the year of application (i.e. your most recent academic qualification date should be no later than 31 December 2021). This eligibility requirement does not apply to those selecting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research and Public Health and Health Services Research Streams.

Research Stream Requirements

There are four streams within the Postgraduate Scholarships scheme. Ensure that your selected Stream aligns with your proposal and that you are eligible.

Priority Scholarship applicants are eligible to apply for any of the following streams. Additional requirements to apply in each stream are listed below.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research: Postgraduate Scholarships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research provide support for research training or training leading to research in areas of health with particular relevance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The proposed project must be in an area of significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. To qualify under this Research Stream, applicants must demonstrate active engagement/consultation with the Indigenous community, and address NHMRC’s Indigenous Research Excellence Criteria.
• Clinical Medicine and Science Research: Clinical Medicine and Science Research Postgraduate Scholarships provide support to undergo training in clinical medicine and science research. Clinical Medicine and Science Research seeks to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human diseases and conditions. It may involve interaction with patients and/or the use of clinical diagnostic materials or patient data.
  Standard scholarship applicants with a degree applicable to the proposed research area may also apply, provided they demonstrate that their most recent academic qualification was achieved at least five years before 31 December in the year of application, i.e. no later than 31 December 2021.
• Dora Lush Basic Science Research: Dora Lush Basic Science Postgraduate Scholarships provide support to applicants of outstanding ability in obtaining formal training in basic science research.
  Basic Science Research seeks to understand the biological processes that underpin health and disease at the molecular, cellular, organ system and whole body levels. It may be conducted in vitro, in vivo and/or in silico. It may use but, is not limited to, cells, tissues or other materials of human origin or from relevant animal models.
  Standard scholarship applicants with a degree applicable to the proposed research area may also apply, provided they demonstrate that their most recent academic qualification was achieved at least five years before 31 December in the year of application, i.e. no later than 31 December 2021.
• Public Health and Health Services Research: The purpose of the Public Health and Health Services Research Postgraduate Scholarship is to encourage graduates to obtain formal training in public health and/or health services research.
  Public Health Research seeks to improve the health of a population through the prevention of disease, prolongation of life and promotion of health and wellbeing. It includes research to understand the social, behavioural, environmental and other determinants of health and disease.
  Health Services Research seeks to understand and improve the effectiveness, quality, safety, social and environmental dimensions of health care including access, distribution, timeliness and efficiency.
  This Research Stream includes, but is not limited to, areas such as health policy, epidemiology, population health and health economics.

Part-Time Evidence

Part-time applicants must obtain approval from their nominated supervisor to study at a reduced time fraction (a brief email is acceptable). Provide the evidence stating the FTE of study and the reason to RIC prior to submission.

Registration Evidence

Medical and dental professionals applying under the Priority Scholarship Category must provide to RIC evidence of registration prior to submission.

Academic Transcripts

If you have an academic transcript from an overseas institution (even if it is in English) you will be required to submit an equivalency conversion with your application. The Victorian Government Overseas Qualification Unit no longer offers a free assessment service. The University of Melbourne's Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences can provide an equivalency report for you. Please send your overseas academic transcripts to RIC nhmrc-people-support@unimelb.edu.au as soon as possibility to request a conversion.

Other sources of funding

Applicants are required to declare any other scholarships they may be holding or applying for,
with specific additional disclosures required in relation to Australian Government scholarship
funding (see section 6.5 of Appendix C – Guide to Applicants).

Recipients of stipends funded by an NHMRC or MRFF project grant are not eligible to apply because this is considered an Australian Government-funded stipend.

Please contact nhmrc-people-support@unimelb.edu.au immediately if you are applying to, if you currently receive, or if you accept any scholarship or funding toward your degree. Our team will assist you in determining eligibility.

How to apply

1. Submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) on Cayuse

   Create a Notice of Intent in the University of Melbourne's Research Management System Cayuse using the details below.

   For Scholarship applicants who are not yet enrolled at the University of Melbourne, please contact nhmrc-people-support@unimelb.edu.au to request guest access to Cayuse.

   Funder: NHMRC
   Funding Scheme: Postgraduate Scholarships
   Round: JUN - 2026
   Lead organisation: University of Melbourne
   Research team: enter your primary supervisor as Lead UoM Chief Investigator. Add yourself as Lead Graduate Researcher Chief Investigator.
   Administering department: enter the department where your supervisor is based.
   Conflict of interest: respond to this question
   Alternate Contact: enter your phone number & email address and a second person’s contact details in case of urgent submission issues.
   Status: click ‘route for review’ when all mandatory fields of the Notice of Intent tab are complete. You do not need to complete the other tabs

   Refer to these online resources for assistance:
   Knowledge Base: How to Create a Cayuse NOI
   Research Gateway: Cayuse Guides

2. Complete Sapphire Profile

   Applicants are required to register for an account on the NHMRC grant management website Sapphire. Please note that it is not an automatic process and can take several business days. Complete all sections of your Sapphire profile required for this scheme (See the Grant Guidelines - Appendix C - Section 5).

   The CIA must have a valid ORCID in their Sapphire profile for the grant to commence. If you haven't already, create an ORCID and add it to your Sapphire profile.

3. Review the funding documents and eligibility criteria

   The applicant should read the NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarships 2026 grant opportunity Guidelines (available on Grant Connect - GO8345).
   
   We strongly urge potential applicants to review the NHMRC Guidelines thoroughly before commencing an application to ensure they are eligible to apply for the scheme. If you are unsure whether you are eligible, please contact nhmrc-people-support@unimelb.edu.au as soon as possible.

4. Convert overseas academic transcripts

   Please ensure your transcript is translated for English and/or grade equivalency before it is uploaded into Sapphire. It is strongly encouraged that applicants make a start on this at least one month before the submission deadline for the scheme. The Victorian Government Overseas Qualification Unit no longer offers a free assessment service. The University of Melbourne's Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences can provide an equivalency report for you. Please send your overseas academic transcripts to RIC nhmrc-people-support@unimelb.edu.au as soon as possibility to request a conversion. Academic transcripts must be submitted as part of your application. Where the academic transcript is in a language other than English, a translation provided by a National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) certified translator (or its equivalent organisation outside of Australia) must be included. Where the academic transcript contains ratings from overseas institutions, these ratings must be converted to an equivalent rating used in Australian institutions.

5. Complete draft application in Sapphire

   Complete required Minimum Data fields in Sapphire by 5pm Wednesday 13 May 2026. In addition to the Sapphire application, the applicant should download the pre-formatted Microsoft Word template for the Grant Proposal from Grant Connect (GO7640). Applicants must use this template to complete their Grant Proposal without changing the formatting in any way as this could render applications ineligible.

6. Email a 'Review Ready' application to RIC

   Send a draft application (Grant Proposal PDF, and Application Report and Application Summary from Sapphire) to RIC via email nhmrc-people-support@unimelb.edu.au for review by 10am Monday 11 May 2026. Include all required evidence documents.

   To obtain your Sapphire application preview documents, click the "Preview" button at the top right-hand corner. A zip folder consisting of the preview documents will be downloaded automatically.

7. Complete the application after feedback

   After taking feedback from RIC into consideration, complete the application in Sapphire. Share your completed application with your supervisor(s) for review.

8. Applying for Heart Foundation or MS Research Australia co-funding?

   If applying for co-funding with either of these organisations, a separate application must be submitted to them in addition to ticking the co-funding option in your NHMRC Scholarship application.

   The review and submission of Heart Foundation and MSRA applications will be managed as a separate process due to the variation in application deadlines. If you wish to have your application considered for co-funding, please contact ric-medapps@unimelb.edu.au as soon as possible for more information.

9. Certify the application in Sapphire

   Certify the application via the ‘Certification’ function in the left panel of your Sapphire application by 10am Monday 1 June 2026. The applicant will be given the opportunity to download their application and attachments prior to the two-stage confirmation prompt before submission. The application will be locked once certified and the status then will be 'Submitted to RAO'.
   
   You do not need to send a copy of your final application to RIC.

   Please note that we have observed delays within Sapphire where the approvals tab to submit applications is taking ~15 minutes to load, as such there is a risk to the timely submission of your application if it is received after the RIC Final Submission Deadline. To minimise any delays or issues with the submission of your application we advise adhering to the RIC final submission deadline for this scheme.

10. Provide all evidence documents to RIC

    If you have not already provided the below requirements, email them to RIC.  RIC will undertake a final eligibility and compliance check of your application and contact you if amendments are required.

    • Professional part-time evidence
    • Registration evidence

11. RIC will submit the application

    Once the application has been submitted to NHMRC, the applicant will receive a Sapphire notification.

Supporting documents

NHMRC

• Download all NHMRC documentation relating to this scheme (including the proposal template) from Grant Connect (GO8345). If you don't already have an account, you will need to create one for Grant Connect.
• Grant Guidelines
• Grant Proposal template
• Peer Review Guidelines
• Funding Partners

RIC

• Copies of previous successful NHMRC Scholarship applications are held in the RIC Grants Library (UoM login required). If you do not have a UoM login, contact RIC via nhmrc-people-support@unimelb.edu.au or obtain assistance from your supervisor.
• Guidance document for supervisors (PDF 247.1 KB) on completing the NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship Supervisor Report.

NHMRC Policies

New NHMRC requirement to consider sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation

NHMRC and MRFF grant opportunities opening from January 2026 include a new requirement to account for sex, gender, variations of sex characteristics and sexual orientation as part of application and assessment processes.

The Statement on Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation in Health and Medical Research provides a guide for researchers to consider the Variables at all stages of their research project, including key definitions and better practice prompts.

Applicants may choose to include or exclude the Variables in their application, provided they offer a sound, evidence-based justification for their decision.

Applicants will need to respond to a new question in the Sapphire application form on the integration of the Variables. The question is not a Minimum Data requirement. For each of the Variables, applicants will need to either summarise how the Variable is being integrated in the proposed research or justify why it is not being integrated. When a Variable is being integrated in the research, the incorporation of the Variable into the research question setting, design, conduct, analysis, reporting and/or implementation/translation must also be described in the grant proposal.

The Variables are being incorporated into assessment criteria. Assessors will need to take the information applicants provide about the Variables into account when scoring applications against the relevant criteria. Assessors should focus on the strength and validity of the rationale provided rather than the presence or absence of the Variables.

For further information, see the NHMRC resources webpage and the MDHS Faculty's Sex and Gender Inclusion in Research Guidelines.

NHMRC Open Access Policy

From 1 January 2024, all NHMRC grant holders must comply with NHMRC’s Open Access Policy. The policy requires full and immediate open access for NHMRC-funded research outputs. For more information on how to comply refer to the UoM webpage on funder open access policies.

NHMRC Policy on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Grant Applications

NHMRC has released some key advice regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in grant application and peer review. Refer to the NHMRC policy page and note the following:

Application drafting
Information provided to generative artificial intelligence (such as natural language processing models and artificial intelligence technology tools) becomes part of a public database and may be accessed by unspecified third parties. If you use generative artificial intelligence to assist with the drafting of your application, you must ensure you are aware of the potential risks involved, such as those related to security, confidentiality, intellectual property, privacy, the accuracy of information generated and possible plagiarism.

Peer review
Use of generative artificial intelligence in peer review Information provided to generative artificial intelligence (such as natural language processing models and artificial intelligence technology tools) becomes part of a public database and may be accessed by third parties. Peer reviewers must not input any part of a grant application, or any information from a grant application, into a natural language processing and/or artificial intelligence technology system to assist them in the assessment of applications. Use of generative artificial intelligence may compromise the integrity of NHMRC’s peer review process and be in breach of its Principles of Peer Review, the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research and the confidentiality undertaking of peer reviewers.

Contacts

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