Indigenous McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellowships
Critical Dates
The Indigenous McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellowships (commencing 2027) are open for applications from 1 April 2026 to 7 May 2026. They will be administered through the University of Melbourne’s central Early Career Researcher Fellowships Selection Process. Through this process, applicants can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the Indigenous McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellowship (and others for which they are eligible).
The application process consists of two stages:
Stage 1: Applicants lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI)
Stage 2: Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a full application.
Applicants for these fellowships can find more information about application processes in the scheme guidelines and documentation on the McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellowships page.
Overview
The University of Melbourne offers postdoctoral fellowships of three-year duration (default 1.0 FTE) to outstanding postdoctoral researchers working in any research field of interest to the University and its faculties.
As part of our flagship McKenzie Fellowships scheme, the University aims to offer at least two of these fellowships annually to high-calibre Indigenous postdoctoral researchers. These fellowships are targeted to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early career researchers and are also open to applications from First Nations people internationally.
As stated in the University’s Indigenous Strategy Murmuk Djerring, the University is committed to attracting, nurturing and retaining outstanding research talent; developing leadership capability among both Indigenous students and staff; and supporting and developing our Indigenous academics and students into impactful careers to drive societal change.
Funding
Funded by DVCR strategic funding, each recipient will be awarded at Academic Level A6 in the University Salary Band, along with on-costs and superannuation, as per the applicable University of Melbourne enterprise agreement terms and conditions of employment.
Funded by the host faculty, fellows will receive an additional single allocation of up to $25,000 for research project costs over the full term of the Fellowship.
Fellows will also have access to Early Career Researcher support and development programs during their fellowship, including those provided by faculty and those provided by the Researcher Development Unit.
The University is the home of the Indigenous Knowledge Institute, which is a global hub for interdisciplinary research in Indigenous knowledge.
Eligibility
Applicants for 2026 must have completed a PhD no earlier than 1 April 2023 in any discipline from a university in any country, including Australia and the University of Melbourne.
Please refer to the Early Career Researcher Fellowships Guidelines for full eligibility criteria, including specific criteria for the Indigenous McKenzie, Mary Lugton, and Puzey Fellowships.
Applicants who fall outside of the eligibility criteria above may make an Eligibility Exemption Request.
How to apply
All applicants are required to first establish an Academic Contact at the University of Melbourne. Applicants may use the University’s Find an Expert search tool to find academics in their field and, where necessary, may liaise with the relevant School or the Faculty research office for guidance.
For further information on how to apply, please refer to the McKenzie Fellowships Scheme page.
Supporting documents
Please see the ECR Fellowships application documents listed for the McKenzie Fellowships.
Contacts
Please refer to the ECR Fellowship Guidelines before submitting enquiries.
Email address for Early Career Researcher Fellowships Selection Process, including McKenzie, Indigenous McKenzie, Mary Lugton, and Puzey Postdoctoral Fellowships: ecr-fellowships@unimelb.edu.au