phd scholarships uq

PhD Scholarship Opportunities

We offer a variety of scholarships to support you financially as your undertake your PhD. For more scholarship information, please visit UQ Find a Scholarship .

All PhD applications at UQ are managed through a Central Portal on the  UQ Graduate School  website. Once you have selected your project (and received official endorsement), you may proceed to  apply directly via the portal .

Ensure you check  scholarship round application deadlines  and outcome dates before applying in addition to any key dates listed on this page.  For any queries, please contact the HDR Liaison Officer,  [email protected] .

PhD Homepage

UQ Graduate School Scholarship (UQGSS)

The UQ Graduate School Scholarship is the most common scholarship applied for when planning to undertake a Phd. Most PhD's at UQ are funded via the UQ Graduate School Scholarship. For more information on eligibility and how to apply, please visit the UQ Graduate School .

IMB Global Challenges top-up scholarship

The Global Challenges PhD top-up scholarship offers a per annum top up of $5,000 to the UQ Graduate School Scholarship plus $5,000 support for a placement and $2,000 professional development support (over the period of the candidature) to outstanding domestic and eligible international onshore applicants .

The PhD projects on offer will give each student the opportunity to take a deep dive into a specialised topic and research discipline in one laboratory and within our broad-ranging approach. Each project will provide the rich foundational research training gained by completing a PhD and an opportunity to make a unique contribution to the field of knowledge. By conducting these projects within a cohort of other students, also aiming to broadly address the identified themes, the collective will form an intellectual hub, together, solving these global challenges. 

Importantly, the top-up includes specialised training in each theme and cutting-edge research techniques, tailored transferable skills training and support to conduct a placement nationally or internationally with a related partner. Collectively, these will form four pillars of support for the research project and create job-ready graduates with links to the national and international research, entrepreneurial and industry community.

For more information about this scholarship top-up, please visit the UQ Graduate website .

In your application, ensure you:

• Select ‘My higher degree is not collaborative’
• Select 'I am applying for, or have been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship'.
• Select ‘Other’, then add ‘ IMB Global Challenges + identified theme’

Please note, there are conditions for undertaking this top-up scholarship. Refer to details below.

Top-up conditions

If awarded the Global Challenges top-up scholarship, there are a few conditions that must be met in order to receive funding. These include:

• Conducting a cross-disciplinary project that is targeted at solving a global problem within a theme.
• Conducting a project that is multidisciplinary, with an advisory group that is composed of at least one Associate advisor in a different IMB Centre (or UQ institute/school) to the principal advisor
• Conducting a placement with an external partner - arranged by you in collaboration with The University of Queensland Graduate School within the first 18 months of commencement, the placement can take place at any time during the candidature but is normally undertaken towards the end of the PhD. The extension of your candidature period from 3.5 years to 4 years is conditional on undertaking a placement.
• Being an IMB ambassador - both to promote the scholarship and IMB generally.
• Being an active participant in SIMBA and mentoring junior scholarship holders
• Training Week
• Technical training Masterclass
• PhD student retreat
• Industry engagement training and event 
• UniQuest commercialisation workshop
• Career development workshops, alumni mentorship programs and career panel opportunities

* The top-up scholarship duration is 3.5 years guaranteed plus 0.5 years conditional on completing training and a placement. Please know that further activities that build your cohort and enrich your PhD experience will be advised over the period of your candidature and your attendance will be required.

Earmarked Scholarships

Earmarked scholarships are offered for research projects aligned with recently awarded grants from major Australian Government research funding bodies, including the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund.

Earmarked scholarships offer PhD students the opportunity to contribute to large projects of national significance and work with leading researchers. The scholarship provides a living stipend of $32,192 per annum (2023 rate, indexed annually), tuition fees, and Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). You can apply anytime - there is no closing date.

IMB Earmarked Scholarships are added to the PhD Projects list as they become available. For more information on Earmarked Scholarships and how to apply, please visit the UQ Graduate School website .

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the latest research straight to your inbox.  Stay up-to-date as we answer questions about hot topics, and share the latest news at IMB, Australia’s #1 research institute.

General enquiries

  +61 7 3346 2222   [email protected]

Student enquiries

PhD and Masters enquiries HDR Liaison Officer    [email protected]  

All other student enquiries Collaborators Liason    [email protected]

Student resources

IMB Research Groups

IMB Research Projects

Scholarship opportunities

Students of IMB Association (SIMBA)

UQ Graduate School

UQ Accessibility Services

UQ Student Centre

UQ Student Services

Stay in touch

Subscribe to newsletter

You're viewing this site as a domestic an international student

You're a domestic student if you are:

• a citizen of Australia or New Zealand,
• an Australian permanent resident, or
• a holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa.

You're an international student if you are:

• intending to study on a student visa,
• not a citizen of Australia or New Zealand,
• not an Australian permanent resident, or
• a temporary resident (visa status) of Australia.

We have the answers to your research questions.

07 3346 0503

+61 7 3346 0503

 Send an enquiry

Email us, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

[email protected]

Doctor of Philosophy

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is an internationally recognised graduate research program that will enable you to become an independent researcher. 

With the guidance of an advisory team, you'll undertake a research project, produce an 80,000-word thesis and complete an oral examination.

A PhD takes 3 to 4 years full-time. Under guidance, you'll develop advanced research skills and knowledge in your chosen field.

The thesis is a substantial document that makes an original contribution to your field of research. Your thesis may involve an alternate format .

You'll need a strong academic background and you may need to submit a research proposal and other documents to support your application. About 1,000 PhD candidates join UQ each year researching a wide range of topics.

Research at UQ

UQ is one of Australia’s top research-intensive universities. Our research makes an impact on the world's cultural, environmental, economic and social challenges.

Learn more about UQ's research

Program highlights

• Be inspired and challenged to explore new ideas and develop greater understanding of complex questions with leading researchers.
• Access premier resources including one of Australia’s largest libraries, with more than 2 million physical resources and 116,800+ journal subscriptions.
• Foster and improve your skills through the Career Development Framework, created with industry.
• Learn from researchers whose work addresses national and global cultural, environmental, economic and social challenges.

41 in the world

CWTS Leiden Ranking 2024

63 in the world

Academic Ranking of World Universities 2024

Supervision

You have to find and contact a thesis supervisor before you apply

This supervisor will support, guide and mentor you through your research, and can introduce you to professional networks that will start your career.

Find a supervisor

3-Minute Thesis

The showcase event for research candidates is the 3-Minute Thesis (3MT). 

3MT is held each spring.

Learn more about the 3MT

Career development

UQ offers a range of development opportunities via the Career Development Framework (CDF) to help you develop portable skills for any career or industry.

Learn more about the CDF

Studying at UQ gave me the flexibility to expand my knowledge across different areas of science outside of my chosen specialty. Keeping my scientific and translational skills broad has allowed me to adapt to different environments and opportunities throughout my career.

28 November

Discover postgraduate Master of Medicine (Skin Cancer)

13 January - 13 January

Institute of Modern Languages High School Enrichment Program

International Baccalaureate Research Skills Program

Is exercise physiology a good career?

6-minute read

How to become a speech pathologist

5-minute read

What's it like to study a postgraduate degree in social work?

9-minute read

Entry requirements

Gpa equivalent.

Select where you studied and your qualification to see the GPA you need to be considered for this program.

Meeting the GPA requirement doesn’t guarantee admission.

Academic entry requirements

You have to prove you are prepared for PhD study. You do this by showing you:

• have completed some research experience
• have completed an approved university degree  and
• can meet the English language requirements.

Approved degrees

An approved degree needs to be:

• in an area relevant to your proposed PhD project and
• completed no more than 10 years ago.

You need one of the following approved degrees to apply for a PhD:

• Master of Philosophy (or another research master’s degree); or
• Bachelor’s degree from an approved university with at least honours class IIA or equivalent; or
• Coursework master’s degree with an overall grade point average of 5.65 on the 7-point UQ scale which includes relevant research experience, approved by the dean; or
• Postgraduate degree (at least one year full-time or equivalent) with an overall grade point average of 5 on the 7-point UQ scale, together with demonstrated research experience equivalent to honours class IIA will be considered on a case-by-case basis; or
• Bachelor’s degree plus at least 2 years of relevant research experience , including research publications.

Research experience

You'll meet the requirements for admission into a PhD in terms of 'research preparedness' if you can provide evidence that you've planned and executed project work and/or a body of research with some independence.

To demonstrate this, we'll ask you to provide one of the following:

• with completed courses that aim to develop research skills (minimum value of #1 unit e.g. 50 per cent of a #2 unit course), and/or
• the completion of a supervised research project that includes an individually graded written report with a combined minimum course volume equal to #4 units at UQ.
• Scholarly papers involving a substantial contribution as an author, appearing in recognised academic journals or in volumes published by recognised academic publishers.
• Research or technical reports prepared for industry, government or business, which adhere to the broad conventions of academic publishing (i.e. contain an up-to-date review of relevant literature, a description of relevant research methods and an evaluation of results, etc.) and which identify you as a significant contributor.
• A portfolio of published creative work together with published critical discussion of some or all of that work, or of a comparable body of work by others, and which demonstrates your development of a scholarly approach to creative work as research investigation.
• Demonstrable industry or work experience where you can demonstrate that you have planned and executed a project, working with a high level of independence.

Student visas

International students who are accepted into full-time study in the Doctor of Philosophy are eligible to apply for an Australian Student visa (subclass 500).

This program has two CRICOS codes:

• 0100213 – Architecture, creative arts, education, health, information technology, management and commerce, mathematical sciences, social and cultural studies
• 0100214 – Agriculture and environmental studies, dentistry, engineering, human movement, medical studies, natural and physical sciences, pharmacy, psychology, veterinary science

Discuss your proposed project with us to determine which CRICOS code is most relevant for your visa application.

There are a number of requirements you must satisfy before a visa is granted, including the genuine temporary entrant (GTE) requirement.

Learn more about student visas

Additional entry requirements

Many departments will have additional entry requirements and may request documents to support your application, such as a research proposal. You should discuss these additional requirements with your potential thesis supervisor.

Additional application information

Minimum English language proficiency requirements apply, please refer to the English proficiency policy .

English language requirements

There are a few ways you can meet our English language requirements. If you sit a test, the following scores are needed for PhD admission:

Read our English language requirements

Scholarships

There are several types of PhD scholarship:

• tuition fee scholarship : this covers the fees charged by UQ for PhD study
• living stipend scholarship: this is a   fortnightly payment (or stipend) to support your daily expenses
• top-up scholarship: may be provided by external organisations, supervisors, or philanthropic donations. When awarded, they provide an additional payment on top of a living stipend scholarship. They cannot be held without a living stipend scholarship.

Each year, we award more than 600 scholarships to attract and support the highest quality higher degree by research applicants.

View all postgraduate research scholarships

University scholarships

UQ scholarships include:

• Graduate School Scholarships
• Graduate School Tuition Fees Scholarship
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarships
• Earmarked Scholarships
• The Graduate School Scholarship

Other scholarships

Throughout the year we advertise a range of other research scholarships, including top-up scholarships, travel grants and external scholarships, including:

• Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship

How to apply for a scholarship

You can apply for many scholarships using the same form as your PhD application. External scholarships might have different ways to apply. 

Our Scholarships website explains how to apply for each scholarship. If you are applying for a non-UQ scholarship, outcome dates may vary.

Fees and costs

Tuition fees.

Your fees will vary according to your academic field, study load and whether you study internally or remotely.

Learn more about postgraduate research fees

Research costs

The department you enrol with will meet all necessary costs for your project, including:

• resource and facility costs: at UQ, which may include other organisations in Australia or overseas
• travel costs: to complete fieldwork, collect data, or to visit libraries or other repositories
• coursework costs: for courses studied outside the department
• relevant training: in particular methodologies or techniques.

How to apply

Before you apply, 1. check your eligibility.

Check your eligibility by reviewing the entry requirements for UQ's Higher Degrees by Research. If applying for a scholarship, check the scholarship's eligibility and important dates.

2. Approach a potential supervisor or find a project

You'll either need to find:

• a supervisor in your field who will support your proposed project.  Find a supervisor .
• a project you can join that suits your interests.  See available projects .

If you're choosing a supervisor, you'll need to find one with relevant expertise and get agreement to support your PhD and project.

Many departments will require additional information to make a decision around your motivation, understanding, commitment, and financial support required.

They may request documents to support your application, such as a research proposal. You should discuss these additional requirements with your potential thesis supervisor.

3. Gather your documents

You will need to compile the necessary documents. We will accept scanned copies of original documents, but you will have to keep all original documents for the duration of your studies.

Upload all documents as PDFs and name your files like this: LASTNAME_firstname_document-name.pdf

If any of your documents is in a language other than English, you will need to send both the original document and an official translation.

Send the following documents with your application:

An academic CV assists us to determine your readiness to commence a higher degree by research. For the purposes of this application, your academic CV should be current (i.e. no more than 6 months old) and include information under the following headings:

Personal details

• your full name
• your contact details (phone number, email address, city and country of residence)
• nationality
• languages spoken and proficiency level for each
• your ORCID ID or other research output identifier (such as Google Scholar) if you have one (see the ORCID ID and research identifiers information provided by UQ Library).

As the purpose of this academic CV is to determine your academic suitability for a higher degree by research program at UQ and your competitiveness against other applicants, we only require information that is of direct relevance to our decision-making processes. With this in mind, please do not include the following in your academic CV:

• photographs/head shot
• marital status
• driver’s license
• date of birth/age
• hobbies and interests.

Educational qualifications and academic awards

List each of your formal educational qualifications in reverse chronological order (i.e. with the most recent formal educational qualification listed first). For each qualification, include:

• the commencing and end dates (month and year) for the qualification
• the full title of the qualification (e.g. Bachelor of Arts instead of B.A.)
• the institution attended and the enrolling school/administrative unit
• the city and country where the institution is located
• your Grade Point Average (GPA) for the overall qualification
• any academic achievement awards (e.g. Dean’s awards, subject prizes, University medals, thesis prizes etc.) received for the qualification
• if a research thesis was part of the qualification, include the title and word length of your dissertation.

As part of your application, please submit academic transcripts and degree certificates for each educational qualification you list.

Please do not include:

• high school qualifications
• the individual subjects/courses undertaken throughout your qualifications or the grades awarded for these
• training courses/professional development activities not resulting in a formal qualification.

Professional affiliations and memberships

List any professional/disciplinary associations or committees that you a member of and include:

• the commencing and end date (in years) for the affiliation/membership
• the name of the professional association or committee
• your membership type (e.g. student member, affiliate member, full member etc.) or role (e.g. committee member, secretary, president etc.).

Employment history

List each of your previous employment roles in reverse chronological order (i.e. with the most recent/current employment listed first) and include:

• the commencing and end dates (month and year) for the employment
• the title of each position
• the name of the employing organisation, the city, and country where you were based
• your main duties or accountabilities in that role, providing detailed information on any research-related activities
• any achievements during that role that are relevant to your proposed field of research .

Other research experience

List any voluntary, unpaid, or extra-curricular research-related projects or experiences you have undertaken (e.g. summer research projects, internships etc.) and include:

• the commencing and end dates (month and year) of the experience
• the name of the organisation, the city, and country where you were based

Research outputs

In reverse chronological order (i.e. the most recent output first) list your research outputs,  including for example research published or accepted for publication, research reports, and research by creative practice.

If needed, use sub-headings to separate refereed journal articles, published conference proceedings, edited book chapters, books, creative works, industry reports, invited papers, patents, media commentary, conference presentations and posters, invited talks etc. If applicable, use additional sub-headings to indicate if outputs are published , accepted for publication (but not yet in print), or (submitted but) under review .

Do not include any outputs/publications that are ‘in preparation’ .

For all research outputs, include:

• the output/publication reference using an official bibliographical style (such as Turabian/Chicago, APA, Harvard), including listing all authors in the order that they appear in the work with your name in bold
• the Digital Object Identifier (DOI), PubMed Identifier (PMID), International Standard Book Number (ISBN) or URL where applicable
• the standing of the journal or conference and the impact of the work (e.g. impact factors, citations and other metrics indicators)
• relevant indicators of national or international significance
• rejection rates for the outlet etc.
• how much of the original research you were responsible for (i.e. what was your role in the conception and design of the project and how involved were you in the analysis and interpretation of the research data on which the publication is based?)
• the extent to which you authored the paper.

Research grants and relevant awards

Include only those research grants and relevant awards that you have received at the time of making your application (i.e. do not list grants or awards that you applied for and did not receive or are awaiting a decision on). For each research grant/award, include:

• the name of the granting/awarding body and the country in which they are based
• the name of the grant/award
• the year(s) in which the grant was active or the year in which the award was made
• the amount of the research grant/award
• if relevant (e.g. for research grants), the title of your application.

Applicants from creative and professional-based disciplines may also include non-research grants and awards related to their creative or professional practice.

Research achievements relative to opportunity (optional)

In recognition of the diverse personal and professional pathways that applicants have experienced, you are invited to provide information ( maximum 200 words ) to contextualise your research outputs and achievements, relative to the opportunities that you have had to participate in research-related activities.

This section of the CV is optional and should only be included if you believe there are factors relevant to your research achievements that you would like the selection panels to know. Examples of factors include (but are not limited to):

• study/career disruptions due to illness, caregiving, natural disasters etc.
• non-linear academic or career progression, or a change in career direction
• reduced ability to take up research-related opportunities (e.g. attend conferences) due to caregiving responsibilities.

Academic referees

Please provide us with two referees who can comment on your academic work. For each referee, include their:

• honorific and name
• employing organisation and the city and country where they are located
• contact details, including office address, telephone, fax and email (preferably an institutional, rather than private, email address)
• an indication of the capacity in which you know this person (e.g. were they a lecturer or thesis supervisor, an employer, how long you’ve known them etc.). 

If possible, please include at least one:

• senior person (preferably your supervisor or the head of your organisational unit) closely associated with your current work, and
• person who is not a member of your proposed advisory panel/supervisory team.

Formatting and document specifications

We recommend that you use the below formatting settings to improve the readability of your CV:

• margins of at least 1.5 centimetres
• single line spacing
• no smaller than 12 point Times New Roman font (or equivalent)
• left justify text (not full justify)
• include your name and page number on each page
• be consistent in your formatting and spelling throughout
• limit the use of bold, underline, italics, and multiple font types.

Please proofread your CV carefully before uploading it to your application.

Save as a PDF and name your file: LASTNAME_firstname_CV.pdf

There is no page limit to your academic CV – it can be as long as required to include the information requested here.

Please include in your CV all the headings listed above – if you do not have any content to add for a particular heading please list ‘None to date’ under that heading .

An academic CV for employment purposes within Australia would not include the information requested here outlining your three most significant publications or your research achievements relative to opportunity. It would, however, include information about professional and service activities undertaken and may include a summary of your relevant research/teaching interest areas and skill sets – this information is not required in the CV you submit here for application to an HDR program.

This should show all study you have undertaken since secondary school, whether complete or incomplete, including the institution grading scale. The grading scale is often found on the final page or the reverse page; be sure to include all pages.

An academic transcript can also be called an:

• academic record
• diploma supplement
• statement of learning
• record of achievement.

A degree certificate is a legal document, imprinted with a university seal. It should state the name of your qualification and areas of study.

Include all degree certificates (testamurs) for post-secondary study with your application. If you studied in China, you must provide a:

• award certificate and
• graduate statement/certificate.

All applicants have to prove they can meet English language requirements . Any test scores have to be valid at your proposed commencement date.

Include a copy of the information page (with your photo) in your passport. This will verify your identity and ensure we can make offers correctly.

Include the contact details of two referees who will support your application. These referees will need to provide insight into your research experience.

We will contact your referees for a report, but you will need to enter their details into the application form.

Other documentation, originals or certified copies, may be required depending on your individual circumstances, for example:

• evidence of change of name
• proof of citizenship, if you are not a citizen of Australia or New Zealand by birth
• evidence of your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status
• previous research program information .

If you don't provide us with all documents it will take us longer to process your application. Your start date might then be delayed, or you might miss an admission or scholarship deadline. 

4. Apply online

Once you have prepared your application and contacted a potential supervisor, use the online application form to apply. Your application can only be assessed once your referees have responded to us, and all outstanding documents and school/institute endorsements have been received.

Important dates

The academic year for research students is divided into 4 research quarters (RQ).

If your project or scholarship doesn't have specific application dates, refer to the application dates in this table.

Make sure you check  scholarship round application deadlines  and outcome dates before applying.

You must first receive an offer before you can apply for an Australian student visa. To allow enough time for your visa to be processed, apply at least 6 months before your preferred start date .

If you're already onshore and have a student visa, you may be able to commence earlier.

The agreed start date will be included in your Confirmation of Enrolment and Offer Date.

Find out more about research quarter dates .

The academic year for research students is divided into four research quarters (RQ). You can start a PhD in any quarter, as long as the Census Date hasn't passed.

Candidates applying for a UQ scholarship may need to apply earlier. Make sure you check scholarship round application deadlines and outcome dates before applying.

The agreed start date will be included on your offer of admission.

Find out more about research quarter dates

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants

For support with applying – or if you have any questions about university life – get in touch with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit.

Contact the ATSIS Unit

Explore other programs

Express yourself. and your interest..

They say choosing a degree is hard, which is why we've made it easy. Register your interest and we'll send you everything you need to know about applying to UQ.

Sign up for updates

We will use your information to keep you informed about UQ programs, news, events and scholarships. By submitting this form, you consent to the terms of UQ's Marketing consent and privacy notice .