Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship 2027: Master’s by Research & PhD

The Australian Government Research Training Program — almost always called the RTP — is the main way the Australian Government funds research training, and for most international and domestic students it is the single most important scholarship for a master’s by research or a PhD in Australia. For 2027, the RTP full-time base stipend rate is AUD 35,550 per year (AUD 34,315 in 2026), and universities may pay above that base rate up to a maximum of AUD 55,537. But the RTP works differently from the scholarships you may know from other countries, and misunderstanding its structure is the number one reason strong applicants miss out. There is no central application portal, no national deadline, and no application you can send to the government. The Australian Government gives RTP funding to eligible universities as annual block grants; each university runs its own scholarship rounds, sets its own closing dates, ranks its own applicants and makes its own offers. Your RTP application is therefore only ever as good as your application to a specific university — and this guide explains how to build one that can win.

In the pages that follow you will find the verified 2026 and 2027 stipend rates and how they are indexed, exactly what an RTP scholarship can include (stipend, tuition fee offset and allowances), who is eligible, how long support lasts for a PhD and a research master’s, the supervisor-first application strategy that experienced applicants use, the documents universities expect, how selection ranking actually works, and the mistakes that quietly eliminate otherwise excellent candidates. Whether you are in Dhaka, Delhi, Karachi, Kathmandu, Lagos or Jakarta, the process described here is the same — because it is set by the Commonwealth Scholarships Guidelines and administered by the university you choose. Browse research destinations in our university directory and compare institutions in our rankings explorer as you read.

RTP Scholarship at a Glance

How the RTP Actually Works: Block Grants, Not a National Competition

Since 1 January 2017 the RTP has replaced three older schemes — the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA), the International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) and the Research Training Scheme (RTS) — with one flexible programme. The Department of Education states the programme’s objectives plainly: to provide flexible funding to support the training of domestic and overseas students undertaking higher degrees by research at Australian higher education providers; to deliver graduates with the skills to build careers in academia and other sectors; and to support collaboration between universities and industry and other research end-users.

The mechanical point that matters for applicants is the funding formula. Each eligible university’s annual RTP grant is calculated from its relative performance in attracting research income and supporting HDR students to completion. Big research-intensive universities therefore receive large RTP allocations and run large scholarship rounds; smaller and regional universities receive smaller allocations and run smaller, sometimes more targeted rounds. A student’s chance of an RTP offer depends on the size of the pool at the university they apply to and on their rank within that university’s applicant pool — which is why applying to two or three well-chosen universities, rather than pinning everything on the most famous name, is a rational strategy. The Department also operates an industry internship weighting inside the funding formula to encourage early, written internship agreements between research doctorate students, their university and a research end-user — a sign of how strongly the programme now values industry-connected research training.

Universities can offer an RTP scholarship as one or more of three components, and offers differ in composition. An RTP Fees Offset covers tuition fees for the HDR course. An RTP Stipend contributes to general living costs at a rate at or above the national base rate. RTP Allowances contribute to ancillary costs of the degree — depending on the university, relocation costs, thesis production or binding, and similar items, sometimes including support toward Overseas Student Health Cover for international students. When you receive an offer, read which components are included: a stipend-only offer at a university where international tuition is high is a very different financial proposition from a combined fees-offset-plus-stipend offer. The University of Technology Sydney’s published RTP Stipend page is a typical example of how one university presents its component — a living allowance valued above the base rate, with stated open and close dates for its round and a duration of up to 3.5 years for a PhD and 2 years for a research master’s. Other universities publish different values and dates, which is precisely the point: the national programme sets the floor and the framework, and each university sets its own offer.

Eligibility

Eligibility has two layers: the Commonwealth-level conditions that apply everywhere, and the admission requirements of the university and programme you choose.

• You must be undertaking (or applying to undertake) a higher degree by research — a research doctorate or research master’s — at an eligible Australian higher education provider. Coursework master’s and bachelor’s degrees are not RTP-eligible, no matter how research-flavoured their marketing sounds; if the course does not lead to an HDR award, it is outside the programme.
• Both domestic and international students are eligible. The RTP explicitly supports overseas students as well as domestic students. International applicants must also meet student visa requirements separately — an RTP offer supports a visa application but never guarantees one.
• You must meet the university’s HDR entry requirements. Typically this means a bachelor’s degree with honours (commonly first class or upper second class) or a master’s degree with a substantial research component, or qualifications and research experience the university assesses as equivalent. Exact thresholds differ by university and discipline.
• English language requirements set by the university for the programme must be met, usually through an approved test or prior study in English, according to that university’s rules.
• Equivalent-award limits apply. Universities apply the Commonwealth rule that a student generally cannot hold an RTP stipend while receiving an equivalent award, stipend or salary providing a benefit greater than 75 per cent of the RTP stipend rate to undertake the same HDR. Income from work unrelated to the course of study is treated differently — check your university’s conditions for the current wording, as the UTS conditions quoted in our research illustrate this rule in practice.
• Previous HDR study can reduce your period of support. If you have already consumed part of a research degree elsewhere, universities deduct that period when calculating how much RTP support remains available to you.

Browse the research strengths of individual institutions before you apply — for example our profile of the University of Melbourne — and always confirm programme-level entry requirements on the university’s own graduate research pages, because a faculty can set a higher bar than the university minimum.

Benefits and Coverage in Detail

Two financial realities deserve emphasis. First, the stipend is designed as a contribution to living costs for a single student living modestly; it is not designed to support a family in a capital city on its own, and dependants’ costs, visa fees and initial relocation are expenses you should budget for separately before accepting. Second, because universities may pay above the base rate — some pay a flat university rate to all RTP holders, others reserve top-ups for particular faculties or schemes — the actual stipend in your offer letter is the only figure that matters. Compare offers on their real numbers, not on the national base rate quoted in articles like this one.

Programs and Fields

The RTP is discipline-neutral: any accredited HDR programme at a participating university can be supported, across sciences, medicine, engineering and technology, humanities, social sciences, business, law, education, creative arts and interdisciplinary fields. What differs by field is supervision capacity and round competitiveness. Laboratory-based STEM fields often tie scholarship offers to a supervisor’s research programme and facilities; humanities and social science offers hinge more heavily on the quality and feasibility of the written proposal. Professional doctorates by research can be eligible where the award is an HDR, but coursework doctorates are not. If your background is a coursework master’s with little research training, some universities offer research master’s pathways (including MPhil degrees) that both build your research record and fit the RTP’s two-year master’s window — a credible stepping stone to a later PhD application. Students comparing the RTP with other flagship awards should also read our guide to Australia Awards Scholarships (which can support research master’s for eligible countries, under different conditions) and our country guidance in the study abroad section.

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Confirm your HDR eligibility early. Check that your qualifications meet typical HDR entry standards (honours or research master’s equivalence) and that your English evidence will be valid at application.
2. Choose universities deliberately — usually two or three. You may apply for an RTP scholarship at more than one provider; the Department of Education says so explicitly. Choose on supervisor fit, research environment and round size, not prestige alone.
3. Find and contact potential supervisors. Read recent papers from the group, then write a short, specific email: who you are, your research record, the problem you want to work on, why it fits their programme, and that you intend to apply for admission with RTP scholarship consideration in their next round. Supervisors cannot award you an RTP — but a faculty that wants you will rank and advocate for your application, and many universities will not progress an HDR application without supervisor agreement.
4. Develop the research proposal with that fit in mind. Follow each university’s template and length rules exactly; a proposal that ignores the host group’s methods and facilities reads as generic everywhere it lands.
5. Submit the university’s HDR admission and scholarship application by that university’s round deadline. At many universities one application covers both admission and scholarship consideration if you tick the RTP box and upload all documents by the scholarship date; at others a separate scholarship form is required. The UTS example in our research — a published round with fixed open and close dates and a warning that incomplete and late applications will not be considered — is how seriously to take these dates.
6. Complete referee reports and any interviews. Referees are usually contacted directly by the university; brief yours early and give them your proposal and CV.
7. Respond to the outcome and read the offer conditions. Offers specify components, rate, duration, commencement window and conditions (including acknowledgement of Commonwealth support — RTP-supported students are now asked to acknowledge the funding using the programme’s DOI in outputs, and to add it to their ORCID profile if they have one). Accept by the stated date; scholarship offers lapse.
8. Apply for your student visa (international students) using the university’s Confirmation of Enrolment, and plan commencement within the window your offer allows.

Required Documents

Exact lists are set by each university, but a complete RTP-ready application pack almost always contains: certified academic transcripts and degree certificates for all tertiary study (with certified English translations where applicable); a research proposal in the university’s format; an academic CV highlighting publications, conference papers, research employment and awards; evidence of English language proficiency; identification and citizenship/residency documents; two (sometimes three) academic referee reports, normally submitted through the university’s system; and, where relevant, a portfolio or writing sample for creative and humanities fields, ethics or field-specific clearances for clinical research, and evidence of any prior HDR enrolment so the university can calculate your remaining period of support. Keep one master folder — you will submit near-identical packs to each university, adjusted for its template.

Deadlines and Timeline

The only national dates in the RTP system are the indexation dates above. Everything else — round openings, closings, outcome dates — belongs to the university. The Department of Education’s instruction could not be clearer: RTP scholarship applications cannot be made through the Department; contact your chosen provider directly. Its official programme page is the Research Training Program page on education.gov.au, and a typical university presentation is the UTS RTP Stipend page.

Selection Criteria and How to Improve Your Chances

Universities rank RTP applicants competitively, and while each publishes its own rubric, the recurring elements are academic merit (grades, and the standing of your prior institution and degree), research potential and experience (publications, thesis marks, research employment), the quality and feasibility of the proposal, supervisor and faculty endorsement, and alignment with the university’s research strengths and available resources. Improvement is therefore practical, not mysterious. Publish or present something from your master’s or honours research, even at a local conference. Choose referees who supervised your research and can write in specifics. Tailor the proposal to a named supervisor’s programme and the faculty’s facilities. Apply in the main round rather than a residual round where fewer scholarships remain. And apply to more than one university — the block-grant structure means your ranking is relative to a local pool, and a near-miss at an oversubscribed university can be a clear offer at another excellent one.

Students whose first language is not English should also use the preparation resources in our test preparation section early: a borderline English result can delay an otherwise competitive application past the round deadline. If your immediate goal is regional study with research ambitions, you may also find our guide to the (now closed) Destination Australia Scholarship useful — it explains which regional alternatives, including RTP at regional campuses, replaced that programme.

Common Mistakes

• Looking for a central application portal or a national deadline. Neither exists; every week spent searching for one is a week not spent with supervisors.
• Applying for admission but missing the scholarship round date. At many universities the scholarship deadline is earlier than the admission deadline — sometimes months earlier for international applicants.
• Submitting the same generic proposal to every university. Panels can tell; fit is a selection criterion, not a courtesy.
• Contacting supervisors with a form email and no research idea. Supervisors triage ruthlessly; specificity is respect for their time.
• Assuming the base rate is the offer. Universities pay different rates and include different components — compare written offers, not headlines.
• Ignoring the 75 per cent equivalent-award rule and discovering a conflict of funding after accepting.
• Budgeting the stipend as family income in a high-cost city. The stipend is calibrated to a single student’s living costs; plan dependants’ costs separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the RTP stipend in 2027?

The full-time base rate is AUD 35,550 per year from 1 January 2027 (AUD 34,315 in 2026), indexed annually. Universities may pay above the base rate up to a maximum of AUD 55,537 in 2027, using their own funds — so your actual stipend is the rate in your university’s offer, which at a number of universities sits above the base rate.

Can international students get the RTP?

Yes. The RTP supports both domestic and overseas students undertaking HDRs at Australian universities. International recipients must separately satisfy student visa requirements; the scholarship does not itself grant or guarantee a visa.

Where do I apply for the RTP?

Directly to each university you are targeting. The Department of Education does not accept RTP scholarship applications — funding reaches students only through the block grants paid to eligible higher education providers, which run their own application and selection processes. You may apply at more than one university.

Does the RTP cover tuition fees?

It can. Universities may offer an RTP Fees Offset covering tuition, an RTP Stipend, and RTP Allowances, in any combination. Read your offer letter to confirm exactly which components are included and for how long, because the composition varies by university and by round.

How long does RTP support last?

For a research doctorate, a minimum of three years and a maximum of four years full-time at the university’s discretion; for a research master’s, up to two years full-time. Part-time study extends these periods pro-rata. Approved suspensions and certain additional paid leave can extend the period of support under the Guidelines.

Is a coursework master’s eligible for the RTP?

No. The RTP supports higher degrees by research only — research doctorates and research master’s degrees. Coursework programmes, graduate diplomas and bachelor’s degrees are outside the programme, whatever scholarships the university may offer for them separately.

What grades do I need to be competitive?

There is no national cut-off, because ranking is done by each university. In practice, competitive applicants typically hold honours (first or upper second class) or a research master’s with strong results, plus evidence of research potential such as a well-marked thesis, publications or research employment. A keen supervisor’s endorsement and a feasible, well-fitted proposal materially affect ranking.

Can I hold the RTP together with another scholarship or a job?

You generally cannot hold an RTP stipend alongside an equivalent award, stipend or salary providing more than 75 per cent of the RTP stipend rate for the same degree. Income from work unrelated to your course is treated separately under the conditions. HDR students commonly undertake limited teaching or research-assistant work, subject to their university’s rules and, for international students, visa work conditions — confirm both before accepting hours.

Sources & Verification

• Australian Government Department of Education — Research Training Program page: objectives, block-grant funding model, application route via providers, periods of support, and the official stipend table (2025: AUD 33,511 base; 2026: AUD 34,315 base / AUD 53,608 maximum; 2027: AUD 35,550 base / AUD 55,537 maximum).
• Higher Education Support (Commonwealth Scholarships) Guidelines 2025, as summarised on the Department of Education RTP page (support periods, leave and suspension treatment, acknowledgement requirements).
• University of Technology Sydney — Australian Government Research Training Program Stipend page: an example university presentation (university rate above base, round dates, duration, 75 per cent rule wording).
• Australian National University RTP round dates, as published for recent cycles and cited here as an example pattern only — verify the current round on ANU’s own site before relying on it.

Disclaimer: Scholarship details change yearly; RTP rates are indexed each 1 January and university rounds, rates and components change between cycles. Always confirm deadlines and amounts on the official website of the Department of Education and your chosen university before applying. StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency — we cannot promise selection, admission or visa approval.