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Australia Closing soon Closes 31 October 2026

Melbourne International Scholarships (Graduate Research)

The Melbourne International Scholarships sit inside the University of Melbourne's Graduate Research Scholarships scheme, the university's flagship funding programme for international Master's-by-Research and PhD candidates. Awards are made on academic merit and research potential — there is no separate application form. Every eligible HDR applicant is automatically considered when they apply for admission.

Open year-round — main international round closes 31 October 2026 for 2027 commencement

University of Melbourne

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Living Stipend

AUD 39,500/yr (2026 rate)

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Duration

Up to 2 yrs (MRes) / 3.5 yrs (PhD)

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Extras

Full Fee Offset + AUD 3,000 Relocation + OSHC

info How this award actually works

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Who awards it

University of Melbourne — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.

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How you are considered

Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.

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What it covers

Full Fee Offset + AUD 39,500 Stipend. This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.

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Where we come in

We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Strong Bachelor's + Research Background

Hold (or be about to complete) a Bachelor's with first-class honours or equivalent, OR a Bachelor's plus a research Master's. Sri Lankan first-class graduates from Colombo, Peradeniya, Moratuwa, or Jaffna are typically competitive.

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Admission to a Melbourne HDR Programme

You must have applied for (or hold an offer for) an eligible Master's by Research or PhD at the University of Melbourne. The scholarship is not available for coursework Master's programmes.

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English Proficiency

IELTS 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0 (humanities and education require 7.0). TOEFL iBT, PTE, and Cambridge English Advanced are also accepted.

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Research Output Helps

While not strictly required, peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, or a strong honours/Master's thesis materially improve your ranking in the merit pool.

account_tree Application Process

Find a Melbourne supervisor

Browse the Find an Expert directory at findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au, shortlist 2-3 supervisors, and email them with your CV and research proposal. Securing supervisor interest is essential before the formal application.

Apply for HDR admission

Submit your graduate research application via the University of Melbourne online portal — research proposal (2-3 pages), supervisor confirmation, transcripts, two academic references, English-test result.

Automatic scholarship consideration

There is no separate scholarship form. Every eligible HDR applicant who applies by the relevant round deadline is automatically ranked for a Graduate Research Scholarship — domestic and international students are scored on the same merit criteria.

Outcome and acceptance

Scholarship outcomes are issued with (or shortly after) the admission offer. You must accept the scholarship within the published timeframe to retain it.

Why University of Melbourne?

Ranked #13 globally and consistently Australia's #1 university, Melbourne hosts more than 8,000 graduate researchers and produces a substantial share of Australia's research output. Strong Sri Lankan alumni community in Melbourne supports new arrivals through MUSAA (Melbourne University Sri Lankan Alumni Association).

#13

QS World Ranking 2026

#1

in Australia (QS / Times)

8,000+

Graduate Researchers Enrolled

Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?

Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.

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