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Medical Scholarships

General information

Information about some of the established medical scholarship schemes offered by external funding bodies is provided below.

There are also many one-off scholarships in medical research that are offered throughout the year, often funded by research grants held by University of Sydney academic staff and linked to specific research projects. You can find details of these by subscribing to our Weekly Research Scholarships Email Bulletin, or by running keyword searches on our Research Scholarship Database (see our Current Research Scholarships page). You can also check the Sydney Medical School website for details of other scholarships offered directly by the Medical School and the Faculty of Health Sciences website for details of other scholarships offered directly by the Faculty .

Please note that applications for funding from external funding bodies require close attention to detail, and the Scholarships Office often provides specific application guidelines for applicants. Please ensure that you check these guidelines before starting your application and bear in mind that the Scholarships Office normally sets an earlier closing date than the funding body in order to check eligibility and secure signatures.

News Items

CINSW Research Awards - Pfizer Studentship 2012
In partnership with the Cancer Institute NSW, Pfizer is making available a Studentship to create an opportunity for career advancement in the field and promote opportunities for research to progress. The Pfizer Studentship 2012 will recognise an outstanding PhD student whose achievements to date mark them out as likely to distinguish them in cancer research in the future.

The Studentship consists of a six month placement at Pfizer La Jolla California USA, one of Pfizer's major research and development sites. The candidate's research must be lab based and applicable to the work undertaken at the La Jolla facility. The placement can be taken up and completed at any time during 2012-13, by negotiation with Pfizer.

Further information can be found on the CINSW website. Applications close 5pm Friday, 15 June 2012.

Funding Opportunities

More information

Arrow-Hawkesbury Canoe Classic PhD Scholarship - CLOSED

Applications closed on 16 March 2012.

The Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation (Arrow) is offering a supplementary scholarship for students commencing an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) or comparable competitive postgraduate scholarship in 2012. This biomedical research scholarship will be in the area of leukaemia and/or stem cell therapy.

Applicants must be Australian citizens or have Permanent Residency status.

Further information is available from http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/1038.

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Alzheimer's Australia Research (AAR) Scholarships 2011 - CLOSED

Applications for 2012 closed on 31 October 2011.

The AAR Dementia Scholarships are offered as a PhD scholarship to students undertaking a research PhD in an area relevant to an aspect of dementia. The scholarships are typically awarded for three years, with a value of $30,000 per annum.

To be eligible the applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia. Applicants who have been resident in Australia for at least two years and have evidence of eligibility and application for permanent residency may also be eligible for the AAR Postgraduate Research Scholarship in Dementia.

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Asthma Foundation NSW Research PhD Scholarships - CLOSED

Applications for 2012 scholarships closed on 30 November 2011.

Competitive PhD Scholarships are available for university graduates to engage in research in an area relevant to asthma. Asthma Foundation NSW is particularly interested in supporting research relevant to the causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of asthma. Research focus could also include social policy research associated with social, emotional and financial aspects of the disease and of disadvantaged groups.

Applicants must be Australian citizens or hold Australian Permanent Resident status. Please note that the University applies the APA rule to postgraduate research scholarship stipends, i.e. you must be enrolled full-time in order to commence the scholarship. Part-time approval can only be requested if you have an ongoing medical condition or heavy carer commitments (e.g. you are the primary carer for a baby or young child) which prevent full-time enrolment.

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Asthma Foundation NSW Khancoban Travel Grant - CLOSED

Applications closed on 30 November 2011.

The Travel Grant is offered to support researchers working in any area of asthma research to travel to research institutions, scientific meetings or conferences to disseminate research findings, outline current research or expand their expertise in asthma research.

The Grant may be used to cover a return airfare, plus registration, accommodation and ancillary expenses. Priority will be given to applications which show evidence of seeking matching funds.

Applicants must be Australian citizens or hold Australian Permanent Residency. The Grant targets the early career development of young asthma researchers, eg PhD students, young investigators or allied health and nursing professionals engaged in asthma research.

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Australian Pain Society and Australian Pain Relief Association PhD Scholarship - OPEN

Applications must be submitted to the Scholarships Office by Tuesday, 15 May 2012.

The Australian Pain Society (APS) is a Multidisciplinary Society whose charter is to improve the education, research and development, diagnosis and treatment of all forms of pain. Australian Pain Relief Association (APRA) is a registered charity and works closely with the APS to support education and research in pain.

The award is to enable full time research leading to a Doctor of Philosophy or equivalent, at any recognised Australian University. The funded project can be related to any aspect of the mechanisms, diagnosis or treatment of acute or chronic pain.

The applicant must be an Australian citizen and the applicant and his/her supervisor must be members of the APS.

Further information and application instructions can be found at http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/982.

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Australian Rotary Health Funding Partners PhD Scholarships - OPEN

Applications must be submitted to the Scholarships Office by Friday, 29 June 2012.

Applications for PhD Scholarships are being called for by Australian Rotary Health. Several scholarships are available. Please note that not all scholarships advertised are open to University of Sydney students.

Applicants must be eligible to undertake study at an appropriate University or Research Institute in Australia. Applicants must be about to commence a PhD, or be in the first year of a PhD at a University or research institute in Australia. (Please note: the Scholarship tenure will be reduced by any periods of study undertaken towards the degree prior to the commencement of the Scholarship.)

Applicants must be Australian citizens or Australian Permanent Residents and not be under bond to any foreign government. Applicants enrolled in a combined research/coursework degree are not eligible to apply.

For further information and application instructions, please see http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/1109.

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The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) Research Scholarship - CLOSED

Applications for 2012 scholarships closed on 23 September 2011.

The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand invites applications for research scholarships which are intended to enable CSANZ Members to undertake a period of training in research under the full-time supervision of a nominated responsible investigator. Scholarships are awarded for research into cardiovascular disease and related disorders.

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Centre for Integrated Research and Understanding of Sleep (CIRUS) - Clinical Research and Training Opportunities – Interdisciplinary Sleep Health Research - CLOSED

Applications closed on 30 September 2011.

The Centre for Integrated Research and Understanding of Sleep (CIRUS) (http://cirus.org.au/) is based at a network of hospitals and research institutes in Sydney and funded by the NHMRC for five years to support clinical research training and research translation in the fields of interdisciplinary sleep medicine. Fields of research broadly encompass metabolic health and sleep disorders; neurobehavioural and neurobiological interactions with sleep health; increasing effectiveness of treatments for sleep disorders, and new biomarkers of sleep health.

Applications are invited for one year clinical research and training fellowships commencing in 2012. Applicants will be encouraged to enrol in a University of Sydney Master of Philosophy in sleep research.

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Centre for Integrated Research and Understanding of Sleep (CIRUS) - Postgraduate Medical Research Scholarships - Interdisciplinary Sleep Health Research for 2012 - CLOSED

Applications for 2012 closed on 31 October 2011.

Insufficient or disordered sleep is now recognised as a major cause of reduced alertness, fall-asleep crashes, heart disease, stroke, metabolic dysfunction and impaired mental health. Understanding the biology of sleep and maintaining sleep health mandates an interdisciplinary approach encompassing aspects of respiratory medicine, neurology, cardiology, endocrinology and metabolism. The Centre of Integrated Research and Understanding of Sleep (CIRUS) is an interdisciplinary centre of clinical research excellence funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council. CIRUS supports world-class research aimed to inform clinical practice and alter health policy. The next generation of sleep researchers will be fostered through the national and international collaborations of the centre.

PhD scholarships are for research that will be supervised or co-supervised by the CIRUS investigators at the participating institutions.

Please note that these scholarships are for a maximum of 2 years only, as the NHMRC funding support for CIRUS will end on 31 December 2013.

Further information is available from http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/985.

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The Garnett Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation Research Scholarships - CLOSED

Applications for 2012 scholarships closed on 31 August 2011.

Applications are invited for Research Scholarships in Otorhinolaryngology or the related fields of biomedical science to commence in 2012.

Scholarships will be for a period of up to three years, subject to satisfactory progress, and are tenable in Australian or New Zealand institutions. Individuals who are either medically qualified or science graduates, and who are, or will be, enrolled for a higher university degree, are eligible to apply.

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Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA) Postgraduate Clinical Research Scholarship and Postgraduate Medical Research Scholarship - OPEN

Applications for 2013 scholarships must be submitted to the Scholarships Office by Friday, 24 August 2012.

GESA Postgraduate Medical Research Scholarship

This scholarship is to support a medical graduate, wishing to gain full-time training in methodology pertinent to any aspect of research related to gastroenterology or hepatology disorders, while enrolled for a research Masters or PhD.

GESA Postgraduate Clinical Research Scholarship

This scholarship is to support a medical or science graduate, wishing to gain full-time training in methodology pertinent to any aspect of clinical research related to gastroenterology or hepatology disorders, while enrolled for a research Masters or PhD. Clinical research is defined broadly as research predominantly involving human subjects. It may involve clinical or physiological studies of patients or volunteers, studies based on diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, clinical epidemiology, population studies, observational studies, clinical practice, treatment trials or evaluation of medical technology. There may be a component of laboratory studies, but applications for predominately laboratory-based work should be directed to the other awards offered by the Society.

Further information and application instructions can be found at http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/1115.

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Heart Foundation Postgraduate Research Scholarships - OPEN

Applications for 2013 scholarships must be submitted to the Scholarships Office by Thursday, 5 July 2012.

The Heart Foundation offers Postgraduate Research Scholarships in Biomedical, Clinical and Public Health disciplines. These scholarships are for nursing, medical, science and other relevant graduates seeking support for full-time research studies leading to a PhD at an Australian university or institution. Scholarships are awarded for research in cardiovascular disease and related disorders.

Applications are invited from Australian citizens and permanent residents or New Zealand citizens holding a Special Category Visa. Persons who have applied for but not yet been granted Australian permanent residency or a Special Category Visa may apply, however permanent residency or the Special Category Visa must be obtained prior to commencement of the scholarship.

Further information and instructions on how to apply can be found at http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/1101.

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Heart Foundation Travel Grants - OPEN

Applications for 2012 Round 3 travel are now open. Applications must be submitted to the Scholarships Office by Tuesday, 7 August 2012.

The Heart Foundation (HF) offers Travel Grants to researchers working in the area of cardiovascular disease or related areas. Priority categories can be found on HF website. Travel grants are open to Australian citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must be based in Australia. Three applications rounds are conducted each year.

Further information and instructions for applications is available from http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/1048.

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Heart Foundation Summer Scholarships - CLOSED

Applications for these scholarships closed on 16 September 2011.

The National Heart Foundation of Australia offers Summer Scholarships to provide undergraduates the opportunity to participate in supervised Biomedical, Clinical or Public Health research projects which are broadly related to cardiovascular function and disease, during the summer vacation at an Australian University or Institution.

These scholarships are open to Australian citizens on permanent residents and applicants must be based in Australia. Usually applicants will have completed at least two years of their undergraduate course.

Postgraduate students, honours students, and students undertaking a second degree are not eligible to apply for these scholarships. Applicants who have also previously held a Heart Foundation Summer Scholarship are not eligible to apply.

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Kidney Health Australia Medical and Science Research Scholarships - OPEN

Applications must be submitted to the funding body by Friday, 31 August 2012.

Kidney Health Australia provides scholarships for individuals wishing to study full time for the research degrees of PhD, MD, or Masters by research, by undertaking research into the causes, prevention and treatment of disorders of the kidney.

The funding is awarded annually for the duration of the Award (2 years or 3 years depending on study) but funding in 2nd and 3rd year is contingent on Kidney Health Australia receiving evidence that an applicant has also applied to other granting bodies (e.g. NHMRC) for support of those years.

Further information and application instructions is available from http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/1111.

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Leukaemia Foundation PhD Scholarships - OPEN

Applications must be submitted to the Scholarships Office by Friday, 7 September 2012.

The Leukaemia Foundation's National Research Program (NRP)seeks to foster innovative research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of blood cancers like leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and related blood disorders. The program aims to encourage talented researchers to pursue a career in basic, applied or translational research to find cures and better ways to care for patients and families living with haematological malignancies.

Applications are invited from Australian citizens and permanent residents or New Zealand citizens holding a Special Category Visa. Persons who have applied for but not yet been granted Australian permanent residency or a Special Category Visa may apply, however permanent residency or the Special Category Visa must be obtained prior to commencement of the scholarship.

Further information and application instructions are available from http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/1108.

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The Menzies Foundation Allied Health Sciences Scholarships - OPEN

Applications must be submitted to the Scholarships Office by Friday, 22 June 2012.

The Sir Robert Menzies Memorial Foundation offers one or more research scholarships for postgraduate research in one of the allied health sciences. The purpose of the scholarship is to try to improve the health of Australians by supporting an outstanding applicant from one of the non-medical allied health disciplines whose research is likely to fall outside the conventional areas of medical research. Preferred fields of research include clinical psychology, nutrition, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech pathology. Projects in laboratory science will not be supported.

Applicants must be Australian citizens of at least 5 years standing at the time of application.

Further information and application instructions is available from http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/1110.

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Motor Neurone Disease Research Institute of Australian PhD Scholarship MND Top-Up Grant - CLOSED

Expressions of Interest closed on 1 November 2011.

One 3-year PhD top-up grant will be offered for a PhD student who has been awarded a University PhD scholarship for biomedical or public health research in motor neurone disease.

There is a two stage process for applications, with expressions of interest due 28 October 2011, and a then final application due 19 December 2011 if the applicant is awarded a University PhD scholarship.

Further information and submission instructions is available from http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/973.

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Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia Postgraduate Scholarships - OPEN

Applications for the 2013 scholarships must be submitted to the Scholarships Office by 27 July 2012.

Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia (MSRA) offers postgraduate scholarships for full time study for a higher degree (PhD or Masters by Research) in an Australian university or institution. The research proposed must contribute to finding a cure for MS or result in improvements to those people living with MS.

Applicants must be Australian citizens or hold Australian permanent residency, or have applied for permanent residency.

Further information and application instructions can be found at http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/1092.

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Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia Vacation Scholarships - OPEN

Applications from University of Sydney students must be submitted to the Scholarships Office by Friday, 27 July 2012.

These scholarships are granted to undergraduate students who plan to undertake up to 10 week research project in MS during Semester break. Scholarships will be granted for up to $10,000. All applicants must be undergraduates at an Australian university or medical institute.

Further information and application instructions can be found at http://agile2.ucc.usyd.edu.au/ro/opportunities/scholarships/1102.

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National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Scholarships

DRAFT applications must be submitted to the Scholarships Office by Thursday, 21 June 2012.

Categories of Award

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research Scholarships
  • Medical and Dental Postgraduate Research Scholarships
  • Dora Lush Biomedical Postgraduate Research Scholarships
  • Public Health Postgraduate Research Scholarships
  • Primary Health Care Postgraduate Research Scholarships


Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents, or New Zealand citizens holding a Special Category Visa. Persons who have applied for but not yet been granted Australian permanent residency or a Special Category Visa may apply, however permanent residency or the Special Category Visa must be obtained prior to commencement of the scholarship.

Scholarships Office guidelines and instructions for University of Sydney applicants are provided on the document below. It is essential to read these documents in conjunction with the NHMRC's Postgraduate Scholarships Funding Rules and Advice and Instructions to Applicants.

  • University of Sydney applicants must follow the Scholarships Office Submission Guidelines
    when preparing an application.
  • Before final submission of your application you will need to also lodge an Authority to Submit form with the Scholarships Office.
  • NHMRC information documents can be downloaded here.
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Sidney Myer Health Scholarship - CLOSED

Applications for 2012 closed on 17 October 2011.

The aim of these Scholarships is to enhance the career development of allied and Public Health, medical, bio-medical science and nursing professionals and address community and population health issues in local and regional communities across Australia over the period of three years.

The Scholarships are for high calibre students enrolled in a PhD degree at an Australian university or research institute for the purpose of working on a research project which is directly relevant to the aims and objectives of the Sidney Myer Health Scholarship.

Applicants must have successfully completed, at a minimum, a Bachelor Degree with Honours, or Masters Degree in a relevant allied and Public Health, medical, bio-medical science or nursing course at an accredited tertiary institution. The Selection Committee will award Scholarships to students commencing their PhD studies in 2012, rather than those in later years of their doctorate studies.

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Sydney Catalyst PhD and Top-Up Research Scholar Awards for 2012 - CLOSED

Applications closed on 20 January 2012.

Sydney Catalyst is a Translational Cancer Research Centre established with core funding from the Cancer Institute NSW and based at the University of Sydney. It brings together teams of clinicians and researchers from more than 20 member organisations across NSW with the purpose of facilitating the rapid translation of scientific discoveries into clinical policy and practice to improve patient outcomes.

Applicants must be Australian or New Zealand citizens, or permanent residents of Australia.

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The Wenkart Foundation Grants - CLOSED

Applications closed on 30 June 2011.

These grants are for research in clinical, biomedical and health related sciences. The funding will depend on the expenses of the project, and grants are made for periods of up to two years.

Applicants must be full-time students and Australian permanent residents or undergraduates educated in Australia and intending to reside in Australia. Please note that these grants are generally not awarded to applicants over 30 years of age.

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More Information

Other Medical Scholarships

If you are applying for a scholarship which is not listed on this webpage or in the research scholarships database, and the application form requires the signature of the Head of Administering Institution (or Nominee) or similar, you will need to submit the application via the Scholarships Office. Please contact our Office as soon as possible to arrange the submission, as we will need to check through the application prior to signing. Do not leave it until the day before applications are due at the funding body!

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Successful Applicants

Postgraduate research scholarship stipends will usually need to be paid to the student via the University as the administering institution. The Scholarships Office organises and manages the payment of scholarship stipends through the fortnightly scholarships payroll.

If you have submitted your application via the Scholarships Office, the funding body will normally also notify the Scholarships Office of your result if your application is successful. You should however, still contact the Scholarships Office once you have received your offer from the funding body. In some cases (such as the NHMRC) the funding body will notify the Scholarships Office of the results, and the Scholarships Office will then contact you to advise you of your result.

If your application did not require the signature of the Head of Administering Institution (or Nominee) and was submitted by you directly to the funding body, you will need to forward a copy of all correspondence, including a copy of your application, to the Scholarships Office, if your application is successful. The Scholarships Office will review the correspondence from the funding body and check your enrolment status. If there are no problems, the Scholarships Office will then prepare an offer letter and associated forms for you, and set up an account for the scholarship.

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Ethics requirements

Many medical funding bodies require evidence that ethics approvals are in place before they will pay the scholarship funds to the University. If you are required to submit evidence of ethics approval, the Scholarships Office will state this in your offer letter. Please make sure that you read this carefully to see what documents you must submit.

In the case of human ethics a hospital/area health service HREC approval must also be ratified by the University HREC when a student is involved as a researcher (see http://sydney.edu.au/research_support/ethics/human/external_approval.shtml for more information).

In the case of animal ethics, if the approval is obtained from another institution, documentation must be submitted to the University's Office of Ethics Administration if a student is involved as a researcher (see http://sydney.edu.au/research_support/ethics/animal/external.shtml for more information.

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Enquiries

Research Scholarships
E-mail to:
Phone:+61 (02) 8627 8115 (Mon-Thurs) or 8627 8114 (Weds-Fri)
Fax: +61 (02) 8627 8485

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