HDR Internship Scholarship

APPLICATION ROUND IS NOW CLOSED

Key Dates

1 October 2026: Application round opens

13 November 2026 (11:59 AEDT): Application round closes

What is the UC HDR Internship Scholarship?

The new UC HDR Internship Scholarship provides funding to support eligible doctoral candidates while they undertake an unpaid research internship with an industry partner during their candidature.

To be eligible for a UC HDR Internship Scholarship, you must:

• be currently enrolled in a doctoral degree at the University of Canberra
• have successfully achieved Confirmation of Candidature
• not have previously received funding for participation in an internship
• not already be receiving payment from the industry partner related to your research
• not have an existing industry-funded PhD scholarship (internal or external)
• not be undertaking a PhD project with an embedded internship.

Domestic and international doctoral candidates (enrolled full-time or part-time) can undertake a research internship and apply for an internship scholarship.

Internship requirements

To be eligible for a UC HDR Internship Scholarship, the engagement must meet the requirements of an eligible research internship under the Higher Education Support (Commonwealth Scholarships) Guidelines 2025. The internship must:

• be agreed to in written form with an eligible research end-user (industry partner) within the first 18 months Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) of the candidate’s enrolment
• consist of research and experimental development (R&D) activities related to your area of research
• be a minimum duration of three calendar months, with a total of at least 60 days FTE of engagement. This can be completed in a block period or regular days per week as agreed between the University, the partner and the candidate.

Internships can be completed remotely, online, on-site, in Australia or overseas.

The scholarship is valued at $10,000 for awards made in 2026 and will be paid in two installments:

• The first installment of the scholarship will be 50% of the total scholarship amount and paid following verified commencement of the internship.
• The second installment of the scholarship will be the remaining 50% of the total scholarship amount and paid following verified completion of the internship (submission of Completion of Internship form to GRS).

See UC HDR Internship Scholarship Conditions of Award for more details on the scholarship entitlements and conditions.

Before you apply

Before you submit an application:

• Follow Steps 1 to 4 on How do I organise a research internship?
• You will need a Letter of Intent signed by you, your supervisor and the industry partner within the first 18 months of your candidature as part of your application.
  • The Letter of Intent is not legally binding but is required for your application. If your scholarship application is successful, you would need to work with your primary supervisor to execute a legally binding internship agreement with the industry partner before your internship begins.
  • If you already have an internship agreement signed but haven’t started your internship, speak to your supervisor about whether your internship meets the scholarship requirements. You may be eligible to apply for the scholarship and provide this written agreement for your application.
• Ensure you’ve submitted your Confirmation Seminar documentation to Graduate Research School (GRS) for processing or have agreed on an anticipated Confirmation Seminar date with your primary supervisor (must be prior to your internship start date). You will need this information for your application.

The application form will be made available when next round opens on 1 October.

You would need to complete a faculty-specific application form so the application is sent to your Faculty’s HDR Officer for endorsement and ensure you have a copy of the signed Letter of Intent included in your application