Various sources of financial support exist for postgraduate research students. It is strongly recommended that students coming from other countries ensure that they will be financially secure prior to the commencement of their work towards the PhD, MSc or combined PhD/MPsychol program. Overseas applicants are particularly encouraged, therefore, to investigate available options early so as not to miss out on closing dates. It is not possible here to list all of the available sources of funding, many of which are restricted to students working in particular areas of research or to students from particular countries. Visit the UNSW Scholarship web site for details: http://www.scholarships.unsw.edu.au.

Australian Postgraduate Awards

Australian Postgraduate Awards (APAs) are one of the major sources of support for those who are Australian citizens or who have been permanent residents for 12 months prior to applying. Selection for these awards is based on academic merit. In recent years a strong First Class Honours degree or its equivalent has been required to gain an APA. The award is for three years for a PhD or combined PhD/MPsychol and provides an annual stipend plus exemption from HECS. A six-month extension may be granted. Many of the current PhD and combined PhD/MPsychol students in the School are supported by APAs. Applications for these Awards must be lodged with the University by October 31 for commencement in Session 1 and by April 28 for commencement in Session 2.

International Postgraduate Research Scholarships

International students who are not citizens or permanent residents of Australia may be eligible to apply for assistance under the Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (EIPRS) program. These scholarships are open to citizens of all overseas countries (excluding New Zealand) who wish to undertake a full-time PhD and are available for three years. They cannot be used for the combined PhD/MPsychol program. Applications must be lodged before the student is actually enrolled as a PhD student. The exact closing date for the two rounds of annual EIPRS applications should be checked with the Graduate Research School. These scholarships provide for course tuition fees and basic health cover, visa fees and a living allowance.

UNSW will also offer a number of scholarships which will provide the same benefits as the EIPRS. These awards are known as University International Postgraduate award (UIPA) and are subject to the same conditions as the EIPRS except that travel concessions are not available and the awards are not transferable to other programs or institutions. Awarding of a UIPA will be based on the application submitted for an EIPRS.

For more information about scholarships available to international students, please visit the Graduate Research School.

Scholarships funded from School Staff Research Grants

Another potentially important source of financial support for postgraduate research students comes from research grants held by individual staff within the School. Most of the academic staff in the School have external funding to support their own research and that of their research students. To access these funds, students should make inquiries with the relevant staff member. Again, it is important to investigate this possibility early so that an appropriate budget amount is included in any grant application being submitted during the year. An increasing number of postgraduate research students in the School are receiving financial assistance from this source.

Casual teaching appointments

Research students are frequently employed for 3-4 hours/week during teaching sessions as casual tutors on the School's large undergraduate courses. Working under the supervision of academic staff, research students teach tutorial groups of 20 to 25 students and carry out the student consultation and marking associated with the course. As well as supplementing their income (the average yearly income for a student who teaches 3 hours in each session is $5,000) this provides students with valuable teaching experience that contributes to their subsequent employability in a variety of contexts.

The John Clark Memorial Award in Psychology

This award of $1,000 is for one year. Applicants must be enrolled in a postgraduate program in Psychology undertaking research in an area concerned with the ongoing problems of the community, particularly the behaviour of the 'whole person' in a social milieu. Applications close 30 June.

More specific University Scholarships

Students should also seek out scholarships which have specific student/research area requirements such as The Australian Pain Relief Association and Australian Pain Society PhD Scholarship, The Gerontology Foundation Grant-in aid, The Menzies Research Scholarship in Allied Health Sciences, The National Health and Medical Research Counsel (NHMRC), Public Health Postgraduate Scholarships, and The Re-entry Scholarships for Women. Details of these and other scholarships are set out at http://www.scholarships.unsw.edu.au

Research funding throughout candidature

The School provides each postgraduate research student with a research fund of $500 for each of the first three years of candidature (two years for MSc). This can be used for any research related expenses. In addition, $1500 is available across the whole candidature for conference travel (as long as the student makes a presentation at the conference). Money from the student's research fund can also be used toward such travel.