RMIT PhD Scholarships

Applications for 2009 are now closed.
RMIT PhD Scholarships are funded by RMIT University and are awarded to individuals undertaking a research Doctoral degree on the basis of academic excellence and research potential. All award holders are allocated a government funded Research Training Scheme (RTS) place.

PhD scholarships will be offered in areas of our research strength aligned with the themes of RMIT’s Research Institutes. Applicants must ensure their proposed research is aligned to one of the themes within the Research Institutes.

The four Institutes, launched from 2007, will focus on:

Global Cities (processes of globalization, climate change and sustainability in the urban context)
Health Innovations (including, lifestyle approaches to sustainable health, electromagnetic fields: bioeffects and therapeutic advances, Chinese medicine, and evidence-based health policy and practice)
Platform Technologies (including nano materials and devices, security and safety and intelligent industrial information technologies)
Design (including customising space, rapid manufacture, urban livability)
A listing of the research themes of each Institute can be accessed from the RMIT page. Specific projects are listed on the Research Institutes PhD projects page.

These institutes represent areas of research excellence and scale - and will demonstrate RMIT's capabilities at nationally and internationally leading levels. We will be investing in quality researchers and research students, and the infrastructure to support them, to ensure RMIT grows our national and internationally leading excellence and impact in these areas of focus.

Research projects undertaken under the Institutes’ banner will:

tackle research questions of significance,
feature levels of multidisciplinary collaboration that underpin strong research outcomes,
be partnered with industry and community to ensure the uptake of their outcomes.
These projects will provide opportunities for our research students to develop a broad range of capabilities while they undertake the highest level of research within vibrant research team environments.

In 2009, 16 scholarships will be offered to the value of AU$26,000 per annum for 3 years. The scholarship also provides relocation allowance (up to $1485) and thesis costs (up to $840).

To be eligible for an RMIT PhD Scholarship in 2009, you must be an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen, or an Australian permanent resident.

How to apply
The application for scholarships forms part of the 2009 Higher Degree by Research Application form. To indicate that you are applying for a scholarship you will need to tick the appropriate box at the top of the first page of your application for research degree place and fill out the additional application pages at the back of the document.

Please state your broad research concentration in Section G of the Application Form. RTS place, APA, and RMIT PhD Scholarship rankings give preference to applicants nominating one of the key research areas at RMIT University.

Business
- Applied economic and financial modelling
- Marketing
- Social Informatics
- e-Business and eGovernment
- Systems Solutions for business
- Entrepreneurship & Family Business
- Logistics & Supply Chain Management
- Social and Environmental Accountability
- Accounting Education
- Internet Law
- Strategic Management

Design and Social Context
- Urban sustainability
- Design in the built environment
- Visual arts and media
- Teaching and learning
- Globalisation

Science, Engineering and Technology
- Advanced Industrial Informatics
- System Modelling and Optimization
- Microplatforms
- Advanced Materials
- Traditional and Complementary Medicine
- Metabolic Diseases
- Biomedical Electronics
- Interfaces Soft Condensed Matter and Nano Structures
- Environmental Change
- Aerospace and Automotive Design Research
- Geospatial Sciences
- Biotechnology

Completed forms submitted in person must be received by the Graduate Research Office no later than 5pm on Friday 31st October 2008. No exceptions are made. Applications being posted must be postmarked 31st October or earlier in order to be accepted. If you miss this deadline you will need to apply next year.

this office is located at:
Building 91, Level 2, Room 17
110 Victoria Street
Melbourne VIC 3001

postal address:
Graduate Research Office
RMIT University
GPO Box 2476V
Melbourne VIC 3001

To view the application timeline, and to see when you can expect to know if your application was successful, please download the Timeline for the Application and Selection Period for APA & RMIT PhD Scholarship 2009 (PDF 34KB).

If you are applying for a scholarship, you will also need referee reports. Please download the Referee Report Form (PDF 41.4KB).

Contact the School
You must contact the School in which you would like to undertake your research degree before submitting your RMIT PhD Scholarship application. The School must be able to provide supervision and resources for your proposed research program. You will not be considered for a scholarship unless the school supports the application for a scholarship and candidature.

Before you apply
Check your eligibility

The RMIT PhD Scholarship Conditions explains the eligibility criteria. Be sure that you meet these criteria before you apply – 2009 RMIT PhD Scholarship Conditions of Award (PDF 165KB).

Assessing First Class Honours Equivalence (PDF 24.8KB)

Make sure your application is complete
Unless your RMIT PhD Scholarship application includes the correct documentation it will not be considered in the selection process.

If you have completed a masters by research for which a final numeric mark was not awarded, wherever possible include with your scholarship application copies of the examiners’ reports of your thesis/project.

Original Documents
Remember that all documents submitted as part of your application are retained and will not be returned. Applicants are requested to submit certified copies of original documents.

Key Contact: Mrs. Jodi Zak or the Graduate Research Office

Phone: +(61 3) 9925 8355; Fax: +(61 3) 9925 4089

Related Information:

JASON (a nationwide postgraduate scholarship database)
RMIT Research Institutes
RMIT Postgraduate Scholarships
RMIT Scholarships Office