Preparing science graduates for the job market  

The UNSW Science PhD scholarships, the UNSW Science PhD writing scholarship and the UNSW Science PhD non-traditional outputs scholarship, aim to better prepare Science graduates for the job market. We support Science doctoral candidates during the three-month period between submitting their thesis and receiving the examiners’ reports. This support will allow you to focus on the preparation of journal articles or other non-traditional outputs and become career-ready.

  • UNSW Science PhD writing scholarship - aims to increase publication rates and allow you to focus on the preparation of journal articles.
  • UNSW Science PhD non-traditional outputs scholarship - aims to benefit the scientific community or society as a whole and allow you to focus on the preparation of outputs that are not traditional peer-reviewed publications. Examples of non-traditional outputs could include but are not limited to: policy documents; programs; website, apps, or data repositories; and educational materials or tools. 

Only one scholarship may be applied for: the PhD writing scholarship or the non-traditional outputs scholarship. 

The chosen candidate will receive up to $7500 in support for three months or a pro-rata amount for a shorter period. The award is available for a maximum of three months.

Successful applicants are assessed on merit criteria, including (but not limited to) the level of achievement during candidature, potential to publish journal articles and support from the school or faculty. Competition is high as there are a limited number of awards available.

  • Current UNSW Science PhD students within their 4-year candidature period (FTE equivalent) are eligible to apply. 

    To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants shouldn't hold a similar award for the same purpose. Awardees won't be able to undertake full-time or substantial regular part-time employment during the duration of the award. (More than ten hours per week is considered substantial regular part-time work).

    These scholarships aren't for assisting students in the process of writing up their theses for submission. Scholarships commence when the thesis has been submitted.

  • If you're an international student, you'll need to ensure that your visa allows you to stay in Australia. In most cases, once your thesis is submitted, candidates are no longer enrolled as a student.

    International students must also comply with any contractual obligations, including those with an employer or sponsor, and any obligations relating to the period spent in the home country following the completion of studies.

  • No application rounds are scheduled in 2023.

Selection criteria

The PhD thesis must be submitted within the maximum four-year candidature period and the candidature must not have lapsed at any point.

The Committee and the Associate Dean Research Training reserve the right to withhold the award in a given round if the applications received aren't satisfactory or don't meet the intended purposes of the scheme.

Applicants will be assessed on the following criteria:

  1. PhD research project and its significance, including a description of the research project to date and a timeline to thesis submission. 
  2. Publications to date, including papers emerging from the PhD research, publications from other research activities, conference presentations, and other notable achievements (awards, prizes and so on).
  3. Publication proposal or non-traditional outputs project details, including details of the publications or details of a non-traditional outputs project to be completed during the 3-month scholarship period. 
  4. Supervisor confirmation, including confirmation of the applicant's publication or project proposal and timeline. 

Note: Awards can't be deferred. They must be taken up immediately after the thesis is submitted and the exit seminar is completed. Awards may not cross calendar years.

Contact the Associate Dean Research Training team for more information.