Curtin University RTP Scholarship 2026 to Study in Australia

 

Research Training Program scholarships are funded by the Australian government to support students undertaking Higher Degrees by Research (HDR).

Aim and Benefits of Curtin University RTP Scholarship

• RTP Fees Offset against student fee liability
• RTP Stipend to assist students with their living costs while undertaking a HDR
• RTP Allowances to assist students with ancillary costs of a HDR including but not limited to:
  • for overseas students, a standard Overseas Student Health Cover policy approved by the Commonwealth Department of Health and which covers the student and their spouse and dependants (if any);
  • additional research training and engagement with partners
  • relocation costs to undertake a HDR; and
  • HDR thesis printing and academic publication costs.

Requirements for Curtin University RTP Scholarship Qualification

• The Scholarship is open to International students and Domestic students.
• You must have a Bachelor’s Degree.
• You must receive an invitation from the Supervisor, then you can apply for the RTP Scholarship and attach the acceptance letter.
• After the acceptance, you can submit your application for admission.
• Explore the listed research projects.
• You can apply to multiple projects, but you will only accept one.
• Meet the admission requirements of Curtin University.

Application Deadline

August 18, 2025

How to Apply

1. Review our areas of research

   • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge
   • Agriculture and environment
   • Biomedical and clinical science
   • Business, society and community
   • Chemical science
   • Defence
   • Digital transformation
   • Energy transition
   • Health data to knowledge
   • Healthy communities
   • Resources, mining and minerals
   • Space
   • Structural engineering and monitoring
   • Sustainable development
   Choose a research degree
   • Master of Philosophy
   • Master of Research
   • Doctor of Business Administration
   • Doctor of Education
   • Doctor of Philosophy
   Find a research supervisor
   Write a research proposal
   • state your research topic
   • outline your research plan and objectives
   • show you have sufficient experience and knowledge in the area
   • demonstrate your research is significant and ethical
   • be accompanied by any cited references.

   Check your research interests align with Curtin’s current areas of research:

2. Curtin offers the following postgraduate research degrees:

3. Ensure you have a proposed research topic in mind, and a current CV ready; prior to contacting a potential research supervisor via the Expression of Interest form. If you are unsure or are yet to find an appropriate supervisor, we recommend you contact the proposed enrolling school for advice. For example, if you are seeking to complete a DBA, you should contact the MBA Programs.

   Find a research supervisor

4. The merit of your postgraduate research will be judged on your proposal.

   It should:

   View our recommendations on how to structure your research proposal.

5. Apply

6. Choose your course. Select “Apply now” and follow the prompts.

   View our full range of HDR courses

Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships

To apply for an RTP scholarship for a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) at Curtin University, you’ll need to start by obtaining an Invitation to Apply from a registered Curtin supervisor.

Scholarship application process timeline

1. RTP scholarship round opens – 1 July
   Open to current and prospective domestic and international applicants. You can explore listed research projects or propose your own. Make sure to check the eligibility criteria before applying.
2. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) – 1 July to 18 August
   To be considered for a project, you must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) between 1 July and 18 August. EOIs should be directed either to the advertised project lead or to a level 1 research supervisor if you are proposing your own project. You may be asked to discuss your proposed project with the principal supervisor before receiving a formal Invitation to Apply. Response times to EOIs can vary depending on the supervisor’s availability and workload. While prompt responses are encouraged, some supervisors may finalise EOIs after the RTP EOI deadline of 18 August. Important notes:
   • You can only be shortlisted once.
   • If you receive multiple project nominations, only the first nomination will be considered for scholarship ranking. Choose your preferred project and project lead carefully.
   • Your Invitation to Apply will include details for submitting referee information. It is strongly recommended that you arrange a second referee report to support your scholarship application.
3. Submit your admission application – no later than 31 October
   You can find detailed application instructions for HDR degrees on the ‘How to apply’ page.
4. Scholarship outcomes – November
   The central scholarship selection committee will award RTP scholarships to support HDR students. You’ll receive notification of outcomes via email.
5. Enrolment period – no later than 31 March
   Successful scholarship recipients must enrol and start their HDR course by this date. Current Curtin HDR students will start their scholarships from 1 January.

Additional requirements for current Curtin HDR students

To be eligible for centrally supported scholarships, current Curtin HDR students must:

• Not currently receive a HDR base stipend
• Have confirmed support from their principal supervisor
• Maintain a Good Standing academic status
• Have not exceeded 18 months of full-time equivalent enrolment as of 1st July

RTP Scholarship Procedures

The Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship Procedures detail the processes and conditions for RTP Scholarships. They cover:

• Student eligibility requirements
• Scholarship types, rates and periods of support
• Application, selection, ranking and offer process.

All Australian Government RTP Scholarship recipients and applicants are required to familiarise themselves with these procedures.

If you’re receiving an RTP Scholarship, you should also read the related associated Conditions of Award (CoA).

Notification of your Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN)

Curtin will obtain and record your CHESSN on your behalf. There is no action required on your part.

Your CHESSN is a unique identifying number that stays with you for the whole of your student life. It helps Curtin and the Australian Government provide you with information about any Commonwealth assistance (scholarships or HELP loans) you may have used.

Domestic students

To be eligible for an RTP scholarship, Curtin is required to issue domestic students with a CHESSN and report this number to the Department of Education and Training (DET). If you already have a CHESSN from previous study, the number will remain the same. If you do not have a CHESSN, Curtin will proceed to obtain the CHESSN on your behalf.

International students

To comply with DET’s future requirements, Curtin will obtain a CHESSN on your behalf. This will form part of Curtin’s reporting obligations.

Where can I find more information on CHESSNs?

Learn more about CHESSNs on the StudyAssist website.

Where can I find my CHESSN?

Your CHESSN is printed on the top right-hand corner of your electronic Commonwealth Assistance Notice (eCAN).