Scholarships

The Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre has supported 40 Postgraduate students and 5 VET students to achieve their academic aspirations.

Although the Desert Knowledge CRC is not currently accepting applications for new scholarships, if successful in its rebid for a Desert Cooperative Research Centre, a range of new scholarships will become available. Please check this website regularly for updates and new scholarship application forms.

Over the past 6 years, the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre has offered research scholarships for potential and existing higher degree candidates studying at one of 13 partner universities to investigate issues relating to the development of thriving desert knowledge economies capable of sustaining Australia’s inland environments. Research scholarships were offered to candidates whose project outcomes clearly demonstrated a contribution to this vision. In general, scholarships were only awarded to:

1. candidates whose projects form an integral part of a Desert Knowledge CRC funded project and/or
2. candidates who were successful in obtaining an APA, UPRS, IPRS or equivalent scholarship from a Desert Knowledge CRC partner institution (for PhD and Masters by Research candidates)

To be eligible for a Desert Knowledge CRC scholarship, PhD and Masters by Research candidates had to apply for or hold, an APA, UPRS IPRS or equivalent scholarship. Only in exceptional circumstances was this condition waived. Selection will be based on the relevance of the research proposal to the mission of the Desert Knowledge CRC and on the academic excellence of the applicant.

Desert Knowledge CRC Postgraduate Scholarships (of differing value) were available to:

• Full time PhD students applying for/studying at partner institutions.
• Full time and part time Masters by Research students studying at partner institutions.
• Holders of Australian Postgraduate Award Scheme (APA) or University Postgraduate Research Scholarships (UPRS), International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) or equivalent scholarships.
• Candidates whose research projects are consistent with the mission of the Desert Knowledge CRC to ‘investigate issues relating to the development of thriving desert knowledge economies capable of sustaining Australia’s inland environments’.
• Part time PhD students are eligible to apply for Desert Knowledge CRC (Top Up) and project operational funding. Additional operational funds may also be available from the Desert Knowledge CRC project budget within which the Desert Knowledge CRC Postgraduate Scholarship is aligned.
• Full time Honours candidates.

Candidates applying to, or enrolled at non-Desert Knowledge CRC partner institutions are not eligible for Desert Knowledge CRC Scholarships.