VU Doctoral Research Diversity Scholarship 2025

Promising researchers who want to pursue a graduate research degree might get funding for their living expenses through the VU Diversity Graduate Research Scholarship. Its goal is to make graduate researchers at VU more diverse. VU is dedicated to promoting graduate research participation among individuals whose living circumstances have negatively impacted or disturbed their educational possibilities. Candidates for this scholarship must fulfill the diversity eligibility requirements to be evaluated.

Eligibility for VU Diversity Graduate Research Scholarship:

• The applicant must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or New Zealand citizen.
• The applicant must meet the University’s academic entrance requirements for enrolment into the PhD degree.
• The applicant must enroll as a full-time student (part-time awards may be available for compelling social or medical reasons).
• The applicant must have had living experience of one or more of the following identities and barriers:
  • being part of the LGBTQIA+ community
  • being a solo parent or carer
  • having lived in out-of-home care (such as being a ward of the state, living in foster or kinship care)
  • having experienced recent homelessness
  • having experienced family violence or other significant adverse life events
  • being a refugee or asylum seeker

Application Process:

All eligible candidates must submit the following documentation as part of their online application:

• Doctoral Research Access and Diversity Scholarship Form
• Supporting evidence such as a letter of support from a community case worker, medical practitioner, or other support practitioner.

Benefits of the Scholarship:

• Annual stipend value:  $44,633 (2026 rate)
• Tuition fees: covered by the Research Training Program