RSSS Director's Award for Higher Degree Research

The RSSS Director's Award for Higher Degree Research is a prestigious top-up scholarship offered by the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University. This award is designed to support the top-ranked Higher Degree Research applicant enrolling full-time in a Doctor of Philosophy program within the Research School of Social Sciences. The award provides an annual stipend of $20,000 (up to 75% of the Australian Government Research Training Program Stipend value) for one year, with payments distributed per semester. Two awards are available annually, and recipients are selected based on academic merit without requiring a separate application. The scholarship complements the Australian Government Research Training Program (AGRTP) Stipend Scholarship and is available to both domestic and international PhD students. Continued funding is dependent on satisfactory achievement of key PhD milestones including Annual Plans, Reports, and Thesis Proposal Review. Recipients have flexibility in how they use the funds to support their doctoral research. The award demonstrates the Research School of Social Sciences' commitment to attracting and supporting high-achieving doctoral candidates in social sciences research.