This scholarship is administered externally
About this scholarship
The Westpac Scholars Trust is partnering with Australia’s leading research universities to offer up to two Westpac Research Fellowships each valued at over $400,000 over three years (co-funded with university partners), with the option to extend to five years by agreement. These Fellowships offer early career researchers a unique opportunity to support their groundbreaking research, provide access to networks, open career pathways and provide global experiences.
Fellowship recipients will be exceptional people, chosen for their intellectual ability, leadership qualities, and commitment to the community. Successful Fellows will be undertaking research that has the ability to make a difference to Australia’s future in one of the Trust’s priority areas:
- Sustainable Futures
- Australia in Asia
- An Inclusive Country
- Thriving Tech Sector
Funding requests for the purpose of medical and health research as defined in the ARC Medical Research Policy available on the Australian Research Council website will not be considered.
So far, there have been 20 Westpac Research Fellowships awarded.
Important note - The Westpac Research Fellowship is extremely competitive, with only two places offered each year. It is essential for applicants and their Schools to understand the robust skills required and the rigorous nature of the application process.
Schools/Colleges must be able to provide and participate in coaching support of their applicant/s as well as providing financial support if successful. Similarly, applicants should be aware of the resilience required to undertake the demanding application process and be willing to participate in coaching activities to support their candidature. Applicants who have potential but would benefit from further training and development are encouraged to apply next year.
In addition to School/College support, ANU Advancement will be available to CROs and applicants to provide guidance on written applications. ANU Advancement will also facilitate and connect CROs and applicants with additional training to support applications — further training details to be provided.
If your School/College would like to put forward EOIs for suitable applicants, please email confirmation of support by the applicants’ School Director to ANU Advancement by midday, 10th of July, Thursday.
SUMMARY
VALUE
Valued at $400,000 over three years (option to extend to five years)
2 on offer
Payments made for 5 years
APPLICATION PERIOD
01-Jul-2025 to 25-Aug-2025
Student types
Domestic, AlumniStudent levels
Postgraduate researchNumber of scholarships awarded
2 on offerSelection bases
Academic merit
Field of study
Eligibility
To be a successful candidate, you will need to meet the following requirements
- You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
- You must have been awarded a PhD between 2019 and 2022 or have obtained an Eligibility Exemption from the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) or equivalent
- If your PhD was awarded before 2019, you may be considered for an exemption to the eligibility if you have received an Eligibility Exemption from the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) or equivalent.
- You must commence your Fellowship by 30 June 2026.
- Your proposed research must contribute to the future of Australia in one of the Trust’s priority funding areas and be able to demonstrate impact and world-class research excellence.
- Your proposed research must include international opportunities which will develop your leadership skills and global networks, such as study tours for the purpose of research, attending a short course or conference, an internship or volunteering.
- You must supply the supporting documentation as detailed in section 7 below.
- Should your application progress to the final stage, you must attend the National Assessment Centre in person in Sydney on 3-4 December 2025 (paid for by the Trust); and
- If successful, you must attend the Westpac Scholars’ Summit late April 2026 in Sydney (paid for by the Trust).
Additional Requirements:
You need to build into your Westpac Research Fellowship (WRF) proposal schedule time to consult with your Department/Research School/College to discuss the proposal and its budget, and to seek approval for these. When budgeting the WRF proposal, include salary gap (if there is one), all research proposal costs, and $5,000 for the Leadership 360 Program. These costs are to be met by your Research School/College. You should consult with your College Research Office for advice and assistance.
Additional information
The Fellowship aims to free you from the need to apply for multiple sources of funding, allowing you to focus on your research. It includes:
1) Salary support for your position
The Westpac Research Fellowship does not fund salaries of Fellows who are receiving another salary funding Award (e.g. DECRA) at the same time. If you are currently on another salary funding Award / Fellowship, or are the recipient of a salary funding Award at the time the Westpac Research Fellowship is awarded, you may request:
- A reallocation of the Westpac-funded amount ($330,000 or part thereof) to another resource (or resources) that will directly contribute to your research (e.g. research costs and / or a research assistant); and/or
- An extension of up to an additional two years to utilise the Westpac Research Fellowship salary funding (which for the avoidance of doubt is capped at $330,000). For example, (i) the Westpac-funded amount could be apportioned over five years, (ii) the Westpac-funded amount could be utilised over years three to five following two years of a DECRA Award; or (iii) the Westpac funded amount could be utilised over years four and five following three years of a DECRA Award with the remaining $110,000 reallocated to another resource that will directly contribute to your research.
These requests must be approved by the Westpac Scholars Trust and your host university and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Please refer to Section 9. Fellowship Conditions for other options for the Fellowship.
2) Salary Top-Up (Funded by host university)
Salary top-up is provided by the university to top up the $110,000 provided by the Trust each year to fund the Fellow's salary. The salary top-up is over three years and subject to changes in the university award rate over the period.
3) Westpac Professional Development Fund (Funded by host university)
Should your WRF proposal be awarded, you can apply for $30,000 in Strategic Research Funds (SRF) from the DVCRI via your College Dean. This is to be used by the Fellow to tailor professional development and global experiences that maximise the Fellow's potential to contribute to their area of research and enhance their career opportunities. This could include conferences, travel for research or experiences and courses that support leadership development.
4) Research Budget (Funded by host university. Amount: as agreed by the host university)
A fully costed budget for the research project is required in the application. This budget should be prepared with the support of the university. The Research Budget must exclude those costs funded by the Fellowship (i.e. salary, on costs and Westpac Professional Development Fund). Note, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) or equivalent will be required to confirm support for the proposed Research Budget in their Letter of Support.
5) Research Budget (Funded by host university. Amount: as agreed by the host university)
The Fellowship will include access to a $30,000 Westpac Professional Development Fund provided and administered by the host university (as mentioned in point 3 above). The Leadership 360 Program is now a compulsory part of the WPDF and includes:
- comprehensive assessment of current leadership capability via a 360- feedback assessment, including a one-to-one debrief and
- yearly facilitated one day group workshop with all Westpac Research Fellows.
Applications for the 2025 Program will open on 04 July 2024 to 28 August 2024 5:00pm AEST. Apply online by selecting the 'Apply Now' button at the top of this page, once applications have been opened.
Key dates:
| Date | Activities |
| 1 July 2025 | Application open |
| 30 July 2025 | Westpac Research Fellowship online info session (1-2pm) |
| 25 August 2025 | Applications close (5:00pm AEDT) |
| 1 – 5 September 2025 | Eligible applicants complete Korn Ferry Assessment |
| 3 & 4 December 2025 | Finalist Interviews with National Selection Panel in Sydney |
| Mid-December 2025 | Notify successful candidates |
For more information about this scholarship, please contact pre-award.philanthropy@anu.edu.au or your College Research Office; or visit the website link below.
Website linkContact us:
Ally Corkhill and Shehana Samaraweera
