Each successful candidate receives a comprehensive scholarship package, awarded on the terms of the ACU Research Training Program Scholarship Policy. The scholarship is offered for 3 years, with the possibility of a provisional extension of up to 6 months. Over the full duration, the package comprises:

• A stipend scholarship to support living costs (2026 rate: $34,315 p.a., indexed annually in line with the Australian Government RTP Stipend Scholarship base rate)
• A tuition fee scholarship to cover course costs (2026 value: approximately $34,728 p.a., indexed annually)
• A provisional extension of candidature and scholarship of up to 6 months
• Paid sick leave and paid parental leave entitlements (where accessed)
• A $2,000 relocation allowance (international candidates)
• A single Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) policy (international candidates)
• At least 60 full-time equivalent days of meaningful engagement with the industry partner
• Academic supervision by ACU researchers
• Access to basic and specialist research infrastructure and equipment, workspace, IT, library, and research training

All amounts are in Australian dollars and paid to candidates in Australian dollars.

The scholarship package described above is jointly funded by ACU and the industry partner under one of two funding models:

Fully Funded ACU Industry PhD Scholarships

Industry partner contribution — $45,000 p.a. for up to 3.5 years

A fixed contribution set to cover the full lifetime cost of the candidate’s stipend package, including:

• Stipend payments for up to 3.5 years of candidature
• Paid sick leave and paid parental leave entitlements (where accessed)
• $2,000 relocation allowance (international candidates)
• Single OSHC policy (international candidates)
• A contingency for project-related costs

The partner also provides at least 60 full-time equivalent days of meaningful engagement with the candidate.

The contribution is fixed at the time of agreement and is set to account for annual stipend indexation (estimated at 3.5% p.a.) over the life of the scholarship.

ACU contribution

• Tuition fee scholarship valued at approximately $34,728 p.a. (2026 value, indexed annually) for up to 3.5 years, covering the full course cost of the PhD
• Academic supervision by ACU researchers
• Access to basic and specialist research infrastructure and equipment, workspace, IT, library, and research training

Cover for any shortfall — the partner’s contribution is fixed at the time of agreement, while the actual cost of the stipend package can change over time (for example, through annual indexation or use of leave entitlements). Where the total cost exceeds the partner’s contribution, ACU covers the difference, in accordance with the ACU Research Training Program Scholarship Policy.

Co-funded ACU Industry PhD Scholarships

Industry partner contribution — $22,500 p.a. for up to 3.5 years (2025 rate)

Approximately 50% of the lifetime cost of the candidate’s stipend package, covering the partner’s share of:

• Stipend payments for up to 3.5 years of candidature
• 50% of paid sick leave and paid parental leave entitlements (where accessed)
• 50% of the $2,000 relocation allowance (international candidates)
• 50% of a single OSHC policy (international candidates)
• A contingency for project-related costs

The partner also provides at least 60 full-time equivalent days of meaningful engagement with the candidate.

The contribution is fixed at the time of agreement and is set to account for annual stipend indexation (estimated at 3.5% p.a.) over the life of the scholarship.

ACU contribution

• Stipend co-funding —50% share of the stipend payments for up to 3.5 years of candidature
• Paid leave entitlements — 50% share of paid sick leave and paid parental leave entitlements (where accessed), matching the partner contribution
• Tuition fee scholarship — approximately $34,728 p.a. (2026 value, indexed annually) for up to 3.5 years, covering the full course cost of the PhD
• Academic supervision by ACU researchers
• Research infrastructure — access to basic and specialist equipment, workspace, IT, library, and research training

Cover for any shortfall — both contributions are fixed at the time of agreement, while the actual cost of the stipend package can change over time (for example, through annual indexation or use of leave entitlements). Where the total cost exceeds the combined contributions, ACU covers the difference, in accordance with the ACU Research Training Program Scholarship Policy.

You might notice that the partner’s annual contribution — $22,500 co-funded or $45,000 fully funded — exceeds 50% or 100% of the 2026 base stipend rate of $34,315. Here’s why.

Industry contributions are fixed for the life of the scholarship and are calculated against the full lifetime cost of the stipend package — not the base stipend in year one. This package includes annual indexation, the provisional extension of up to 6 months that most candidates access and paid sick and parental leave entitlements under the RTP Policy. For international candidates, it also includes the relocation allowance and OSHC. Once these are factored across the full duration of candidature, the average annual cost is materially higher than the year-one base stipend. Industry partner contribution amounts are reviewed annually to remain aligned with the current Australian Government RTP base rate.

Alongside this, ACU’s own contribution to the scholarship is substantial. In both funding models, ACU provides the full tuition fee scholarship (approximately $34,728 p.a., 2026 value, indexed annually) for up to 3.5 years, academic supervision by ACU researchers, and access to basic and specialist research infrastructure, workspace, IT, library services, and research training. In the co-funded model, ACU additionally matches the partner’s 50% share of the lifetime stipend package on the same basis described above.

Where contributions exceed the actual lifetime cost of the stipend package, the surplus is applied to project-related costs (for example, materials, equipment, conference travel, data collection, or publication fees). Where they fall short, ACU covers the difference, in accordance with the ACU Research Training Program Scholarship Policy.

Beyond financial contribution, industry partners can be involved in the PhD project in various ways, for example:

• as a member of the selection panel for the PhD scholarship
• as an Associate Supervisor (End-user) on the PhD candidate’s supervisory panel
• as a host and mentor for project activities, and/or a research internship, for example, project design, data collection, data analysis, knowledge transfer and commercialisation.

PhD candidates are recruited via a competitive process. All graduate research scholarships are advertised on the ACU graduate research scholarships webpage.

We recommend allowing at least three months to recruit and select a domestic candidate and up to six months to recruit an international candidate for commencement.

The recruitment process will include:

• advertisement (around 4 weeks or more)
• application collation, assessment, and offer (8–10 weeks)
• visa processing and travel to Australia to commence studies (for international candidates).

While ACU reserves the final decision on candidate admission and scholarship awarding, when sponsoring an ACU Industry PhD Scholarship, the industry partner may nominate a representative to participate in the assessment process.

Subject to meeting ACU admission and scholarship entry requirements, scholarships can be awarded to domestic or international candidates.

ACU's PhD stipend scholarship is designed to support full-time candidates, as the stipend is intended to replace income so the candidate can focus entirely on their research. In some circumstances, a part-time stipend scholarship may be possible where the candidate has an approved exemption, such as carer responsibilities, a disability, or a specific program arrangement that permits part-time enrolment with stipend support.

However, there are a few important points to note:

• A tuition fee scholarship (without stipend) may be available to part-time candidates in certain circumstances
• Full-time scholarships are generally tax-exempt, while part-time scholarships are taxable
• Some industry-engaged programs (e.g. NiPhD Industry Researcher stream) allow candidates to remain employed while undertaking their PhD, but this is structured carefully within specific program guidelines and does not involve a standard stipend arrangement

If you have specific circumstances that may warrant a part-time arrangement, please contact the Graduate Research School for further advice:

Email: grs.partnerships@acu.edu.au 

Not-for-profit organisations are welcome to engage with ACU via our Stakeholder Engaged Scholarship Unit (SESU). The SESU provides scholarly expertise and research assistance to organisations working in areas that are central to ACU’s mission and ethos as a Catholic university. Through the facilitation of partner-initiated research projects, SESU can help inform, shape, evaluate and develop your programs and services.

Learn more

The National Industry PhD Program creates powerful opportunities for industry, universities, and PhD candidates to work together. This prestigious program forges new pathways for researchers to connect the worlds of academia and industry, opening the door to an array of new career opportunities for PhD candidates. It also makes it easier for Australian industry to reach into our country’s inspiring talent pool of PhD candidates, helping to boost the research heft of Australian businesses.

The program consists of two streams:

• An Industry Linked PhD stream for outstanding PhD candidates to undertake research projects co-designed by university and industry, with opportunities to be embedded in an industry setting and participate in a 12-week training program.
• An Industry Researcher PhD stream for highly capable industry professionals who are supported by their employers to undertake PhD projects in partnership with a university while retaining industry employment and salary benefits.

For more information, please visit the Campus Plus website.

Applications to the National Industry PhD Program must be led by a university researcher. If you are interested in collaborating with ACU to engage in the National Industry PhD Program, please contact the Graduate Research School to discuss your ideas.

Email: grs.partnerships@acu.edu.au

Information for ACU staff

CSIRO’s iPhD program brings together an industry partner, a university and Australia’s leading science agency, CSIRO, to co-develop a four-year industry-focused PhD project. The iPhD program is part of an Australian Government initiative to better translate university research into commercial outcomes. Students are jointly supervised by the industry partner, ACU, and CSIRO.

For more information, please visit the CSIRO iPhD website.

Applications to the iPhD program must be led by a university researcher. If you are interested in collaborating with ACU to engage in the iPhD program, please contact the Graduate Research School to discuss your ideas.

Email: grs.partnerships@acu.edu.au