Research Fellowship 2026

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This is a preview of the Research Fellowship 2026 form. When you’re ready to apply, click Fill Out Now to begin.
 

Check Your Eligibility

* indicates a required field.

Eligibility and selection criteria are provided within the Westpac Research Fellowship Funding Guidelines. We encourage you to thoroughly read this and the Frequently Asked Questions available on our website before starting your application.

Eligibility Criteria

1. What is your Australian Citizenship Status? * Required
Response required.
Clear the selected value for 1. What is your Australian Citizenship Status?
Applicants must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. You will be required to provide supporting documentation on request.
2. Please select the year your PhD was awarded or confirm that you have obtained an eligibility exemption from the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) or equivalent at your host university. * Required
Applicants must have been awarded a PhD between 2019 and 2022; or have obtained an Eligibility Exemption from the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) or equivalent at your host university.
Response required.

Australian National University Criteria (Not Applicable)

This section is not applicable because of your response to question: "3. At which university do you wish to undertake the Westpac Research Fellowship?" on page 1

Applicants from the Australian National University must submit an Expression of Intertest (EOI) for the Westpac Research Fellowships scheme before progressing to the full application. The Australian National University EOI will close by midday Thursday 10 July 2025. Full details are available on the Australian National University page 2026 Westpac Research Fellowship. Any applications submitted to Westpac without approval through this internal EOI will not be eligible for consideration.  

Contact: Ally Corkhill at ANU Advancement on pre-award.philanthropy@anu.edu.au 

University of Melbourne Criteria (Not Applicable)

This section is not applicable because of your response to question: "3. At which university do you wish to undertake the Westpac Research Fellowship?" on page 1

Applicants wishing to nominate the University of Melbourne as the host university for the Westpac Research Fellowship must submit an Expression of Intertest (EOI) to the university before progressing to the full application. The University of Melbourne EOI closes on 14 July 2025. Full details about the EOI are available on the UoM 2026 Westpac Research Fellowship page. Any applications submitted to Westpac without support via the internal University of Melbourne EOI will not be eligible to submit a proposal to be hosted at the University of Melbourne. For any questions, please contact: ric-philanthropicgrants@unimelb.edu.au. 

University of Queensland Criteria (Not Applicable)

This section is not applicable because of your response to question: "3. At which university do you wish to undertake the Westpac Research Fellowship?" on page 1

University of Queensland applicants interested in the Westpac Research Fellowships must complete a Notice of Interest (NOI) prior to submitting the full application - applications submitted to Westpac without a NOI will not be supported. Further information including NOI link is available on the UQ Westpac Research Fellowship webpage. For enquiries, contact grants@research.uq.edu.au. 

University of Sydney Criteria (Not Applicable)

This section is not applicable because of your response to question: "3. At which university do you wish to undertake the Westpac Research Fellowship?" on page 1

Early career researchers from The University of Sydney who are interested in the 2026 Westpac Research Fellowship scheme are required to submit an internal Expression of Interest (EOI) by 9am, 21 July 2025. Please read guidelines to check eligibility to apply. Information on the internal EOI process and the link to the online EOI form are available on The University of Sydney intranet. Late EOIs will not be considered. Contact: grants.manager@sydney.edu.au

4. Have you obtained a Letter of Support from the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) or equivalent at the host university? * Required

5. I confirm that I am available to:

  • Attend the National Assessment Centre in Sydney (3-4 December 2025), if shortlisted;
  • Attend The Westpac Scholars Summit in Sydney (Late March 2026), if successful;
  • Commence the Fellowship by 30 June 2026, if successful.
  * Required
Response required.
Clear the selected value

Supporting Documentation Required

The following documentation will be required on page 11 of this application form.

  • Your CV which must include a minimum:
    • Formal qualifications and any prizes, awards, honours and other esteem indicators;
    • Appointments, including consultancies;
    • Research/creative activity outputs, including bibliographic details, year of publication, individual contribution by percentage, evidence of impact; and
    • Research/creative activity funding, including title of grant, funding body, grant category, individual contribution and role in the grant, year, total grant value, any patents and evidence of impact.

  •  A photo (headshot) of yourself.

  • Two references ‌are required using the templates. 
    • The first is an Academic Reference and needs to be completed by a person who is familiar with your academic record and understands the importance of your proposed research project. Download the template here.
    • The second is a Personal Reference and needs to be completed by a person who has known you for at least two years and who can demonstrate that you have the attributes of a Westpac Scholar. This can be a previous work colleague or supervisor, however should not be a family member or a person who currently or previously reported directly to you. Download the template here.

  • A Letter of Support is required from the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) or equivalent using our template. Download the template here. The Letter of Support is required to confirm that your application meets the eligibility criteria of the Westpac Scholars Trust and has the support from the host university for your proposed Research Budget.

Please ensure you allow enough time to collect your references and letter of support. These supporting documents must accompany your application before submission on or before the application closing date.