Applications are invited for New Colombo Plan Scholarship program from Australian undergraduates aged 18-28 to undertake semester-based study and internships or mentorships in participating Indo-Pacific locations. Around 100 New Colombo Plan scholarships will be awarded for study commencing in 2016. The Program also encourages students to participate in community engagement and advocacy in relation to the New Colombo Plan. The maximum duration of a Scholarship Program is 17 months. Students must be nominated by their Home University by 22 July 2019.
Study Subject(s): There are no limitations on the field of study a scholar may study as part of their scholarship study program.
Course Level: Scholarships are available for undergraduate students to undertake their study and/or Internship component and receive language training in more than one eligible Host Location and/or Host Institution/Organisation.
Scholarship Provider: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government
Scholarship can be taken at: Scholarship Programs can be conducted in the following 38 eligible Indo-Pacific Host Locations: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Vietnam.
User Review
( votes)Eligibility: To apply for this program the applicant must be:
-be an Australian citizen. Applicants can not undertake their Scholarship in a Host Location in which they have dual citizenship or residency rights; or in which they have previously been a citizen or permanent resident
-be enrolled in an on-shore campus of an Australian University at the time of application
-be aged from 18 to 28 (inclusive) as at 1 January in the year of the commencement of their Scholarship Program
-be undertaking a Bachelor Degree or Bachelor Honours Degree, at the commencement of the Scholarship Program
-have achieved a minimum 70 per cent graded average or equivalent for their undergraduate course to date
-not be undertaking another Australian Government-funded off-shore scholarship at the commencement of, or concurrently with, the Scholarship Program
-not be a previous recipient of a New Colombo Plan Scholarship.
Scholarship Open for International Students: Australian students are eligible for this New Colombo Plan Scholarship.
Scholarship Description: The New Colombo Plan is a signature initiative of the Australian Government which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake Internships in the region. The Australian Government is committing more than AU1 $100 million of funding for the New Colombo Plan between 2013-2014 and 2017-2018. It involves a prestigious Scholarship Program for study of up to one Academic Year and Internships or Mentorships of up to six months, and a flexible mobility grant program for both short and longer term study, Internships, Mentorships, practicums and research. The New Colombo Plan is intended to be transformational, deepening Australia’s relationships in the region, both at the individual level and through expanding university, business and other stakeholder links.
Number of award(s): Around 100 prestigious and highly-competitive Scholarships will be awarded. A maximum of around 15 scholarships will be awarded for study in any single host location.
Duration of award(s): The maximum duration of a Scholarship Program is 17 months.
What does it cover? A Scholarship will provide Scholars with:
-a travel allowance of $2,500
-an establishment allowance of $2,500
-a monthly stipend of $2,500
-health and travel insurance for the duration of their overseas Scholarship Program
-a dedicated case manager for the duration of their Scholarship Program who provides services including pre-departure briefings, advice on health and travel insurance, advice and assistance relating to accommodation, and payment of allowances.
Where incurred, payment of in-country language training fees up to $1,000 will be made directly to the language-training provider. Where a Scholar will be studying abroad as a fee paying international student the scholarship will provide payment of up to one Academic Year’s international tuition fees to a maximum of $15,000 ($7,500 per semester based or $5,000 per trimester-based Study Period); payable directly to the Host Institution (includes student service and amenities fees). The Scholarship will only provide for international tuition fees if no current exchange agreement place is available between the Home University and the Host Institution. If the Scholar’s study abroad is under the auspices of an exchange program and the Host Institution does not charge tuition fees, the allocation for tuition fees will not be provided. In addition to the benefits outlined above, New Colombo Plan Fellows will be awarded $1,000 to purchase study or learning materials for use during their Scholarship Program.
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are as follows:
-Demonstrated academic excellence at the tertiary level (40 per cent weighting)
-Demonstrated leadership in the community (30 per cent weighting)
-Ability to adapt and operate in new or changing environments and understanding of how the proposed Scholarship Program will enhance cultural awareness (15 per cent weighting)
-Ability to contribute to New Colombo Plan goals through the Scholarship Program (15 per cent weighting)
Notification: In November 2015, selections are finalised and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Education and Training are notified of selection outcomes. All successful and unsuccessful applicants are notified of the outcome of their application. Details of successful Scholars published on website, as per Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines requirements by December 2015.
How to Apply: Students must be nominated by their Home University in order to apply. Each Australian University is asked to conduct an internal process to nominate up to 10 students to apply for the 2016 round of the Program. Australian Universities should make nominations accessible to all eligible students enrolled at that university. Nominations must be submitted through the New Colombo Plan Online website. The Department of Education and Training will provide New Colombo Plan Liaison Officers for Scholarships with instructions on how to submit nominations. Applications must be submitted through the New Colombo Plan Online website. The Department of Education and Training will contact nominated applicants by email and provide instruction on how to submit the application.
Scholarship Application Deadline: The application deadline is 22 July 2019.
