Syn Bio Postgraduate Top-Up Scholarships
CSIRO’s Postgraduate Top-Up Scholarship Program provides enhanced opportunities in science and engineering for outstanding graduates enrolling each year at Australian tertiary institutions as postgraduates for research leading to the award of a PhD. CSIRO PhD Top- Up scholarships are now being offered in over 50 CSIRO research areas, for funding commencing in 2020.
PhD Top-Up Scholarships are available to postgraduate students who have gained (or expect to gain), first class honours or equivalent in relevant research areas. Students must also expect to receive a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship, or an equivalent primary scholarship, commencing in late 2019 or early 2020. Joint supervision of students by a university and a CSIRO supervisor is required and such joint supervisory arrangements must be consistent with the Higher Degree by Research Regulations of the host university. The students’ research will be co-supervised by CSIRO and university scientists.
The CSIRO Top-Up Scholarships are supplementary awards, which add to the student’s support from a principal scholarship awarded by another body, e.g. Australian University RTP scholarship. In all respects recipients of awards will be regarded as students of the University at which they are registered, and all rules relating to degree candidature and the primary award will apply. In particular, recipients will undertake research at CSIRO as a student of the University concerned and are not employees of CSIRO.
Recipients of CSIRO Supplementary Postgraduate Awards are required to be Australian citizens or permanent residents. However, in fields in which there is a national skill shortage, awards may go to overseas candidates, provided that the international candidate is prepared to seek permanent residency as soon as possible within Australian Government policy guidelines.
CSIRO has invested $13 million in the Synthetic Biology FSP Future Science Platform (SynBio FSP). This investment will position Australia to play a role in one of the fastest growing areas of modern science so that we can understand global developments and, where appropriate, contribute to advances in areas including manufacturing, industrial biotechnology, environmental remediation, biosecurity, agriculture and healthcare research. Synthetic Biology (SynBio) is the design and construction of biological parts, devices, and organisms (usually based on DNA-encoded componentry); and their application for useful purposes.). The SynBioFSP has a mission to develop capacity in synthetic biology within CSIRO and across Australia.
Research areas: for details of research areas please see document CSIRO Postgraduate Scholarships – Synthetic Biology (link to Excel document)
Location: Various locations across Australia
Scholarship: Top-Up scholarship of AU$7,000 per annum, plus a generous operating budget of AU$10,000 per annum
Reference: 62967
Pre-Requisites/Eligibility:
To be eligible to apply you must have (or expect to gain):
- first class honours or equivalent in a relevant research area;
- admission to an Australian University as a PhD student;
- a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or university equivalent; and
- an university supervisor who is willing and able to supervise you
If you have already commenced your PhD studies, you must be less than 12 months into your PhD at 1 January 2020.
International applicants must have the appropriate immigration approvals to allow them to take up the scholarship.
Applications will be assessed on:
- Quality and relevance of student project: The primary assessment criterion for a CSIRO Postgraduate Scholarship is the quality and relevance of the project being proposed. The research must be aligned with, the advertised priority research area.
- Academic calibre of the student: The quality of the student is also critical to the assessment of a scholarship and candidates must hold (or expect to gain) a relevant first class honours (or equivalent) degree from a recognised University.
- Availability of appropriate university supervision: The relevance of the University supervisor’s research background and their willingness to supervise the student in collaboration with the CSIRO supervisor should also be made clear.
Apply now!