Funding
Funding_
Scholarships and prizes
Financial support for students studying Southeast Asia
A scholarship or prize can give you the financial independence to concentrate on your studies. Find out which scholarships are available, when they’re open, and how to apply.
Various sources of funding are available if you are studying topics on or related to Southeast Asia at the University of Sydney. Browse the scholarships below, including our annual Honours Scholarship, funding for doctoral fieldwork, financial support to undertake international exchange and travel, and funding through the Department of Indonesian Studies.
Scholarships and prizes
This scholarship is for commencing or continuing students intending to enrol in an honours program at the University of Sydney in 2020, whose research will relate to one or more Southeast Asian country. Up to two scholarships worth $2000 each will be awarded.
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants need to:
- apply for entry to the University of Sydney commencing in 2020
- enrol in an honours program at the University of Sydney, which must involve an additional year to a standard undergraduate degree
- be researching a topic related to one or more Southeast Asian country
- have a distinction average during their undergraduate studies
- be either a local student (an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or permanent resident of Australia) or an international student who has completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Sydney.
*Please note: scholarship will only be paid upon official enrolment in an Honours program
Change of study load
If you change your enrolment to part-time study you will only be eligible for the scholarship if medical reasons for such a change are cited.
Termination
The scholarship will be terminated if the recipient:
- withdraws from the honours degree program
- enrols part-time without prior approval
- fails to meet the required annual average mark of 75; or
- changes the focus of their research to a country or issue outside of Southeast Asia.
Did you submit your honours thesis at the University of Sydney in 2019? If so, you may be eligible for the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre’s annual Honours Thesis Award.
As part of SSEAC’s ongoing efforts to promote the study of Southeast Asia-related topics, we are launching an Honours Thesis Prize to celebrate the commitment and contribution made by undergraduate scholars to better understanding our region.
SSEAC Honours Prize is awarded for Excellent Southeast Asia-related research. The award will be granted for the thesis that best meets the following criteria:
- Theoretical robustness
- Lucid writing
- Clarity of structure
- Strength and consistency of argument
- Depth of research, preferably employing sources written in a Southeast Asian language
- Originality and contribution to your field
Eligibility
The Honours Thesis Award is open to students from any academic discipline at the University of Sydney. Students who completed their honours project in 2018 at the University of Sydney are eligible for this award. In addition, please ensure you meet the following criteria for award:
- The student must have completed their Honours degree at the University of Sydney.
- The student’s honours project must be on a topic related to Southeast Asia. For the purposes of this award, the countries of Southeast Asia are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
- The honours project must incorporate a substantial piece of independent research, including an individual thesis of at least 12,000 words.
- The thesis must have been submitted in 2018.
- The student must met conditions for the award of Honours and received examiner’s reports prior to the submission of the application.
- Students from any academic discipline can apply.
How to apply
Students that meet the eligibility criteria are invited to submit an application with the following documents:
- Thesis abstract
- Completed full thesis
- All examiner reports
- University transcript
- Academic letter of support (this can be provided by your supervisor or another academic familiar with your research)
Applications will be considered by the SSEAC Executive Grants Subcommittee. Only complete applications will be accepted. Where necessary, the Executive Committee will solicit advice from a disciplinary expert on the quality of the thesis.
Prize
The successful student will receive a winner’s certificate and an AU$500 book voucher. The winner will be announced on the SSEAC website and will be profiled in the SSEAC newsletter.
This annual prize will be awarded to the most outstanding doctoral thesis written by a student enrolled at the University of Sydney on a topic wholly concerned with Southeast Asia. For the purposes of this award, the countries of Southeast Asia are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
The PhD associated with this thesis must have been conferred in 2019.
The thesis may be from any discipline, but must relate to one of SSEAC’s five clusters: economic and social development, environment and resources, health, heritage and the arts and/or state and society.
The prize for Best Thesis on Southeast Asia is a cash award of AU$1000 and a certificate. The winner will also be profiled on the SSEAC website. A prize of AU$250 may be awarded to a second outstanding thesis.
The winner will be assessed by the SSEAC Executive Grants Subcommittee. The subcommittee will seek advice from experts in relevant disciplines to in order to give fair consideration to dissertations from a broad range of research fields.
Criteria
- The thesis must have been conferred by the University of Sydney in 2019.
- The thesis must deal with a topic that is wholly related to a country (or multiple countries) in Southeast Asia or Australia’s relationship with a country (or multiple countries) in Southeast Asia. Theses that include a comparative study between Southeast Asian case and non-Southeast Asia case studies will be considered only if the case study demonstrates a deep engagement with the region.
- The thesis can be from any disciplinary background and the committee will seek relevant expertise to assess the relative merits of theses from a range of disciplines.
- The thesis must be nominated by TWO SSEAC academic members from within the University of Sydney.
- A SSEAC member may only nominate one thesis.
- The application will be ultimately judged by the SSEAC Executive, whose decision is final.
Nomination Requirements
Nominated students are responsible for submitting their application. The required documents must be attached to the application upon submission:
- A copy of the thesis in electronic form.
- Proof of nominations by two SSEAC members. At least one of these SSEAC members must be based at the University of Sydney.
- A letter setting out the merits of the thesis and the reasons for nominating it from one of the nominating SSEAC members (maximum of 1000 words).
- All examiners’ reports (with names of examiners deleted), unless an institution’s rule expressly forbids such use of examiners’ reports. In the latter case, a more elaborate statement of the thesis’ merits is acceptable.
Please contact sseac@sydney.edu.au if you have any questions related to this award.
Background: This scholarship aims to promote international understanding and advance your academic development by enabling you to spend part of your degree studying in an approved overseas institution.
How much: $5000.
How long: One semester only
Eligibility:
- Applicants must be an Australian Citizen, New Zealand Citizen, or Australian Permanent Resident.
- Applicants must have completed 48 credit points of an undergraduate course.
- Applicants must be enrolled in at least 18 credit points in an undergraduate degree at the University of Sydney at the time of application.
- Applicants must be undertaking studies at an overseas institution in Faculty approved units of study which are counted towards their degree.
- Applicants must have acceptance into the Exchange Program administered by the University of Sydney.
- Preference will be given to students who wish to undertake their studies at an institution in Asia.
Further information: Scholarships Office
Background: Scholarships offered by Sydney Abroad
For: All currently enrolled undergraduate and postgraduate students
How much: Valued at $10,000 each, we offer up to 350 scholarships a year
How long: Short-term and semester-long programs.
Eligibility: You need to have a credit average (65 percent or higher) over the most recent 48 credit points you have completed in your current course. You need to be enrolled full time at the University of Sydney while you study on exchange, and any classes you enrol in at your host university need to be approved by your faculty so they can be credited towards your Sydney degree.
Selection times: May/June for exchanges commencing in the second half of the year; October/November for exchanges commencing in the first half of the following year.
Further information: Sydney Abroad: sydney.abroad@sydney.edu.au, +61 2 8627 8322, or visit the study abroad and student exchange website.
Background: This scholarship supports students who are interested in Asia, and want to actively contribute to Australia's success in Asia in their chosen field.
How much: $12,000
How long: One to two semesters
Eligibility:
- Applicants must be an Australian Citizen or Australian Permanent Resident.
- Applicants must be enrolled full-time at the University of Sydney at the time of application (all fields of study are eligible).
- Applicants must have completed 48 credit points of an undergraduate course.
- Applicants must hold a minimum of a credit average (65 WAM).
- Applicants must have acceptance into the Exchange Program administered by the University of Sydney.
Further information: Scholarships Office
The University of Sydney also offers hundreds of scholarships to help undergraduate and postgraduate students achieve their study goals. Find out more about general scholarships and prizes on offer.
