Australia Awards are prestigious international awards offered by the Australian Government that aim to promote knowledge, education links and enduring ties between Australia, its neighbors and the global community. The Australia Awards bring the international scholarships offered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Department of Industry, Innovation, Research and Tertiary Education and the Australian Council for International Agricultural Research into a single, recognizable brand.
Australia Awards include the Australia Awards Scholarships which provide opportunities for long-term study and aim to:
- develop capacity and leadership skills so that individuals can contribute to development in their home country
- build people-to-people links at the individual, institutional and country levels.
In Bangladesh, DFAT manages the Australia Awards Scholarships on behalf of the Government of Australia. Australia Awards Scholarships are long term study and professional development opportunities available to qualified people from Bangladesh to study full-time in Australia. They equip scholars with skills and knowledge to drive change and influence development outcomes in Bangladesh. The selection process for this is based on merit, academic achievement and the relevance of proposed study programs to development priorities agreed between the governments of Australia and Bangladesh.
Eligible target groups:
The following target groups are eligible to apply for Australia Awards to study Masters by coursework or research, commencing in 2015:
- employees of the Government of Bangladesh
- employees of ICDDR,B
- employees of BRAC
- people working in water resource management
- ethnic minority groups.
Please note: Preference will be given to candidates from Departments most closely aligned with country priorities agreed between the Government of Australia and Bangladesh. Public university employees are not eligible. A select number of scholarships will be awarded to education and economic growth sector professionals from the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) target group.
Eligibility criteria:
Applicants must meet all general eligibility criteria together with the criteria specific to Bangladesh.
General criteria
- not be married, engaged to, or a de facto of a person who holds, or is eligible to hold, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, at any of the application, selection or mobilisation phases;
- satisfy all requirements of the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) for a Temporary Visa (subclass 576);
- not be current serving military personnel;
- not be applying for another long-term Australia Award unless they have resided outside of Australia for twice the length of the total time that they were in Australia (for example, a previous awardee who has been on an Australia Awards Scholarship in Australia for four years will not be eligible to apply for another Australia Awards Scholarship until they have resided outside Australia for eight years);
- satisfy the admission requirements of the institution at which the award is to be undertaken (this may mean that award will be withdrawn if the recipient cannot satisfy the institution’s admission requirements).
Please note that these general criteria are also detailed in the Scholarship Policy Handbook.
Bangladesh specific criteria
- be a citizen of Bangladesh;
- meet the following English language test requirements:
- an Academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) result with an overall score of at least 6.5, with no band less than 6.0, OR
- a paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) overall score of at least 580, with a minimum of 4.5 in the test of written English, OR
- an internet-based TOEFL score of at least 92, with a minimum of 21 in all subtests, OR
- Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) overall score of 58 with no communicative skill score less than 50.
- The English language test results must be valid at 1 January 2015 (IELTS, TOEFL scores, and PTE Academic are valid for two years after the test date).
- Where an institution’s academic English language requirement is higher than those detailed above, the awardee must meet the institution’s requirement.
- Please note: Women, applicants with disabilities and applicants from ethnic minority groups with IELTS scores of 6.0 with no individual band less than 5.5 (or TOEFL or PTE equivalents) will be considered. If applicants from these groups submit applications with lower IELTS/TOEFL/PTE scores, they must meet the English language requirement described above and any special language requirements of their courses, if offered an Australia Awards Scholarship.
- be a current employee of the Government of Bangladesh, ICDDR,B, BRAC or a member of an ethnic minority group or working in the area of Water Resource Management;
- have at least two years’ work experience in a field relevant to their proposed course of study. Government of Bangladesh employees must have completed their 2 years of service tenure as Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) cadre officer at the time of application.
- have a university qualification at least equivalent in standard to an Australian Bachelor’s degree.
Study programs can be no longer than 2 years in duration.
Applicants for Masters by research must provide evidence of an offer of admission to an appropriate course at an eligible Australian university for full time studies commencing in 2015. Research applicants must also provide evidence from an academic supervisor who will supervise the research study.
Scholarship Value:
Australia Awards Scholarships are offered for the minimum period necessary to complete the academic program specified by a university.
The following benefits generally apply:
- full tuition fees;
- return economy-class air travel by the most direct route;
- establishment allowance: a once only contribution towards initial expenses such as rental bonds, text books, additional medical insurance, excess baggage etc.;
- contribution to living expenses: a fortnightly contribution to basic living expenses;
- Introductory Academic Program a compulsory 4-6 week program on life and study in Australia prior to the commencement of formal studies;
- Overseas Student Health Cover: for the duration of the award (for award holder only). This covers basic hospital and medical costs, excluding pre-existing conditions;
- visa application expenses.
Subject to requirements and eligibility, Australia Awards Scholarships may also cover:
- supplementary Academic Support (Tutorial Assistance): to improve a student’s performance to ensure academic success, if required;
- for eligible research students only, contribution to fieldwork costs may be available for one return economy class airfare by the most direct route to Bangladesh or within Australia;
- reunion airfare (for unaccompanied awardees).
For more details on benefits and entitlements please read the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook, available at http://aid.dfat.gov.au/Publications/Pages/scholar-handbook.aspx
How to apply?
- The online application form is accessible at https://oasis.ausaid.gov.au. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications online. Those who need to submit a hard copy application must contact the Australia Awards Office Bangladesh well before applications close. If required, a copy of the application form can be forwarded to you.
- Applicants from the Government of Bangladesh must select one of the following themes from the list in the application form: Economic growth; Governance; Gender Equality, Regional Stability, or Health, and Education.
- Applicants from ICDDR,B must select one of the following themes from the list in the application form: Health or Governance.
- Applicants from BRAC must select the following theme from the list in the application form: Economic Growth and Education.
- Applicants working in Water Resource Management must select one of the following themes from the list in the application form: Water and Sanitation.
- Applicants from the ethnic minority groups may choose any theme listed in the application form.
- The Supporting Statement section of the application form is particularly important. Applicants must provide strong arguments to demonstrate their suitability for an Australia Awards Scholarship.
- Applicants who wish to pursue studies by research (Masters by research, or Masters by coursework with a research component) must complete the Research Proposal Details section.
- Applicants must complete the English Language Proficiency section in full, including their scores and, if possible, attach a copy of their IELTS, TOEFL or PTE certificates with their applications Certified scanned copies of supporting documents, as outlined in the above table, must be uploaded with the online application form. For more information on Australia Awards Scholarships, first read the FAQs and then contact the Australia Awards Office Bangladesh at inquiries@australiaawardsbangladesh.org.
- Hardcopy applications must be received by the Australia Awards office Bangladesh at the following address no later than 5pm on 30 April 2014.
Address: Australia Awards Office Bangladesh
5th Floor, Plot # 4, Road # 12 Block-J, Baridhara Dhaka-1212 Bangladesh
Applications Duration: Applications for Intake 2015 open on 1 February 2014 and close at 5pm (Dhaka time) on 30 April 2014
For further information: http://australiaawardssouthasia.org/bangladesh
