The Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship is the main research scholarship at Macquarie University in Sydney. It funds PhD and Master of Research candidates, and it comes in two versions: MQRES for domestic applicants and iMQRES for international applicants. If you are a Pakistani student planning a research degree in Australia, the international round is the one you would be looking at, though you should confirm on the official site that your nationality and situation fit that category. You can see the full scholarship details on our scholarship page.
This scholarship suits a specific kind of applicant. It is built for people who already know what they want to research and who are willing to do the slow work of finding a supervisor before they apply. If you are still deciding between a coursework master's and research, or you have no research proposal yet, this is not the place to start.
MQRES and iMQRES in one table
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Macquarie University |
| Country | Australia |
| Study level | PhD and Master of Research |
| Funding | Listed as fully funded. Stipend top-up, fieldwork and equipment funds, and tuition fee coverage in the international round |
| Fields | All fields, depending on supervisor availability |
| Deadline | International round (iMQRES) around July 31; domestic round around April 30. Confirm current cycle dates |
| Official site | Macquarie University official website |
Two rounds, two calendars
The single most common mix-up with this scholarship is the timing. Domestic applicants (the RTP/MQRES side) and international applicants (iMQRES) apply in separate rounds that run on different timelines. The domestic round has generally closed around April 30, and the international round around July 31.
Those dates are approximate. Exact deadlines shift from one cycle to the next, so treat "around July 31" as a planning marker and check the current date on the Macquarie website before you build your schedule around it. Many students read an old deadline on a forum, plan backwards from it, and find the real date has moved.
For a Pakistani applicant, the practical point is simple: do not follow advice written for Australian citizens or permanent residents. Their round closes months earlier and runs under different rules.
What the money actually pays for
The word "top-up" matters here. Macquarie describes this scholarship as topping up research funding, and the stipend part is commonly cited at up to 75% of the standard Research Training Program (RTP) rate, added on top of the base RTP stipend. "Up to" means that figure is a ceiling, and the amount you actually receive may differ. Confirm the current figure with the university rather than budgeting on the maximum.
The funding is described as covering:
- A stipend top-up beyond the base RTP rate
- Fieldwork and equipment funds
- Tuition fee coverage, in the international (iMQRES) round
The fieldwork and equipment money is easy to overlook, but it is useful for research students. Many scholarships stop at fees and living costs, which leaves you paying for data collection, lab materials or travel to field sites out of the stipend. Ask early how this part is allocated in your faculty.
The tuition coverage is tied to the international round. If you are an international student, that is the line you care about most, because international research fees in Australia are a heavy cost to carry without it.
Why your supervisor comes first
Most scholarship guides put "find a supervisor" somewhere in the middle of a checklist. For Macquarie, it belongs at the very top. Having a confirmed supervisor before you apply is compulsory for health sciences and strongly recommended in every other field.
"Strongly recommended" should be read as close to required. A research scholarship committee is funding a project, and a project without a supervisor who has agreed to take it on is a weak bet. The eligible fields are listed as "all fields, supervisor-dependent", which tells you the same thing: the field is open only if someone at Macquarie can supervise you in it.
A few practical points on approaching supervisors:
- Read the academic's recent work before you write. Your email should show why your proposed project fits what they already do.
- Keep the first message short and attach a brief research outline and your CV.
- Give yourself months, not weeks. Academics are busy, and a reply can take time.
- Once a supervisor agrees, ask for written confirmation, because you will need it as a document.
Who is eligible
The listed requirements are short. You need to meet Macquarie's admission criteria for a Master of Research or a PhD, show English proficiency, and have a confirmed supervisor (compulsory for health sciences, strongly recommended elsewhere).
The source information does not list a minimum GPA, a specific English test score or an age limit. Check the admission criteria for your intended degree on the Macquarie site to find the exact academic and English thresholds for your program. Pakistani applicants should also confirm that their nationality falls under the international round and that their degree is recognised for admission.
The four documents to prepare
The documents listed for this scholarship are:
- Transcripts
- Research proposal
- Supervisor confirmation
- English test scores
Of these, the research proposal and supervisor confirmation take the longest, and they depend on each other. A good supervisor will often help you sharpen the proposal, so start talking to them before you finalise it. Transcripts from Pakistani universities may need attestation depending on what Macquarie asks for, and our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide explains how that process works. For a broader list of what international scholarships usually ask for, see the scholarship documents checklist.
The application sequence
The order of steps matters more than the steps themselves:
- Secure a supervisor at Macquarie before applying.
- Apply for admission to your research degree (PhD or Master of Research).
- Apply in the scholarship round that matches your applicant category: iMQRES for international applicants, the domestic round otherwise.
Notice that admission and scholarship are separate applications. Getting one does not automatically get you the other, so track both deadlines. Working backwards from the international deadline, your supervisor conversations should be well underway several months earlier, and your English test should be done in time for the results to be ready.
Mistakes that sink Macquarie applications
From the way this scholarship is structured, a few errors stand out.
Applying without a supervisor is the biggest. In health sciences it simply makes you ineligible. In other fields it leaves your application competing against people who have already secured one.
Using the wrong round is the second. International applicants who follow domestic timelines can end up rushing, or assuming they have missed the window when they have not.
Trusting old deadlines is the third. The dates in this guide are approximate on purpose. Always confirm the current cycle on the official site.
The last one is budgeting on the maximum stipend. The top-up is "up to" a certain level, and the fieldwork funds have their own rules. Plan your finances conservatively until you have an offer in writing.
If you are comparing this with other options in the country, look through all Australia scholarships we have covered.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a supervisor before applying?
For health sciences, yes. It is compulsory. For all other fields it is strongly recommended, and in practice an application without one is much weaker.
Do domestic and international applicants apply in the same round?
No. The domestic round (RTP/MQRES) and the international round (iMQRES) run on separate timelines with different deadlines. Confirm which applies to you before planning.
When is the iMQRES deadline?
It has been around July 31, but exact dates shift between cycles. Check the current deadline on the Macquarie University website.
Does the scholarship cover tuition fees?
Tuition fee coverage is listed for the international round (iMQRES), alongside the stipend top-up and fieldwork and equipment funds.
Which fields can I apply in?
All fields are open, but it depends on finding a supervisor at Macquarie who can take on your project.
Is a coursework master's eligible?
The scholarship is for PhD and Master of Research candidates. A coursework master's is not among the listed study levels.
Before you apply, check the current round dates and requirements on the Macquarie University official website, and keep our Macquarie Research Excellence Scholarship page handy for a quick summary.