Stage 1

The first step is to prepare an ‘Expression of Interest’ according to the below instructions and send it to hdrconvenor.sdsc@anu.edu.au. Please do not contact individual scholars. This is not a formal application to the University. Instead it helps you make contact with SDSC and its staff, and gives us the opportunity to assess whether you meet the entry requirements, what the nature of your work is and what staff for supervision we have available.

The Expression of Interest comprises the following parts:

1. A short cover letter that:

   • Confirms that you will be in residence at ANU for the duration of the program;

   • Identifies specific scholars at SDSC with whom you would like to work (please list names only and do not contact these scholars prior to submitting your EOI to the HDR Convenor); and

   • Explains how you propose to fund the program.

2. A CV

3. University transcripts

4. A 5-8 page research proposal that addresses:

   • The central research question/s;

   • Why that/those questions are important;

   • How that/those question/s are informed by and will inform theory or conceptual frameworks;

   • Proposed methodology and methods; and

   • Sources.

All applicants should include a section in their application detailing the viability of their project in the context of COVID restrictions. This section should either (a) explain how the project is not dependent on travel and/or fieldwork and therefore feasible regardless of restrictions in these domains, or (b) provide a 12-month plan outlining how the project will proceed if the current restrictions on fieldwork and travel continue. Applicants should discuss the viability of their research project under COVID restrictions with their proposed supervisors prior to submitting the application.

The aim of the research proposal is to demonstrate that the project is well-defined, original, scholarly, important, and viable in three years full-time. If we see value and potential in your proposal, we may ask you to revise and further develop it. Please ensure that the research proposal is prepared, written, and formatted to a high academic standard. This document is very important as it is our first step towards assessing your potential.

Where do I send my Expression of Interest? What happens next?

Once you have prepared your Expression of Interest it must be forwarded to hdrconvenor.sdsc@anu.edu.au. We ask that potential students do not contact individual staff members first.

The HDR Convenor will initially review your Expression of Interest to assess whether it meets our requirements. If they believe it does meet the requirements, the Expression of Interest will be forwarded to SDSC. This allows us to arrive at a decision about the potential applicant and to establish if there is sufficient supervisory capacity for that individual.

The HDR Convenor will send you an email outlining SDSC’s decision on whether it wishes to proceed with your potential application.

Key dates

Expressions of Interest are welcome at any time. However, there are some key dates you should consider. The SDSC commencement for PhD students is February of each year. Application rounds for scholarship consideration close 31 August (international students) and 31 October (domestic students) of the previous year.

In order to fulfil the requirements of the University’s internal scholarship application process, prospective HDR (Higher Degree Research) must meet a number of deadlines which depend on if they are a domestic or an international applicant.

For International students: the applicant must send an initial expression of interest to the Department’s HDR Convenor as soon as possible, but no later than 31 May. An international applicant who wishes to be considered for an ANU scholarship will subsequently be required to submit a full application through the ANU Application Manager by 31 July at the latest. This time frame is designed so that we can help you finalise your application package before the scholarship committees meet. Applications that are submitted after 31 July but before 31 August will still be considered; however, such applications risk being incomplete at the time of consideration as they will not have benefitted from the abovementioned review process.

For domestic students: the applicant must send an initial expression of interest to the Department’s HDR Convenor as soon as possible, but no later than 31 July. A domestic applicant who wishes to be considered for an ANU scholarship will subsequently be required to submit a full application through the ANU Application Manager by 30 September at the latest. This time frame is designed so that we can help you finalise your application package before the scholarship committees meet. Applications that are submitted after 30 September but before 31 October will still be considered; however, such applications risk being incomplete at the time of consideration as they will not have benefitted from the abovementioned review process.

For non-ANU scholarships, prospective students must express their interest in the Department’s graduate research programs to the HDR Convenor at least two months in advance of the respective scholarship program deadlines (if formal acceptance to a university is a scholarship eligibility requirement).

Stage 2: Formal application

If your Expression of Interest has been accepted, the next stage is to make a formal application to the University for admission and for any relevant scholarships. The application process for admission and university scholarships is combined, so you will only need to submit one set of documents and forms. The HDR Convenor/relevant staff member will work with you to refine your proposal further and shape your application to maximise your chance of scholarship success. You will need to ensure you apply to the following course:

Doctor of Philosophy, International, Political and Strategic Studies, with the course code 9510 and the Graduate Research Field Pol. Sci. and Internat. Rels.

Submit your application.