Australia Awards Scholarships for Timor-Leste - Undergraduate, Master scholarships by coursework or research, PhD

Updated: about 2 years ago
Deadline: 2022-04-29T00:00:00Z

Australia Awards scholarships in Timor-Leste 

Scholarship application in 2022 for 2023 commencement

Australia’s international development assistance in Timor Leste helps promote prosperity, reduce poverty, and enhance stability.

 Australia Awards scholarships are prestigious international awards offered by the Australian Government to the next generation of global leaders for development. Through study and research, recipients develop the skills and knowledge to drive change and help build enduring people-to-people links with Australia. 

Applicants are assessed on their professional and personal qualities, academic competence and, most importantly, their potential to impact on development challenges inTimor-Leste.Applications are strongly encouraged from women, people with disability and other marginalised groups. Preference will be given to those who have not had an Australian Awards scholarship before. A limited number of scholarships will be available for undergraduate studies.


Priority fields of study

The priority areas of study for undergraduate studies only inTimor-Leste are below. Example fields of study in brackets are not limited to these: 

• Economics (examples of areas of study includeEconomics, Economic Statistics, Macroeconomics,Microeconomics or Economic Planning) 

• Agriculture (examples include agriculture and forestry specialisations, horticulture, soil science, rural development) 

• Education (examples of areas of study include education for special needs, inclusive education, education).


Level of study

Australia Awards scholarships provide citizens ofTimor-Leste with the opportunity to obtain a qualification atan Australian tertiary institution. 

Awards will be offered for commencement in 2023 within the following allocations: 

• Bachelor Degree 

• Master’s Degree 

• PhD

For Persons with a Disability 

Applicants are encouraged from people with a disability and can apply for a scholarship in any field at either undergraduate or postgraduate level.

Applicants with a disability must meet all academic requirements to be eligible, including English level standards, and may be eligible for additional support to ensure their equal participation.For more information, applicants applying under the disability’s eligibility criteria should refer to the specific brochure or information on the Country-specific conditions.


Australia Awards benefits

Australia Awards scholarships are offered for the minimum period necessary for the individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian education institution, including any preparatory training.

Scholarship recipients will receive the following:

• return air travel

• a one-off establishment allowance on arrival

• full tuition fees

• contribution to living expenses

• introductory academic program

• overseas student health cover for the duration of the scholarship

• supplementary academic support

• fieldwork allowance for research students and masters by coursework which has a compulsory fieldwork component.


Eligibility criteria

Australia Awards applicants must meet all eligibility requirements detailed in the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook, available at: dfat.gov.au/aboutus/publications/Pages/australia-awards-scholarshipspolicy-handbook.aspx


Commencement of study

All scholarships must be taken up in the year for which they are awarded, dependant on any travel restrictions. Should an awardee not be able to commence study in 2023 for reasons unrelated to travel restrictions, the scholarship will be withdrawn.


Country-specific conditions

In addition to the eligibility requirements, candidates fromTimor-Leste must also meet the following conditions: 

i. be usually and currently residing in Timor-Leste, and have lived in Timor-Leste for at least 10 years(cumulative) since 1999, with some exceptions for applicants working for the Government of TimorLeste (GoTL) in a third country 

ii. if a recipient of a previous scholarship, includingGoTL scholarships, have worked in Timor-Leste fora minimum of two years cumulatively 

iii. not have citizenship of any developed country(exceptions may be made in some instances for Timorese citizens holding Portuguese citizenship)

iv. not currently hold another scholarship with the same benefits 

v. not have been terminated from a previous AustralianGovernment scholarship.

Applicants employed as civil servants must: 

i. be endorsed by a senior government official e.g. Director General or National Director, 

ii. before they start their application, check with the human resource department of the Civil ServiceCommission if they have permission to apply for anAustralia Awards Scholarship and,

iii. if you are a permanent public servant who was previously awarded a Government of Timor-Leste scholarship, check with the relevant scholarship department to ensure they have fulfilled their scholarship conditions and you can apply for anAustralia Awards scholarship and,

iv. if you are not a public servant but previously awarded a Government of Timor-Leste scholarship, provide a confirmation letter from the relevant government scholarship department that you are authorised to apply to Australia Awards.


Application dates

For study commencing in Australia in 2023:

Opening date: 1 February 2022

Closing date: 29 April 2022 (11:59PM AEST)

Applications and/or supporting documents received after the closing date will not be considered.


Qualification and English language requirements

i. Applicants with a disability for Diploma/AdvancedDiploma studies only must have:

• an English language proficiency of at least anIELTS overall score of 5.0, with no band scoreless than 4.5, and

• graduated from senior high school with a GradePoint Average (GPA) of 7.00 or have graduated from the UNTL CBR diploma 1 with a GPA of at least 2.50.

ii. Applicants for Bachelor studies must have:

• an English language proficiency of at least anIELTS overall score of 5.5, with no band scoreless than 5.0

• graduated from senior high school with a GradePoint Average (GPA) of 7.00 or have graduated from the UNTL CBR Diploma 1 with a GPA of at least 2.50

• minimum of a GPA 6.50 and work experience in a relevant sector for a minimum of 4 years.

iii. Masters by coursework or research level applicants must have:

• an English language proficiency of at least anIELTS score of 6.0, with no more than one band lower score of 5.5 and• a recognised undergraduate degree with a GPA of at least 2.75 or minimum of a GPA 2.50 and work experience in a relevant sector for a minimum of 2 years.

iv. PhD level applicants must have:

• a GPA of at least 3.00, and• an English language proficiency of at least anIELTS score of 6.5 overall, with no band scoreless than 6.0. 

English Language Test

Applicants must either:

• possess a certified copy of their original English language test (IELTS) results obtained after 1 January2022, or

• undertake an IELTS test organised by Australia AwardsTimor-Leste.


The application process

Online applications

Online applications are highly recommended. Apply online at: https://oasis.dfat.gov.au.

For assistance in lodging your application, the OASIS UserGuide can be found at www.australiaawardstl.org.

Soft copy & hard copy applications

Please obtain a soft copy application form by:

• downloading from the Australia Awards Timor-Leste website at www.australiaawardstl.org or

• Hardcopy application forms can be obtained fromWDPTL Office in Dili.


The selection process

• Applications will be shortlisted after eligibility checking and independent assessment

• Eligible and Compliant candidate will be invited to Preliminary English Language (PELT) test

 Shortlisted applicants without a current IELTS will be required to undertake an IELTS preparation course and test

• Shortlisted candidates will be required to provide a certified copy of their education certificates

• Highly ranked shortlisted applicants who meet the IELTS requirements will be invited for interview.

In the interview, applicants will be assessed against the following criteria:- Academic competence- Potential outcome, specifically the contribution to development outcomes in Timor-Leste- Professional and personal leadership attributes including relevant work experience.

• Successful candidates will be notified in August 2022.


Applicants must be available on the following indicative dates to:

• Undertake an initial English language assessment in May2022

• Attend optional English language training for shortlisted applicants with a disability (June 2022)

• If required attend IELTS preparation training in June2022 (up to 40 hours)

• If necessary short-listed applicants sit the IELTS test in early July 2022

• Attend a half-day briefing and face-to-face interviews lateJuly 2022.

All successful applicants will be required to attend a pre departure briefing in November 2023.


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