About National Library of Australia Scholarships 

The National Library of Australia Scholarships program provides PhD candidates with the opportunity to undertake research at the Library using our collections. Scholarships are available to researchers who require onsite access to our uniquely held or extensive collections to advance their PhD research.

Applicants may work in any field or discipline where our collections have appropriate depth and breadth to support the PhD topic.

Types of National Library Scholarships

Up to 8 Scholarships are available for 2027. Of these, 5 are for research on any subject, and 3 are for identified fields of research.

• Any subject: 2 Scholarships, one supported by Professor Robert and Mrs Josephine Shanks and one supported by Morag Fraser
• Asian studies: 2 Scholarships, one in memory of Cheng King Law and one supported by the Harold S. Williams Trust
• First Nations scholars: 2 scholarships on any subject, one supported by Ms Irene Kaspar and Mr Peter Boege and one supported by a generous donor
• Rural or regional scholars: supported by Miss Carol Moya Mills
• Travel, exploration or the natural world in Australia or the Pacific, during the 18th, 19th or early 20th centuries: supported by Dr Michael Martin and Ms Elizabeth Popovski

What Scholars receive

• $10,000 to support onsite research at the Library
  • Funding is based on 4 weeks at the Library, but Scholars are welcome to extend their research period as required without additional funding. Scholars have 24 months to complete their research.
• Supported access to our collections
• Use of our Petherick Reading Room
• Increased borrowing privileges to maximise access to the collection
• A Copies Direct allowance of $600 for high resolution digital copies of collection materials for publication or other public uses (subject to copyright, licensing and access conditions)

Who can apply?

National Library of Australia Scholarships are open to:

• Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia who have commenced PhD program at any university in Australia or overseas
• overseas students who have commenced PhD program at an Australian university
• individuals who have not received a Fellowship or Scholarship from the Library in the past 5 years, i.e. funding was received in one of the Library’s 2022-2026 program rounds.

In addition to the above:

• researchers who will complete their PhD in 2026 are not eligible to apply. 
  • You must still be completing your PhD when commencing the Scholarship.
• the National Library of Australia First Nations Scholarship supported by Ms Irene Kaspar and Mr Peter Boege is open only to Australian First Nations scholars
• the National Library of Australia Scholarship supported by a generous donor gives preference to Australian First Nations scholars. 
  • If no suitable applications are received from First Nations researchers, this Scholarship may be awarded to a non-Indigenous scholar.

Selection criteria

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria.

• An excellent research concept and an innovative approach, including the application of our Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) protocols and ethical research principles where appropriate.
• A clear demonstration of the need for an onsite Scholarship at this stage of your PhD research.
• A clear explanation of research goals and expected progress during the Scholarship, including a timeline of when you plan to be working onsite at the Library.
• The relevance and value of our unique, rare or comprehensive collections to support the research outcomes, along with an awareness of any access permissions that may be required for collection material.
• The applicant’s academic potential and capacity for research.

More information

Ensure you read our FAQ page before applying.

How to apply

Before you start your application, make sure you read our FAQ page to understand the full requirements and what your application needs to include.

You must apply through SmartyGrants online platform, via the ‘Apply now’ button on this page. We don’t accept hardcopy or offline applications.

Meet our Scholars

We awarded 8 Scholarships in 2026. Be inspired by our 2026 Scholars and their work, and find out more about previous scholars.

Meet our NLA Scholars