How to Find Project-Funded Scholarships in Australia — A Practical Guide

Many students who want to study in Australia often email professors and receive the same disappointing reply: “Sorry, no funding available.” 

In most cases, this happens because students contact supervisors who do not have an active funded project. If you want to increase your chances of getting a scholarship — especially a project-funded one — the smartest strategy is to identify which professors currently hold ARC-funded research projects and contact them directly.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) funds thousands of competitive research projects every year. If you can find a supervisor who already manages such a project, the chances of hearing “no funding” drop dramatically.

Below is a step-by-step method (my personal style) to find ARC-funded supervisors in Australia.

Step-by-Step Guide to Finding ARC-Funded Supervisors

Step 1: 

• Copy the ARC Data Portal link (https://dataportal.arc.gov.au/) and open it in a new browser window
• enter your research topic or a keyword in the search box

Step 2: click the search button

Step 3: from the results page, select the university linked to your interest

Step 4: identify the project’s principal investigator or supervisor

Step 5: write down their name

Step 6: search the professor on Google using their name and university (for example: Dr Amy Moss, UNE)

Step 7: 

• collect their email from the official university webpage
• add it to your spreadsheet and send a professional email using a valid academic-style email address

This method helps you directly target professors who actively hold funded projects, drastically reducing the chance of rejection and increasing the probability of securing a scholarship.

Important Reality About Project-Funded Scholarships

A project itself does not grant you a scholarship automatically. You must first contact the supervisor. If they have available funding, they will guide you to apply through the university. All scholarships and admissions in Australia are processed exclusively through the university system — not directly through the project.

If you follow this method, you position yourself at a major advantage compared to students who send random emails without checking project activity. If you face any difficulties during your search, feel free to ask.

SEO Keywords: How to get ARC funded projects Australia, how to find PhD supervisor Australia, project funded scholarship Australia, Australian Research Council scholarships, how to email professor for scholarship, PhD funding Australia guide, Masters by Research Australia, ARC Data Portal search steps, project based scholarship Australia, study in Australia research funding