Prize

R.D. Wright Studentship

Application is required. Check eligibility

Key scholarship details

Application status

Open for applications

Applications open

5 Oct 2026

Applications close

6 Dec 2026

Benefit amount

Up to $2,000

Eligible study level

Undergraduate

Eligible student type

Domestic and international students

Eligible study stage

Current study

Benefit duration

One-off

Summary

The R. D. Wright Studentship is offered to undergraduate students to enable them to undertake research in the University's department of Physiology during the long vacation.

About the donor

The Heads of the Department of Physiology, the Department of Surgery in the Austin and Repatriation General Hospitals, The Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine and the Royal Children's Hospital. The R.D. Wright Studentship memorialises Professor Roy Douglas Wright, a long standing member of staff who transformed the Faculty and significantly contributed to tertiary education. He also served as Chancellor of the University from 1980-1989.

Benefits

Total fund amount to award per year is approximately $15,000 (This also covers the R.D. Wright Prize)

Each studentship is awarded $2,000 as a once-off payment

Disclaimer: The benefit amount for this award is approximate. It will be confirmed at the time of awarding and determined by the committee according to the terms of the award.

Amount:

Up to $2,000

Duration:

One-off

Eligibility and selection criteria

Eligibility

  1. Applicants must be either:
    (i) a current University of Melbourne Bachelor of Biomedicine or Bachelor of Science student who will have completed at least 250 credit points by the commencement of the research project;  
    (ii) a recent graduate of either degree who completed their studies in the same calendar year as their application; OR
    (iii) a student commencing Honours or the Master of Biomedical Science in the next intake within the Department of Anatomy and Physiology.
  2. Research project must be aligned with the discipline of Physiology. (Students with Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology or Neuroscience disciplines projects are encouraged to apply for the Vacation Research Scholarship)
  3. Student must have discussed the scholarship project with a supervisor within the Department of Anatomy and Physiology and have supervisor approval.
  4. The student cannot be concurrently enrolled in BIOM30003 or SCIE30001 and the project work completed as part of this scholarship cannot be used for academic credit.

Students are not eligible for this award if they have already commenced or completed an honours or graduate program.

Selection criteria

Recipients will be selected based on:

  1. Alignment of project to the discipline areas of Physiology.
  2. Preference will be given to students:
    • progressing onto Honours or Masters of Biomedical Science in the following intake within the Department of Anatomy and Physiology.
      OR
    • Are a current University of Melbourne Bachelor student with at least 250points completed
      OR
    • Recently completed University of Melbourne Bachelor student
  3. Where required to split applicants, academic merit (undergraduate WAM and/or results in relevant second and third year subjects) will be reviewed.

Conditions

The benefit amount for this award is approximate. It will be confirmed at the time of awarding and determined by the committee according to the terms of the award.

Study level:

Undergraduate

Student type:

Domestic and international students

Study stage type:

Current study

Study area:

Health

Need help understanding the process?

Visit our scholarship guide

Application

How to apply

Students need to submit the application form by the due date.
You will be requested to attach a copy of your academic transcript and a letter of recommendation from your intended supervisor to the application form.

The letter of recommendation from the supervisor should include:

  • a statement that the supervisor will host the student in their lab for the period of the scholarship
  • acknowledgement that the student and supervisor have discussed the scope of the project
  • a short summary of the work that will be completed

2026/2027 Applications close Sunday 6 December 2025 at 11.59pm

Contact

Please contact BiomedSci-AcademicServices@unimelb.edu.au

When will I know the outcome?

Successful applicants will be advised within 2 weeks of the application closing date.

Status:

Open for applications

    • 2025/2026: Akshaya Kalyanaraman, Sophie Dahlenburg, Nancy Youhana, Taoyu Liu
    • 2024/2025: Kristia Lam, Lesi Zhu
    • 2023/2024: Beverly Adelaide, Ashish Pai, plus 3 anonymous awardees
    • 2022/2023: Zhili Cheng, Rachel Thomson, Chanya Thevdini Gajanaike
    • 2021/2022: Callen Goldsmith, Abigail Rafa Hartono, Qinyu Xia
    • 2020/2021: Giang Dao, Benjamin Czapla, Divya Vickneswaran, Drishti Rajesh
    • 2019/2020: Gianni Farfaglia, Amy Bongetti, Stuart Plenderleith, Kiren Sandhu

The information listed here is subject to change without notice. Where we have listed information about jointly run scholarships programs, please also see our partners' websites. Information describing the number and value of scholarships awarded is indicative.

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