Prize

R.D. Wright Studentship

Application is required. Check eligibility

Key scholarship details

Application status

Not open yet

Applications open

13 Oct 2025

Applications close

7 Dec 2025

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

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.

The purpose of the Summer Research Studentships is to provide an opportunity for undergraduates to gain first-hand experience in research (min 5 weeks) prior to commencing a research training course.

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

One or more research studentships to be awarded annually to undergraduates to enable them to undertake research in Physiology during the long vacation. Students must be progressing onto Honours (BH-BMED or BH-SCI) or the Master of Biomedical Science (MC-BMEDSC) in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology.

Selection criteria

Studentship recipients will be selected based on:

  • Project alignment to the aims of the trust (physiology discipline)
  • Progressing onto Honours or the Master of Biomedical Science

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

2025/2026 Applications close Sunday 7 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:

Not open yet

    • 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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