Program overview

Long term Development Awards are an important component of the Australian Government’s development program. They support study at Australian tertiary institutions. The objectives of the awards are to develop the capacity and leadership skills of awardees so they can contribute to development in India, and build people-to-people links at individual, institutional and country levels.

In India, long term Development Awards include the Australian Leadership Awards (ALA) Scholarships. ALA Scholarships in India support study at Masters Level and Doctoral (PhD) Level in Australia.

Applications for the intake commencing academic year 2013
must be lodged by COB, 30th April 2012.

Applications received after this time will not be accepted. Applicants are encouraged to apply online at https://oasis.ausaid.gov.au. For assistance, please contact the South Asia Scholarships Program (SASP) office using the contact details below.

Applicant profiles

To ensure equity and broad participation, AusAID encourages women, people with a disability, people from ethnic minorities, people living in rural areas and members of socially and/or economically disadvantaged groups to apply.

ALA Scholarship Applicant Profile

ALA Scholarships aim to develop leadership, build partnerships and networks within the Asia-Pacific region, and address priority regional issues. ALAS is an open scheme and any eligible citizen of India, engaged in one of the priority themes can apply. ALA scholarships will be awarded to those who demonstrate potential to assume leadership roles to influence social and economic policy reform and development outcomes in their own country and in the region.

Selection for ALA Scholarships is highly competitive. It is based on:

• an assessment of leadership qualities;
• academic excellence; and
• potential development impact.

To be successful, applicants must either be leaders or have the potential to become leaders and influence social and economic policy reform and development outcomes both in India and the region.

For more information on ALA Scholarships please refer to the ALA Scholarships page: www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/ala.cfm

Priority sectors

ALA Scholarship Priority Themes

ALA Scholarships support study at Masters (by research, coursework, or a combination of both) or Doctoral level. Applicants must demonstrate that their proposed study fits within one of the following priority themes:

Climate Change and Environment
Water Resource Management (Including Trans-boundary Rivers)
Food Security
Water Sanitation and Hygiene
Disaster Risk Reduction
Health and Nutrition
Regional Integration and Cooperation
Regional Trade, Energy or Infrastructure
Regional Stability

Eligibility criteria

General Eligibility Criteria

An applicant must:

• be a minimum of 18 years of age at the time of commencing a scholarship;
• be a citizen of India and be residing in and applying for the scholarship from there;
• not be married or engaged to or be a de facto of a person who holds, or is eligible to hold, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, at any of the application, selection or mobilization phases or while on-scholarship in Australia;
• not be current serving military personnel;
• not be applying for another long-term AusAID scholarship unless they have returned to India and resided there for twice the length of the total time they were in Australia (for example, a previous scholar who has been on AusAID scholarship/s in Australia for four years will not be eligible to apply for another AusAID scholarship until they have been home for eight years); 
• not hold or have held an Australian Government-funded scholarship (e.g. Endeavour Award) in the preceding two years, at the time of application; 
• satisfy any specific criteria established by the Government of India; 
• be able to satisfy the admission requirements of a university at which a scholarship is to be undertaken (this may mean a scholarship offer is withdrawn if a recipient cannot satisfy a university’s admission requirements. This may not be known until placements are requested at selected universities); and
• be able to satisfy all requirements of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) for an AusAID Student Visa 576 (this may mean a scholarship offer is withdrawn if a recipient cannot satisfy visa requirements).

Country Specific Criteria

In addition, applicants

• must have completed a tertiary level qualification at least equivalent to an Australian Bachelors Degree;
• must have achieved a minimum academic IELTS overall score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0; or a TOEFL paper-based test score of at least 580, or a TOEFL computer-based test score of at least 237, or a TOEFL internet-based score of at least 92. Scores must be valid until 1 January 2013;
• must meet admission and other specific requirements of universities in Australia. Applicants must research entry requirements for particular universities. 

Awardees are required:

• to sign a contract with the Commonwealth of Australia declaring they will comply with the conditions of the scholarship;
• to return to India for at least two years after completing their scholarship, to contribute to economic and social development of the country. Failure to do so will incur a debt to the Commonwealth of Australia for the total value of the scholarship.

Participating Australian institutions

ADS and ALA Scholarship awardees are accepted widely by most universities in Australia. A list of the participating universities for the intake commencing in 2013 is available at:

http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/ads-institutions.cfm

Benefits and entitlements

ADS and ALA Scholarships are offered for the minimum period necessary for an individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian higher education institution.

The following benefits generally apply:

• full tuition fees;
• return air travel: payment of a single return, economy class airfare to and from Australia, via the most direct route; an establishment allowance: a once only contribution towards expenses such as rental bonds, text books, additional medical insurance, excess baggage etc;
• contribution to Living Expenses (CLE): a fortnightly contribution to basic living expenses;
• Introductory Academic Program (IAP): a compulsory 4-6 week program on life and study in Australia conducted prior to commencing formal studies;
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for award holder only. This is for the duration of the award and covers basic hospital and medical costs, excluding pre-existing conditions;
• reunion airfare to unaccompanied AusAID Scholars (refer the Scholarships Handbook for eligibility);
• costs associated with participating in the Leadership for Development Program;
• supplementary Academic Support (Tutorial Assistance) to improve a student’s performance to ensure their academic success, if required; and
• for eligible research students only, a contribution to fieldwork costs may be available for one return economy class airfare via the most direct route to Bhutan or within Australia.

For details, please visit the Scholarships Handbook at http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/publications.cfm

How to prepare

• Applicants must first check if they are eligible to apply for a scholarship. Eligibility criteria are detailed above.
• Applicants should download the Scholarships Handbook and read its contents carefully. Handbooks are available at: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/publications.cfm.
• When selecting a course, applicants must first check the participating universities listed at http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/ads-institutions.cfm. Applicants may then go to  http://cricos.deewr.gov.au and to individual university websites to search for a suitable course.

Applicants must ensure that:

• they apply for only one study program;
• they produce an unconditional letter of offer from the university to which they are applying;
• they satisfy all enrolment requirements specified by a university, including English language proficiency requirements;
• the course will enable them to contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development of India when completed and they return to the country.

Required documentation

All applicants must submit the following documents at the time of application. Failure to do so will make an application ineligible.

• Birth certificate;
• A copy of the ordinary passport (Diplomatic passport will not be accepted);
• One Identification Document (Can be any one of PAN Card, Voter Card or Driving License)
• Secondary and tertiary degree certificates and copies of any additional awards;
• Full academic transcripts showing grades for all secondary and university-level subjects/units attempted. A semester-wise transcripts should be provided and consolidated transcript will not be accepted;
• IELTS or TOEFL certificates valid at the time of application, and remaining valid until 1st January 2013;
• Scanned copy of passport sized photograph;
• Employment letter;
• Character/Police clearance document.

In addition:

• Referee reports: at least two original referee reports in English. If a referee report is not in English, a translation of the original reference is required. References should come from employers, senior colleagues or academics familiar with the applicant’s academic, professional skills and achievements. Referee reports from family members or spouses are not acceptable. Templates can be downloaded from the links below:
• Referee report template [PDF 118kb]
• Referee report template [Word 163kb]
Applicants seeking to undertake PhD, Masters by research or Masters by coursework with a research component must provide two academic referee reports along with one professional reference.
• Unconditional letter of offer from the university; and
• Certificates of special achievements or merit (if any).

How to apply

1. A common application form is used for both scholarships. The online application form is accessible at https://oasis.ausaid.gov.au. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications online. Those wish to apply in hard copy are requested to contact the SASP office well in advance of the application deadline. Hardcopy application forms can be obtained from the SASP office in Thimphu.
2. All applicants should tick ‘Yes’ to Point 5 under Section 15 of the application form to be considered for the supplementary Leadership Awards. Only Leadership Awards are available to Indian applicants.
3. The Supporting Statement section of the application form is particularly important. Applicants must provide strong arguments to demonstrate their suitability for a scholarship.
4. Applicants who wish to pursue studies by research (PhD, Masters by research, or Masters by coursework with a research component) must complete the Research Proposal Details section.
5. Applicants must complete the English Language Proficiency section in full, including their scores. Applicants must attach a valid copy of their IELTS or TOEFL certificate.
6. Scanned copies of supporting documents must be uploaded to the online application form. Applicants lodging hard copy applications must provide 3 copies of the application form with notarized copies of the relevant supporting documents attached to each of them.
7. For more information on ALAS, first read the FAQs and contact the SASP office using the contact details below. Applicants can also write to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/ala.cfm for more information.
8. Hardcopy applications must be received by the SASP office at the address provided below no later than COB on 30th April 2012:

South Asia Scholarship Program (SASP)
Coffey International Development – Liaison Office
C/o Druk Associates

Upper Motithang
P.O. Box: 1522 Thimphu 11001: Bhutan

Scholarship management process

The selection process is open and transparent. The 9 key steps in the processes are:

1. Intake opens – 1st February 2012
2. Submit online or postal applications with necessary supporting documents
3. Intake closes by COB 30th April 2012
4. Compliance checks
5. Short listing, interviews and ranking of applications
6. SASP seeks university placement
7. Immigration / visa and health clearances
8. Pre-departure briefing and mobilization
9. In-Australia support

Useful links

• To search for information about Australian Educational Institutions and courses - CRICOS: http://cricos.dest.gov.au
• For information about Visas - Department of Immigration and Citizenship: http://www.immi.gov.au
• For advice on studying in Australia: http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au
• Information on Australian quarantine: http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis

Contact us

South Asia Scholarship Program (SASP)
Coffey International Development – Liaison Office
C/o Druk Associates

Upper Motithang
P.O. Box: 1522 Thimphu 11001: Bhutan
T (+975)-2-331845, F (+975)-2-334793
M (+975) 17117224/17117225/17113243
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.southasiascholarships.org

An Australian Government initiative