Program overview

Long term Development Awards are an important component of the Australian Government’s development program in Nepal. 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 Nepal, and build people-to-people links at individual, institutional and country levels.

Development Awards in Nepal are available to support study at Masters and PhD Level.

Applications for the intake commencing academic year 2013
close on 30 April 2012

Applications received after this time will not be accepted.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their application online at https://oasis.ausaid.gov.au. For assistance, please contact the South Asia Scholarships Program (SASP) Office via the contact details provided below.

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.

Eligible target groups

Development Awards to study at Masters by coursework or research and a small number of PhDs are available for 2013 intake to: women, people with disability and traditionally marginalized groups.

Priority development themes

The priority areas of study for Australian Development Awards in Nepal are:

• Health;
• Education;
• Livelihoods/Poverty Alleviation;
• Water;
• Sanitation and Hygiene; and
• Governance (Economics and Public Policy).

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must meet all of the eligibility requirements detailed in the Scholarships Handbook, available at: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/publications.cfm

Applicants must also meet the following specific eligibility requirements for Nepal:

• be a citizen of Nepal and residing in Nepal;
• should have a minimum academic IELTS overall score* of 6.5 or above (with no individual band less than 6.0) or an equivalent TOEFL paper-based/internet based test score. **
• have a tertiary level qualification at least equivalent to an Australian Bachelor degree (i.e. four years bachelor degree or three years bachelor degree and a master degree);
• have at least five years’ work experience relevant to a nominated field of study, except for women, people with disability and traditionally marginalised groups who only require three years experience;
• not be current serving military personnel;
• not have obtained an Australian Government-funded scholarship (e.g. Endeavour Award) in the 24 months preceding the application closing date (30 April 2012), calculated from the date of arrival back in Nepal;
• not be a permanent resident or have applied or in the process of applying for permanent residency in Australia;
• not be married, or engaged to be married to a person who holds or who is eligible to hold Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residence status; and
• not be applying for another long-term AusAID scholarship, unless former AusAID scholars have returned to their home country and resided there for twice the length of the total time that they were in Australia (for example, a previous AusAID Scholar who has been on AusAID scholarship in Australia for two years will not be eligible to apply for another AusAID scholarship until they have been home for four years);
• be able to satisfy the admission requirements of the university at which the scholarship is to be undertaken;
• be able to satisfy all requirements of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) for an AusAID Student Visa 576.

* Note: IELTS or TOEFL test must have validity until 1 January 2013;

** Note: Women applicants, people with disability and applicants from traditionally marginalised groups should have a minimum academic IELTS overall score of 6.5 or above (with no individual band less than 5.0) or an equivalent TOEFL paper-based/ internet based test score. 

Applicants must inform AusAID of any connection or relationship to staff employed at AusAID or with Managing Contractor (SASP) so that applications can be properly and transparently managed.

Special Conditions

In addition:

• applicants must be minimum of 18 years of age at the time of commencing the scholarship;
• applicants from the public sector for Australian Development Scholarships will require nomination by the Ministry of Finance;
• applicants wishing to undertake a Masters by Research or a PhD must undertake the initial investigation to locate an appropriate supervisor. Australian higher education institutions’ websites identify their area of research strength;  
• successful candidates will commence studies at an Australian university in January 2013.
• Recipients of scholarships are required to return to Nepal for at least two years after completing their studies.

Participating Australian institutions

Awardees for Development Awards are accepted widely by most universities in Australia. A list of the participating  universities for the intake commencing in 2012 is available at:

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

Benefits and entitlements

Development Awards are offered for the minimum period necessary for an individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian higher education institution. Masters courses must be no longer than 2 years and the maximum duration for a Doctoral program is four years. 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;
• 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 prior to the commencement of formal studies;
• overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC): for the duration of the award (for award holder only). This covers basic hospital and medical costs, excluding pre-existing conditions;
• supplementary Academic Support (Tutorial Assistance): to improve a student's performance to ensure their academic success, if required; and
• for eligible research students only, contribution to fieldwork costs may be available for one return economy class airfare via the most direct route to Nepal or within Australia

For more details on benefits and entitlements please read the Scholarships handbook, available 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 for Development Awards are detailed above.
• Applicants should read the Scholarships Handbook available at: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/publications.cfm and the Nepal Country Profile available at: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/pdf/Nepal.pdf.
• When selecting a course, applicants must check the participating universities listed at: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/ads-institutions.cfm. Applicants must  then go to http://cricos.deewr.gov.au/ and to individual university websites to search for suitable courses.

Applicants must ensure that:

• the course aligns with identified Priority Development Themes for Nepal for respective target cohorts;
• if applying for a Masters degree, the course should be no longer than 2 years and comprising either coursework or coursework with a research component;
• if applying for a Doctoral program, the course should be for a maximum duration of 4 years;
• the course will enable them to contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development of Nepal when completed and they return to the country;
• they satisfy all enrolment requirements specified by a university, including English language proficiency requirements.

Required documentation

The following documents must be uploaded with applications and a number of them must be certified by an authorized person in Nepal. If applicants are uncertain about the required documents, or whether they need to be certified, or who is authorised to certify them, contact the SASP team.

• Birth certificate/ Passport /National ID/Driving license;
• Tertiary degree certificates (four years Bachelor or three years Bachelor plus a Masters degree);
• Academic grades;
• IELTS or TOEFL certificates;
• Certificate of special achievements or merit;
• Three referee reports (two academic and one professional). Templates can be downloaded from the links below;
• Referee report template [PDF 118kb]
• Referee report template [Word 163kb]
• Evidence of communication with proposed Institute for PhD and Masters by Research;
• Research proposal for Master by Research or PhD;
• Nomination letter from the Ministry of Finance for public servants (who want to apply from the public sector for the Australian Development Scholarships);
• Employment Letter (if employed);
• Police clearance certificate (after selection); and
• Curriculum Vitae (the template can be downloaded from here).

How to apply

1. The online application form is accessible at https://oasis.ausaid.gov.au. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications online. Those who wish to submit a hard copy are requested to contact the SASP office well in advance of the application deadline. Personnel at the SASP office can discuss options with you for lodging an application. If required, they can arrange to forward a copy of the form to you.
2. Applicants may also elect to be considered for the leadership component if they wish. In this case they need to complete all sections of the application form including the Leadership Award section. Applicants who do not wish be considered for the leadership component do not need to complete the Leadership Award section in the application form.
3. Government employees eligible to apply for Development Awards must be nominated by the Ministry of Finance. They should relate their field of study to the priority development themes.
4. Applicants from the Ethnic Minority Community from across Nepal, who are eligible to apply for Development Awards, may choose any of priority development themes. The Supporting Statement section of the application form is particularly important. Applicants must provide strong arguments to demonstrate their suitability for a scholarship award.
5. Applicants who wish to pursue studies by research (including a Doctoral degree, Masters by research, or Masters by coursework with a research component) must complete the Research Proposal Details section.
6. Applicants must complete the English Language Proficiency section in full, including their scores. Applicants must attach a copy of their IELTS or TOEFL certificate.
7. Notorised and legible scanned copies of all supporting documents must be uploaded to the online application form. Applicants lodging hard copy applications must provide 3 copies of the application form with notoried and legible copies of the relevant supporting documents attached to each of them.
8. For more information on Development Awards, first read the FAQs and then contact the SASP office using the contact details below, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/default.cfm.
9. All applicants are encouraged to apply through Online Australian Scholarship Information System (OASIS). However, those who do not have access to internet may collect application forms from South Asia Scholarships Program (SASP) office. Hardcopy applications must be received by the SASP office at the following address on or before 30 April 2012.

Points for applicants to consider

Applicants

• Research universities and courses suitable to desired degree and experiences. Take time and consult with colleagues who have experiences on Australia Awards.
• Consult with professors to find out interested supervisor if it is research degree.
• Identify and verify CRICOS Code before completing application.
• Draft research proposal carefully based on priority sector and in consultation with potential supervisor.
• Review and understand the concept of “Development and Leadership”.
• Use templates for referee reports and CV.
• Follow strictly eligibility requirements such as IELTS score, age, previous scholarship, expiry date, experiences, etc.
• Make sure that qualification are at least a four years Bachelor degree or a Masters degree with a three years Bachelor degree.

OASIS:

• Use title case for names and sentence case for other details. 
• DO NOT enter wrong spelling and figures such as date of birth, passport number etc.
• Double check information before finishing the application.
• DO NOT submit duplicate applications. 
• Type names correctly and in right order: given name and last name.
• Be cautious about the character count. For convenience draft the paragraph in the MS word, do the character count and paste it in the online application.
• Make sure ethnicity is clear in an application. Some examples of ethnic groups are: Bhrahmin, Chhetri, Dalit, Madhesi, Janajati. Ethnicity needs to be specific. For instance, Thapa is both Chhetri and Magar (Janajati). 
• Identify how a field of study matches with a priority sector.
• Select two universities with the same field of study to strengthen an application.
• Ensure a selected level of study is at Masters or PhD. (e.g. Not an associate degree)

Eligibility:

• Ensure that eligibility requirements are met: typically IELTS score requirements; IELTS validity requirement; experiences, previous scholarship; residential location while lodging application etc.

Documents:

• Ensure that referee reports are signed, stamped and in the scholarship template;
• Ensure that academic credentials include transcripts, degree certificates ( or provisional);
• Ensure that identification documents include translated and notarized citizenship and passport;
• Ensure that all documents apart from referee reports are notarized;
• Ensure that scanned documents are clear, legible and preferably in PDF format. Similar documents are to be combined into one file not exceeding 2 MB; and
• Upload only documents relevant to the scholarship.

Scholarship management process

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

1. Intake opens –1 February 2012
2. Submit applications with necessary supporting documents
3. Intake closes 30 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 mobilisation
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 information about other Australian Government Scholarship programs: http://www.australianscholarships.gov.au
  
• For advice on studying in Australia: http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au
  
• Nepal - Australian Embassy website: http://nepal.embassy.gov.au/kmdu/home.html
  
• For more general information about the Australia Awards, studying in Australia and the Australian Agency for International Development can be found at 
• www.australiaawards.gov.au
• http://studyinaustralia.gov.au
• www.ausaid.gov.au


• For further information about the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the various Australian tertiary institutions and courses:
  http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/studyin.cfm

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