PhD Top-Up Scholarship 2024 are now CLOSED

JDRF is pleased to announce the award recipients for the JDRF PhD Top-Up Scholarships 2024:

Hajra Waris – University of New South Wales
Lucas Agnoletto – The University of Melbourne
Sarah Pinto – Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

It is expected to open the next PhD Top-Up Scholarships round in March 2025.

Background

JDRF Australia is dedicated to advancing cutting-edge research in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), with a strong emphasis on nurturing the development of talented emerging researchers in the field.

JDRF Australia is inviting applications for the PhD Top-up Scholarship. The Scholarship is designed to support and encourage PhD students pursuing research in the field of T1D in line with JDRF’s mission – to treat, prevent and cure T1D.

The Scholarship will provide successful candidates with additional funding, on top of their PhD stipend, full-time or pro-rated part-time, contingent to satisfactory progress.

Funding

Up to $6,000 per year for a maximum of 3 years

Eligibility

Applicants must be:

I. Recipients of either a Research Training Program Stipend (formerly Australia Postgraduate Award), NHMRC Postgraduate Award or a University-funded PhD scholarship

II. Not in receipt of any other PhD top-up funding

III. Pursuing research relevant to T1D

IV. Australian citizens or permanent residents currently residing in Australia

Selection Criteria

Applications will be peer-reviewed by a panel based on the following criteria:

Alignment of the applicant’s research with JDRF Research Priorities
Scientific merit of research and relevance to making an impact for people living with T1D
Applicant potential for career development

Application Requirements

Relevant templates are available via online grants management system RMS360 (see Section ‘Instructions for Submissions’).

1. Application Form (use template) providing information on:

Applicant Details
Eligibility
Summary
Referees

2. Bio-sketch (4 pages maximum, use template)

3. Letter confirming offer of a PhD Scholarship

4. Copy of academic transcript

5. Letters of reference (use template) from two referees who should be able to discuss the applicant’s scientific abilities and overall career potential. At least one Referee must be a current supervisor. The reference letters must be submitted by the referees via email to travelgrants@jdrf.org.au in a confidential way prior to the submission deadline.

Applicants will need to provide their referees with the template, which can be found in the ‘Additional Attachments’ tab of the application. Applicants cannot submit reference letters on their referee’s behalf.

JDRF may decline applications that do not meet any of the above requirements. Incomplete applications will NOT be accepted without prior discussion with JDRF staff.

Instructions for Submission

Applications must be submitted online using JDRF’s online grants management system RMS360 . RMS360 Instructions and FAQs are available in Appendix A. Please contact JDRF Staff if you require assistance.

Information submitted as part of the application is collected and stored in accordance with the JDRF Australia’s Privacy Policy.

JDRF will only consider complete applications that meet application requirements as required in the templates provided in RMS360. Scanned documents are not acceptable.

A submission is complete if:

It includes all the documents listed in the submission checklist below.
All mandatory fields in RMS360 are complete

Payments

Successful applicants are required to submit a progress report annually to JDRF. The reporting schedule will be detailed in the Award Notification Letter. Failure to submit the report within the specified timeframe may affect payments.

Submission Checklist

ITEM	TEMPLATE PROVIDED	INSTRUCTIONS FOR RMS36
☐ Application Form	Yes	Upload in “Research Plan Upload - Full Proposal” tab, prior to submission.
☐ Bio-sketch	Yes	Upload into your researcher profile, prior to submission. The bio-sketch from your profile will automatically append itself to your application.
☐ Letter confirming offer of a PhD Scholarship	No	Upload in “Additional Attachments” tab, prior to submission.
☐ Copy of academic transcript	No	Upload in “Additional Attachments” tab, prior to submission.
☐ Letters of reference	Yes	The letters of reference must be submitted by referees via email to travelgrants@jdrf.org.au in a confidential way prior to the submission deadline. Applicants will need to provide their referees with the template available in the “Additional Attachments” tab. Applicants cannot submit reference letters on their referee’s behalf.