Australia Awards Fellowships Round 21 (2026): Eligibility, Priority Areas & How to Apply

Who can apply?

Australian Organisations in partnership with Overseas Counterpart Organisations (OCOs) in eligible growing nations are eligible to apply for an Australia Awards Fellowship.

Australian Organisations have to be ready to display hyperlinks with Overseas Counterpart Organisations (OCOs) in eligible nations and should display dedication to the partnership and Fellowship program via an in-kind and/or monetary co-contribution.

Individuals can not apply.

Applicants have to be Australian Organisations who’re authorized entities with a present Australian Business Number (ABN). Examples embrace:

• Australian organisations, establishments, and companies — for instance however not restricted to non-public sector, analysis centres, larger training suppliers, vocational training and coaching suppliers, peak our bodies, Australian chambers of commerce, group teams, non-government organisations, media organisations, skilled associations, and trade our bodies.
• Australian Government departments — (Federal, State/Territory and native), authorities businesses, statutory authorities, and Government Business Enterprises.

OCOs can’t be a global arm or department of the Australian Organisation, nor can it’s beneath the identical overarching worldwide organisation or worldwide consortium because the Australian organisation.

The OCO should function and reside in an eligible nation. OCOs can’t be people.

New or rising partnerships with OCOs can be thought-about.

Fellow eligibility

Australia Awards Fellowships goal senior officers and mid-career professionals, who, within the quick to medium time period, can be able to advance precedence growth and international affairs points on their return home.

Australian Organisations should be certain that all nominated Fellows meet the next normal eligibility necessities:

• be a minimal of 18 years of age on the time of commencing the Fellowship;
• not be an Australian citizen or be making use of for Australian citizenship -this consists of twin citizenship the place one of many citizenships is Australian;
• not have Australian everlasting resident standing or be making use of for Australian everlasting residency;
• be a citizen of and residing in an eligible growing nation. The Fellow’s nation of citizenship and residency might differ;
• not be present serving army personnel;
• not be married or engaged to, or be a de facto of an individual who holds, or is eligible to maintain, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or everlasting residency;
• have been working of their nation of citizenship or residency and in an space related to the Fellowship actions previous the date of the proposed graduation of their Fellowship;
• have the ability to fulfill all necessities decided by the Department of Home Affairs for a visa;
• have the ability to take part within the nominated Fellowship actions on the time and for the complete length proposed by the Australian Host Organisation (AHO), besides in distinctive circumstances, the place accredited by the Australia Awards Global Support Unit (GSU) and DFAT;
• have the ability to journey with out relations as DFAT will solely fund and supply visa assist letters for particular person Fellows, not their relations;
• have an ample degree of English language skill to have the ability to totally take part in this system, together with a capability to full the Fellow’s Completion Survey on the conclusion of their Fellowship.
  • Note: AHOs are chargeable for guaranteeing Fellows have an ample degree of English language skill or should implement applicable measures to allow Fellows to totally take part in and profit from the Fellowship actions (e.g., translation providers).
  • DFAT doesn’t suggest utilizing translation providers for Multi-country Fellowships the place use of translation providers might compromise studying outcomes or the place English language capabilities differ considerably amongst Fellows.

Eligible nations

Pacific

Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna

Southeast Asia

Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam

South Asia and Middle East

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Jordan and State of Palestine

Africa

Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Caribbean

Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname

Europe

Ukraine

Priority areas

Fellowship packages should align with one of many following six growth precedence areas:

• Climate change, adaptation, resilience and inexperienced power transition (together with vital mineral mining)
• Health
• Gender equality, incapacity fairness and social inclusion
• Digital Economy, cyber resilience, and media engagement
• Maritime and the Blue Economy
• Infrastructure and connectivity.

Application Compliance Criteria

Applications MUST meet the beneath necessary standards to be progress to the evaluation stage:

• Provide all data within the specified format
• Application has been submitted by a authorized Australian Entity with a present ABN
• Applicant can’t be a person/ OCO
• Submitting officer is an worker of the Australian Organisation
• Applicant Organisation has not exceeded six functions.
• Application can not exceed 15 DFAT-funded Fellows (doesn’t embrace AHO/OCO funded Fellows)
• Application solely covers eligible nations
• Application features a co-contribution from the Australian Organisation
• In-Partner nation exercise is included
• Proposal aligns with one of many growth precedence areas
• A minimal of two weeks is delivered in Australia
• Proposed Fellowship is between two and 52 weeks in length (that is inclusive of in-Australia, on-line, and in-partner nation(ies) actions) – can’t be longer than 52 weeks in complete.
• In-Australia exercise length is longer than the in-partner nation exercise length
• OCO(s) is/are from an eligible ODA listed nation(ies)
• OCOs can’t be a global arm or department of the Australian organisation, nor can it’s beneath the identical overarching worldwide organisation or worldwide consortium because the Australian organisation. The OCO should function and reside in an eligible nation.
• Applicant is just not listed within the National Redress Scheme (Institutions that haven’t joined or signified their intent to be a part of the Scheme
• Applicant is just not listed within the proscribed lists:

How to apply

Australia Awards Fellowships Round 21 is now open for functions.

Australian Organisations are inspired to apply via SmartyGrants .

Key dates for Round 21

• 3 November 2025 – functions for Round 21 open
• 10 November 2025 – Industry Information Session held
• 16 January 2026 (11:59pm AEDT) – functions for Round 21 shut
• From July 2026 – Round 21 Outcome – profitable and unsuccessful notifications made to all candidates
• From September 2026 – 29 March 2028 – Round 21 Fellowship exercise window
• From 30 September 2026 – Supplementary Information Form opens for profitable Australin Host Organisations beneath Round 21
• Six (6) months prior to Fellow’s mobilisation to Australia/begin date in Australia – Supplementary Information Form closes
• 1 January 2027 – Round 21 In-Australia Activity Start date.

Resources

Frequently requested questions

Australia Awards Fellowships Pre-Departure Guide

Australia Awards Fellowships assets by spherical

Round 21

Round 20

Round 19

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