Application Process for Masters Awards
Applications for the 2013 Masters Awards are now closed. We received a very large number of applications for the 380 Masters Awards available for 2013. Applications are now being assessed and applicants will be notified of the status of their application in April 2012. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend a selection interview to be held between 14 May and 8 June 2012 in one of the three interview centres: Accra, Ghana; Nairobi, Kenya; Pretoria, South Africa.
The application process for Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) under Australia Awards in Africa has five major stages:
- Advertising and Submission of Preliminary Application Forms (PAFs). ADS are advertised either in the national press or through the relevant Coordinating Authority, which requests targeted government departments and organisations to encourage suitable candidates to apply. The awards are also publicised through other partner networks as necessary.
- Paper Selection. The paper selection stage examines the PAFs and compares them to the eligibility criteria in the Desired Applicant Profiles for each country. Applications are categorised as Compliant or Non-Compliant. The Compliant applications from government employees are then considered against partner government requirements to make sure that all government-employed candidates identified for interview have met their own Government’s requirements. These can include serving bonding periods from previous scholarships, repaying any Government loans for previous scholarships and being approved to apply for further training by being accepted on partner Government training plans. An independent selection panel appointed by the Australian Government chooses the most competitive applicants for interview. They will consider the evidence provided by each applicant as part of the application form including evidence of English language proficiency. Applicants who have offers of a place at an Australian university will be favourably considered by the selection panel.
- Selection Interviews. The shortlisted candidates then attend a face-to-face interview by an independent selection panel appointed by the Australian Government. While at the selection interviews, all applicants will undertake a written test in English. IELTS tests will also be conducted for all candidates who are likely to be subject to this requirement by Australian universities. All interviewees will also attend an information session that provides some information about Australian universities and the next steps in the scholarship process (i.e. those at step 4 & 5 below).
After the interviews, a final list of successful applicants is drawn up. Partner Governments will be advised of public sector candidate outcomes prior to candidates being advised of their outcome. Successful candidates will be offered a provisional scholarship which is dependent on obtaining an offer at an Australian university and also being granted an Australian visa (the managing contractor will manage these processes for successful candidates). Successful candidates who do not have an IELTS overall band score of 6.5 but do have an overall IELTS score of at least 5.0 will be offered an English language training award. Successful completion of this award and achievement of an overall score of 6.5 in the IELTS is required before a provisional scholarship is offered.
- ADS / University Application Process. Once candidates are informed that they are to be offered a provisional scholarship, the managing contractor will liaise with students and Australian academic institutions to formalise the scholarship and university placement processes.
- Visa Application Process. The visa application process begins at the same time as the ADS / University application process. For the visa application, awardees must submit:
- a completed visa form 157A, with a passport valid for more than six months after the end of the proposed scholarship (i.e. the passport must be valid for the full life of the scholarship plus six months), and 6 passport photos (please note that these photographs are additional to the photographs required by the ADS/University application process);
- a signed Contract between AusAID and the awardee (this is usually available only around September or October);
- certified copies of qualifications (and translations where these are not in English) and a CV;
- proof of medical examination conducted by a Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC)-registered Panel Doctor, complete with HIV test;
- certified copies of the awardee’s birth certificate (or original affidavit of birth); the spouse’s birth certificate; children’s birth certificates; marriage certificate or evidence of defacto relationship; and in the case of divorce or the death of a partner, a certified copy of the divorce decree or death certificate;
- consent letters from the other parent if a child or children will be travelling with only one parent, or a court order granting the travelling parent full legal responsibility for the child/ren;
- evidence of sufficient funds to support dependant family members, regardless of whether they are accompanying the awardee or remaining in the home country.
AusAID has contracted GRM International, an independent Managing Contractor (MC), to provide administrative and logistical services to the ADS program in Africa. All communications or queries should be sent either to the details given in the advert or notification, or to GRM’s contact details which can be found at the following webpage: http://www.adsafrica.com.au/contact.php
Restrictions
Study in Australia is subject to the successful applicant being issued with a visa by the Australian Development of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). As part of the visa application process, immigration authorities require candidates to undergo a full medical examination including a chest X-ray and an HIV/AIDS test. This is also to ensure that candidates are physically capable of travelling and pursuing long term study in Australia.
Only persons up to 50 years of age at the time of making the application may apply.
Applicants are required to return to their country of citizenship after the completion of their award to contribute to the development of the identified priority sector in their country.