To all the mid-career professionals, do you want to have an immersive short-term experience in Australia with all your finances covered? Well, we are about to break some exciting news! The application window for one of the most anticipated Australia Awards Fellowships 2026 is now finally open for Round 21 applications. A fully funded short-term professional development opportunity in Australia, offered by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT).
The fellowship is exclusively designed for mid-career professionals from eligible developing countries to carry out intensive research, study/training in host Australian organizations. The objective of the fellowship program is to attract talented professionals, provide them with skills, knowledge, and research experience so they can contribute to the development of their home countries. The duration of the program is 2-52 weeks, during which the fellows will participate in short-term study, research, and professional development activities to enhance their skills, networks, and institutional linkage.
The fellowship covers generous support, covering all the costs related to the fellowship. The coverage includes travel costs, training, transportation costs, accommodation, and more. No application fee is required to apply for the program; interested applicants need to submit their applications before January 16th, 2026. Read more details below.
Australian Awards Fellowship 2026 Overview
- Country: Australia
- Funded by: Australia Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
- Coverage: Fully Funded
- Aimed at: Mid-Career Professionals
- Duration: 2-52 weeks
- Application Deadline: January 16th, 2026
Also, Check: CALTECH Summer Research Fellowship 2026 in USA
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants meeting the following criteria are invited to submit their applications for the Australia Awards fellowship:
- Mid-career professionals from eligible developing countries can apply
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old at the time of application
- Australian citizens are not eligible to apply
- Currently not serving in the Military
- Must not be married or engaged to an Australian or New Zealand citizen
- Working in their countries in areas relevant to the fellowship priority areas
- Must fulfill all the requirements of the home department for acquiring a visa
- Travel without the family members
- Participate full-time in the fellowship for the duration of the program
- Have a strong command of the English language
Eligible Countries
Senior or mid-career professionals holding a citizenship of the following developing member countries are eligible to apply:
South Asia and the Middle East
- Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Iraq, Jordan, and the State of Palestine
Southeast Asia
- Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia.
Pacific
- Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna
Africa
- Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius
Caribbean
- Belize, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname
Europe
- Ukraine
Fellowship Priority Areas
The following are the 6 development priority areas of the fellowship:
- Health
- Gender equality, social inclusion, and Disability equity
- Cyber Resiliance, Digital Economy & Media engagement
- Blue Economy
- Infrastructe & Connectivity
- Climate change, resilience, adaptation, green energy transition
Fellowship Coverage
The Australian Awards Fellowship offers comprehensive support, which includes:
- Round-trip air travel support to/from Australia
- Accommodation for the program duration
- Comprehensive health support during your stay
- Training costs
- Transportation costs in Australia
- Overhead costs
- Living Allowance
Also, Check: UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program 2026 in Japan
Important Dates:
- Application Opens: November 3, 2025
- Application Closes: January 16th, 2026
- Fellowship Activity Window: September 2026 – March 2028
How to Apply for the Australian Award Fellowship?
The application process for the fellowship is online via the official Australia Awards “DFAT SmartyGrants System”. The applications for round 21 need to be submitted by January 16th, 2026.
For more details and guidelines on the application process, visit the official link below.
APPLY FOR AUSTRALIA AWARDS FELLOWSHIP
