Program overview

Australia’s development assistance in the Maldives aims to develop capacity in government and non-government sectors in agreed sectors and to build people-to-people links at individual, institutional and country levels.

The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) manages most of the Australian government’s aid program, including the Australia Awards Scholarships. These Awards align with Australia’s development assistance program in the Maldives, targeting human resource gaps identified priority sectors.  They aim to provide awardees with the skills and knowledge to drive change in and influence economic and social development. 

AusAID will assess applicants for their professional and personal qualities, academic competence and, most importantly, their potential to impact on development challenges in the Maldives. 

AusAID offers awards on the basis of merit, transparency and equal access. Applications from women and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged.

Applications for the intake commencing academic year 2014
close at 5:00pm Maldives time on 30 April 2013

Applications received after this time will not be accepted. Applicants are encouraged to apply online at  https://oasis.ausaid.gov.au. For assistance, contact the South Asia Scholarships Program (SASP) Office in Male’ using the contact details below.

Priority Development Sectors

The priority sectors of study for the Australia Awards Scholarships commencing in 2014 are:

• Education
• Environment 
• Governance and Public Administration

Fields for the Priority development sectors

*Applicants need to research if these specialisations are available for the Masters Degrees in Law at their preferred university.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• be a minimum of 18 years of age at the time of commencing the scholarship
• be a citizen of the Maldives
• be residing in and applying for the scholarship from the Maldives
• not be applying for a visa to live 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 resident status, at any of the application, selection or mobilization phases
• have a minimum IELTS (Academic) overall score*of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0 or a TOEFL paper-based test score* of at least 580, with a minimum  of 4.5 in the test of written English or a TOEFL internet-based (iBT) score* of at least 92, with a minimum of 21 in all sub-tests
• satisfy all requirements of the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) for an AusAID Temporary Visa  (subclass 576) 
• not have held a foreign scholarship in the 24 months preceding application 
• not have obtained an academic qualification outside Maldives in the 24 months preceding the application closing date, calculated from the date of arrival back in the home country
• not be currently serving in the military
• not be applying for another long-term AusAID scholarship unless they have resided outside Australia for twice the length of the total time they were in Australia. (For example, a previous awardee who has been on an Australia Awards Scholarship for four years will not be eligible to apply for another Australia Awards Scholarship until they have been home for eight years)
• satisfy admission requirements of the university at which the award is to be taken.

Applicants for Bachelor-level Awards must:

• have 3 passes in the GCE A/L examination with grades 'C' or above obtained in one sitting OR a diploma in a related field/discipline
• choose a Bachelor degree no longer than four years in duration. Double Bachelor degrees are permitted as long as both are included in the original offer and both can be completed within four years. Note: Bachelor degrees at Honours level are not supported.

Applicants for Master-level Awards must:

• have a tertiary qualification at least equivalent to an Australian Bachelor degree 
• select a Master’s course not longer than 2 years in duration
• have worked in the Maldives for at least 12 months preceding the application closing date and after completing their Bachelor’s degree.

Applicants for PhD-level Awards must:

• have a tertiary qualification at least equivalent to an Australian Master’s degree with a research focus
• have worked in the Maldives for at least 24 months preceding the application closing date and after completing their Master’s degree
• have a statement from the Government of Maldives endorsing the research area
• include a research proposal as part of their application
• include a letter from a supervisor in an Australian university providing in-principle support for the research proposal
• provide three referee reports two of which should be completed by academic referees.

Please note PhD scholarships are available only where the applicant occupies, or is expected to occupy, a senior position requiring individual research or the supervision and training of other researchers in a research organisation.

Applicants are encouraged to consider course selections carefully before applying. Only in exceptional circumstances, will AusAID consider requests to change selected courses.

Special conditions

Awardees are required:

• to sign a contract with the Commonwealth of Australia declaring they will comply with the conditions of the scholarship
• to return to Maldives for at least two years after completing their scholarship, to contribute to economic and social development of the country. Failure to do so will incur a debt to the Commonwealth of Australia for the total value of the scholarship. 

Benefits and entitlements

Australia Awards Scholarships are offered for the minimum period necessary to complete the program specified by a university. 

The following benefits generally apply: 

• full tuition fees
• return economy air travel to Australia by the most direct route
• an establishment allowance to contribute to costs such as accommodation, books etc.
• a fortnightly contribution to basic living expenses paid at a rate determined by AusAID 
• a compulsory 4-6 week Introductory Academic Program covering information on life and study in Australia prior to commencing formal studies
• Overseas Student Health Cover for the duration of the award to cover an awardee’s basic medical costs. (This is for awardees only and excludes pre-existing medical conditions)
• visa expenses.

Subject to requirements and eligibility, entitlements may also include:

• supplementary academic support, if required, to improve a student’s performance to assist with academic success
• fieldwork costs for research purposes)
• reunion airfare for awardees whose family does not accompany them.

How to prepare

• check you are eligible to apply for a Australia Awards Scholarships from the eligibility criteria above
• download and read the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook (http://www.ausaid.gov.au/Publications/Pages/scholar-handbook.aspx ) and the Maldives Country Profile (http://www.ausaid.gov.au/australia-awards/Documents/maldives.pdf)
• when selecting a course, go to http://cricos.deewr.gov.au and university websites to research suitable courses. 

Applicants must carefully check that:

• a course aligns with one of the Priority Development Sectors for the Maldives
• a course in a field of study will enable them to contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development in the Maldives when they return
• they satisfy all university enrolment requirements, including English language proficiency.

Required documentation

Applicants must submit all supporting documents listed in the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook with their applications. 

Applicants must provide the following documents to meet the specific requirements for the Maldives. Check with the Maldives SASP office to clarify required documents and whether they need to be attested. 

Download templates

• The Development Impact Plan (DIP) Template 
• CV Template
• PhD Research Approval Form from GOM

Note

• Diploma and degree certificates must be accredited by the Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA)
• Applicants must also submit a document explaining the grading scale used by the education institution from which they obtained their diploma and degree certificates
• Applicants seeking to undertake PhD, Master by research or Master by coursework with a research component must provide two academic referee reports. Templates for referee reports are available below:
• Referee report template [PDF 118kb] 
• Referee report template [Word 163kb]

In addition

Information Sessions

The Maldives SASP office will conduct information sessions during February-April to clarify queries from applicants. The objective of the information sessions is to ensure applicants have full and accurate information to enable them to lodge eligible and quality applications. 

Information sessions are planned to be held in Addu Atoll, HDH Kulhudhuffushi, B Eydhafushi and Male’. The dates and venues will be published on the Maldives SASP website. Applicants can also contact the Maldives SASP office for this information. 

Family Travel

The Australian Government provides no financial or other support for dependants of awardees. Awardees considering taking dependants to Australia are strongly encouraged to travel to Australia on their own for at least the first six months to attend the Introductory Academic Program and become established in their studies, without distraction.

How to apply

• The online application form is available at https://oasis.ausaid.gov.au. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications online. Those who have no internet connection must contact the Maldives SASP office. If required, a hardcopy of the application form can be forwarded. Hardcopy applications must be received at the Maldives SASP office on or before 5:00pm, 30 April 2013.
• Applicants must select one of the following three sectors from the list in the application form: Education, Environment or Governance & Public Administration. 
• The Supporting Statement section of the application form is particularly important. Applicants must provide strong arguments to demonstrate their suitability for an Australia Awards Scholarship.
• Applicants who wish to pursue studies by research (including PhD, Master by research, or Master by coursework with a research component) must complete the Research Proposal Details section.
• Applicants must complete the English Language Proficiency section in full, including their scores. Applicants must attach a certified copy of their IELTS or TOEFL certificate.
• Certified scanned copies of all supporting documents must be uploaded with the online application. Applicants lodging hard copy applications must provide 3 copies of the application form with certified copies of the relevant supporting documents attached.
• For more information on Australia Awards Scholarships, read the FAQs on the SASP website and then contact the Maldives SASP office using the contact details below.  

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

1. Intake opens – 1 February 2013 
2. Submit applications with necessary supporting documents 
3. Intake closes 30 April 2013 
4. Compliance checks 
5. Ranking, short listing and interviews 
6. Notifying the successful candidates
7. SASP seeks university placement 
8. Immigration/visa and health clearances 
9. Pre-departure briefing and mobilisation 
 

Useful links

• Further information about Australia Awards Scholarships can be found at:  http://www.ausaid.gov.au/australia-awards
• Information about Australian Visas - Department of Immigration and Citizenship can be found at: http://www.immi.gov.au
• Information about award entitlements and conditions can be found in the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook, available at: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/Publications/Pages/scholar-handbook.aspx
• Information on study programs and universities offering courses available to international students can be found at: http://cricos.deewr.gov.au    
• Information about the IELTS examinations is available at: www.ielts.org 
• More general information about the Australia Awards Scholarships, AusAID and studying in Australia and can be found at:
• www.australiaawards.gov.au 
• www.ausaid.gov.au
• http://studyinaustralia.gov.au/

Contact us

Ismail Shaheer
Scholarship Management Associate – Maldives

Australia Awards in South Asia
H. Aagadhage, 6th Floor, Boduthakurufaanu Magu
Male’ 20066, Republic of Maldives.
Tel: (960) 3004650 Mobile: (960) 7999465, (960) 7977465
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.southasiascholarships.org

Managed by Coffey International Development