National Library of Australia Scholarships
Applications for 2025 National Library of Australia Scholarships have now closed.
We are reviewing our Fellowships and Scholarships Program to make sure it meets the needs of researchers, PhD students and creators. There may be some changes to the program after 2025.
About the program
For: PhD students
The National Library of Australia Scholarships program (formerly known as the Summer Scholarships) provides 6 week residences for PhD students. Scholarships are available to researchers who require onsite access to the Library’s uniquely held or extensive collections to advance their PhD research.
These scholarships are made possible through the generosity of many National Library patrons and donors.
Types of scholarships
Nine scholarships are available in 2025.
Any subject
- The Professor Robert and Josephine Shanks Scholarship
- The Morag Fraser Scholarship
Specialist research topics
- Asian studies: The National Library of Australia Scholarship in Asian Studies, supported in memory of Cheng King Law
- Biographical research: The Seymour Scholarship, supported by Dr John and Mrs Heather Seymour AO
- Travel, exploration or the natural world in Australia or the Pacific, during the 18th, 19th or early 20th centuries: The Dr Michael Martin and Ms Elizabeth Popovski Scholarship. Explore the Library's Pacific collections
- Maps from early European charts to current mapping of Australia, in print and digital form: The Dr Bennie Ng Scholarship. Explore the Library’s collection of over 1 million maps
First Nations scholars
- The National Library of Australia First Nations Scholarship, supported by Irene Kaspar and Peter Boege
- The National Library of Australia Scholarship, supported by a generous donor - for research on any subject, with preference given to Australian First Nations scholars
Rural or regional scholars
- The Carol Moya Mills Scholarship
What fellows receive
- $6000 to support a six-week residency at the National Library of Australia in Canberra
- supported access to collections
- a personal workstation and full office facilities
- high resolution digital copies of collection materials if required for publication or other public uses (within set limits and according to access and copyright conditions).
Funding is paid directly to the individual in week 1 of their residency. As this support may have tax implications, it is recommended Scholars seek professional financial advice.
How to apply
Before you start your application, make sure you understand the eligibility requirements for you and your project, how to apply and what your application needs to include.
The scholarships are open to students who:
- have commenced PhD study
- are Australian citizens or permanent residents
- have not received a Grant, Fellowship or Scholarship from the Library in the past five years.
In addition to the above:
- applicants for the Seymour Scholarship must be under the age of 35 at 31 December 2024. This age limit is a condition requested by the donors.
- the National Library of Australia First Nations Scholarship, supported by Irene Kaspar and Peter Boege, is open only to Australian First Nations scholars
- the National Library of Australia Scholarship, supported by a generous donor, is open to applicants of any age but preference is given to Australian First Nations scholars. If no suitable First Nations applications are received, this Scholarship maybe awarded to a non-Indigenous scholar.
Preference for all scholarships is given to applicants who would otherwise find it difficult to access the Library’s collections.
Yes. The Fellowships, Scholarships and Grants are provided to enable you to have the time to undertake deep research into the Library’s collections.
Your application should demonstrate knowledge of the National Library’s collections that are relevant to your project. Before you begin your application, research the Library's collections to identify the primary collections and supplementary collections that you will access at the Library. This can be done using the Library catalogue. The Library’s Ask a Librarian service may also provide some guidance to finding material on the catalogue if required. While your list is unlikely to be definitive at this point in the project, applicants who do not show how the Library’s collections will support their proposed research will not be successful.
Your application should focus on how the Library's unique collections, accessible only on-site, can contribute to your project outcomes. Applications listing collection items that are published works and held by multiple libraries across the country, or collection items that are digitised and readily available online, are not likely to be successful.
Applicants should also demonstrate awareness of any access or rights issues that may apply to the selected special collection items. Information about access conditions can be found in the catalogue record, and the Ask a Librarian service can be used if further assistance is required.
The Fellowships Advisory Committee will assess Scholarship applications against the following criteria:
- the applicant’s academic potential and capacity for research
- the value and quality of the proposed research at the Library
- the relevance and value of the National Library's unique, rare or comprehensive collections to the proposed research.
In assessing against the criteria above, the Committee will also consider:
- the demonstrated need to make extensive use of, and requiring onsite access to, the National Library's collections. Please note that collection items that have been digitised and are available online will generally not meet this criteria.
- whether a clear explanation of research goals and expected progress during the Scholarship has been provided
- the feasibility of access to collection based on rights and access conditions, and the physical condition of materials
- the protocols surrounding the use of Indigenous cultural material.
Your application will need to include:
- a short, biographical statement.
- a CV (maximum two A4 pages)
- proposed start and end dates for your research at the National Library. Residencies may be scheduled between 13 January 2025 and 12 December 2025. Dates are indicative only and will be negotiated and confirmed with successful applicants.
- a project proposal and expected outcomes
- a list of the collection materials you wish to access, provided in the format requested.
- contact details of referees preferably those that can speak to your area of research or creative practice and put the proposed project into context. Applicants are responsible for providing a copy of their application to their referees. These can be downloaded or printed from SmartyGrants. Referees will be contacted by the Library after applications have been shortlisted.
If you are planning to use collection material by or about Australian First Nations people, you should be familiar with the Library's ICIP Protocol. The AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research may also be useful. If relevant to your project, a letter of support providing evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities and Elders would strengthen your application.
In your application, you should demonstrate awareness of Indigenous cultural and intellectual property and protocols. Information about access conditions can be found in the catalogue record, and the Ask a Librarian service can be used if further assistance is required.
You should only provide supporting material if it’s requested in the application form and is relevant to your project.
- If the project is in an early development or conceptual stage, examples of previous work that shows your ability to achieve your outcomes can be used.
- The application form limits individual file attachments to 25MB. Label attachments clearly, for example, ‘CV’ not ‘Document 1’.
- Upload audio and/or video files to a file streaming site such as Vimeo or YouTube. Do not use Dropbox.
- If you have a website or material online, provide the link to the material you want viewed. The relevant page/s must remain static until the assessment process is complete.
- Support material must be accessible to the assessors. We recommend you prepare and attach it in advance of the closing date.
- You must apply through SmartyGrants, via the ‘Apply now’ buttons on this page. We don’t accept hardcopy or offline applications.
- You can preview the form before starting an application. Once started, please save your form regularly. You can save and edit the application, but you can’t make changes after you’ve submitted.
- If you have difficult with SmartyGrants, contact us.
We handle your application and personal information as described in our privacy policy.
We don’t accept late applications or support material. Make sure you check the open and close dates for applications. You should allow for any time difference, and internet connection or submission issues.
National Library staff read and shortlist applications against the eligibility criterion. An independent assessment committee for each program is provided with the shortlisted applications as well as a complete list of all applications. Committee members can call into consideration applications that are not on the shortlist. Honorary Fellows are selected equally on merit.
Applications are assessed by separate sub-committees, each chaired by a member of the Library’s Fellowships Advisory Committee (FAC) and comprised of representatives from relevant academic or cultural organisations as well as a senior Library staff member. The FAC is comprised of the Library’s Director-General (or their delegate) and a representative from each of the:
- Academy of the Humanities.
- Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
- Asian Studies Association of Australia.
- Australian Academy of Science.
- Australian Society of Authors.
- Independent Scholars Association of Australia.
- National Library of Australia Council.
- National Library of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research and Education Reference Group.
Priority will be given to applicants with a demonstrated need to access the Library's unique, rare or comprehensive collections and who do not have such collections in their own region
Scholars will be required to:
- give a presentation to Library staff and invited guests at the end of their Scholarship on the progress of their research
- acknowledge the support of the National Library and their Scholarship donor in forums, presentations and publications resulting from the Scholarship
- assist the Library to promote the Scholarship program through media and public communications, including through contributions to social media
- provide a report within one month of the agreed end date of their Scholarship outlining their experience, which will inform Council and the Fellowships Advisory Committee.
Successful applicants will receive a Letter of Offer along with a Conditions of Appointment agreement that must be signed and returned. These documents outline the terms and conditions under which the Scholarship will proceed.
The Library will negotiate and confirm the residency dates with Scholars. The duration of the residency is expected to be six consecutive weeks, however we recognise that this may not always be possible. Successful applicants may negotiate to spread their residency over a maximum period of three blocks of time, but no additional financial support will be offered.
The timing of residencies may also be impacted by the Library's program of building activities. Access to some collections will be impacted at different times. To find out what collection are impacted and when, please visit our temporary changes to collection access page.
Meet our Scholars
We awarded 6 Scholarships in 2024.
Be inspired by our 2024 Scholars and their work, and find out more about previous scholars.

2023 National Library of Australia Scholar, Ms Yvette Grant
2023 National Library of Australia Scholar, Ms Yvette Grant