Australian Development Scholarships (ADS)

Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) is the Australian Government scholarship program administered by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). ADS provides opportunities to people from many developing countries to study in Australia . The purpose of the scholarships is for people to gain knowledge and skills that will contribute to the long-term development of their country.

The scholarships are available to those employed in government and non-government sectors to study at Masters or Postgraduate Diploma level in Australia.

ADS in Cambodia

The ADS scholarship program was introduced to Cambodia in 1994 under an agreement with the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) as part of Australia’s diverse bilateral development-cooperation program.

In 2010 AusAID will offer:

20 ADS Public Category scholarships to Cambodians employed by Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) Ministries and Agencies; and
5 ADS Open Category scholarships to Cambodians employed in a relevant field.

When and How to Apply

Advertising of the ADS scheme by television, radio and newspaper commence from 10 March 2010. Application forms will be available from IDP Education (Cambodia) within the Australian Centre for Education (ACE) in Phnom Penh and ACE Siem Reap, and online (internet). Please click here for scholarship application form.

Women and provincial candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Cambodians who are interested in the ADS program and who meet the eligibility criteria should go to IDP to review their study options. Specific course information is available in handbooks and from the internet located at IDP’s Study in Australia Resource Centre in Phnom Penh. Provincial candidates should contact IDP for assistance.

Applications open: 10 March 2010

Applications close: 24 May 2010 at 12 noon

Selection Criteria

All applications will be assessed against the following Eligibility Criteria

All ADS applicants should:

Be a Cambodian citizen and resident
Be a non-resident of Australia or New Zealand
Not be married to Australian or New Zealand citizen or resident
Not hold or have held an Australian Government-funded scholarship in the preceding 12 months at time of application
Not already be studying at an Australian institution at the time of application
Possess a Bachelors degree considered equivalent to an Australian Bachelors degree
Have no prior postgraduate study in an industrialised country
Be under 42 years of age at time of application
Have appropriate work background for proposed field of study
Demonstrate a strong commitment to the development of Cambodia

For ADS Public Category applicants:

Either:
At time of application, have at least two years full-time experience with, and be a current full-time employee of, an RGC Ministry*; or
At time of application, have at least five years full-time experience with, and be currently employed on a full-time basis by, a government authority, agency or institution established by Royal Decree or Sub-Decree. Employment tenure may be on a term-contract basis*
Have achieved a minimum IELTS result of 5.0, with no band below 4.0, in the 12 months prior to time of application#
If selected, must commit to return to work for the relevant Ministry/Agency for a minimum period of two years on completion of studies

For ADS Open Category applicants:

At time of application, have three years full-time work experience* in a relevant field
Have achieved a minimum IELTS result of 5.5 for men and 5.0 for women, with no band below 4.5, in the 12 months prior to time of application#
If selected, commit to return to work in a position that utilises skills for a minimum period of two years on completion of studies

* Applicants must provide evidence of employment duration. If an applicant has been employed at more than one workplace during the relevant experience period, evidence from each employer during that period is required. Uninterrupted employment (without “gaps” between employment) is highly desirable, and some applicants may be ruled ineligible or uncompetitive if interruptions to employment are identified.

# Some applicants may be required to sit an IELTS test following interview in order to demonstrate English proficiency

Level and Length of Study

Scholarships are available for postgraduate study by coursework i.e. Graduate Diploma and Master’s degree. These degrees take one to two years of full-time study in Australia Scholarships are not available for undergraduate or research degrees.

Candidates may be required to successfully complete pre-departure Academic English training for 6-12 months (in Phnom Penh) before studying in Australia.

Note: the ADS program does not support applicants who already hold postgraduate degrees from industrialised countries.

Fields of Study

Applicants can propose up to two Australian universities and two fields of study that are relevant to the needs of their Ministry/Agency or workplace. Applicants should consider their choices carefully as course admission requirements (including English proficiency) vary between Australian universities.

Priority will be given to applicants who can demonstrate and clearly explain the relevance of their proposed studies to AusAID’s Country Program Strategy. Applicants should inform themselves about the specific focus within each of AusAID’s priority areas. Priority areas are:

Agriculture and Rural Development
Health
Infrastructure
Law and Justice

Consideration will also be given to applicants with relevant experience in the cross-cutting priority areas of: Gender Equality, Aid Effectiveness, Social Services, Disability and Child Protection.

Scholarship Entitlements

The award covers:

Pre-departure training
Student visa expenses
A single return airfare to Australia
Tuition and other compulsory academic fees
Basic health insurance
An establishment allowance and an ongoing contribution to living expenses for the student only. No additional financial support is available for the student’s family, and all costs for accompanying family members must be paid by the student personally

Scholarship Conditions

Applicants who are offered an ADS scholarship will be asked to sign a statement declaring that they will comply with the conditions of the scholarship. The conditions ensure that AusAID, the awardee’s workplace and the student gain the maximum benefit from the scholarship.

Conditions include:

Satisfactory academic progress and full-time university enrolment
Compliance with all student visa conditions and university regulations
Return to Cambodia upon the completion of scholarship
Restrictions in eligibility to return to Australia within two years of completion of scholarship
Understanding and agreement that the Australian Government is not responsible for a candidate’s actions (or those of their dependents) whilst they are in Australia
Full cooperation with AusAID’s monitoring and evaluation of the ADS program, including participation in activities such as surveys and tracer studies

ADS awardees who do not meet the conditions will be required to leave Australia, and may be required to repay the value of the scholarship.

Pre-Departure Training

Most candidates are required to undertake pre-departure training prior to postgraduate studies. In recognition of this, the Australian Government pays these candidates a stipend that is calculated according to whether part- or full-time pre-departure training is required. Provincial candidates may be eligible for a relocation allowance to Phnom Penh to attend training.

For Public Category awardees, a minimum IELTS result of 5.0 (with no band less than 4.0) is required.

For Open Category awardees, a minimum IELTS result of 5.5 for men and 5.0 for women, with no band less than 4.5 is required.

Some applicants may be required to sit an IELTS test following interview.