MEDIA RELEASE
Student Fellowships to boost Australia-India research collaboration
Applications for a bilateral fellowship program between India and Australia will open today, boosting research collaboration and student mobility between the two countries.
The new Australia India Research Students Fellowship (AIRS Fellowship) program, led by the Australia India Institute and funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, supports emerging researchers from India and Australia to undertake short-term research exchanges.
The program is open to eligible research students and post-doctoral scholars (early-career researchers) across all disciplines. Seventy fellowships are available, with 35 awards on offer to applicants from each country.
CEO of the Australia India Institute, The Hon Lisa Singh, says the AIRS Fellowships will boost research and innovation partnerships between the two countries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Australia is one of the world’s leading providers of education for international students and India is our second largest source of international students. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, Indian international students contributed more than $6.4 billion to our economy,” Ms Singh said.
“Part of the India Economic Strategy to 2035 Action Plan, this program will strengthen our research and education ties with our important trading partner.”
The AIRS Fellowship program was launched in August at the sixth Australia India Education Council meeting, co-chaired by Australian Education Minister The Hon Jason Clare and Indian Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship The Hon Dharmendra Pradhan.
Australia and India have a long history of research engagement, with Science and Technology cooperation agreements in 1975, and in 2020 the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that covers a variety of research of interest to both nations.
Collaborative research in priority sectors of the bilateral relationship, such as water, clean energy, agriculture and health are promoting solutions to shared challenges.
“Research collaborations across national boundaries can promote strong bilateral ties, and in Australia the Indian diaspora have been a driving force in bilateral research collaboration,” Ms Singh said.
“The AIRS Fellowship program will provide opportunities for emerging Australian researchers to develop their India-capability and for young Indian researchers to build their Australia-capability, helping to create long lasting connections between both countries.”
Students will undertake a research project during an exchange of 4 to 8 weeks, to be completed by mid-October 2023.
Applications can be made via the Australian Researcher Cooperation Hub-India – a digital platform promoting researcher engagement between India and Australia. Applications close Sunday, 13 November.
WATCH: CEO Lisa Singh speaking about the AIRS Fellowships
Media enquiries
Sarah Whyte M: +61 481 484 571