Australian Orthopaedic Association Research Foundation

PhD Scholarships

Why to apply for a PhD Scholarship?

Scholarships On Offer in 2026

The Australian Orthopaedic Association Research Foundation (AOARF) is pleased to offer PhD scholarships to support AOA orthopaedic trainees and AOA Fellows. In the 2026 grant round there are two scholarships on offer:

John Owen PhD Pathway Scholarship is open to all AOA trainees and is targeted at trainees who are undertaking the PhD Pathway to meet the research requirement of the AOA 21 Training Program. This scholarship is specifically for AOA trainees who wish to pursue the PhD pathway while working at a reduced clinical load.

AOARF PhD Scholarship is open to current AOA Fellow Members only who wish to pursue a PhD, whilst working at a reduced clinical load.

Eligibility for John Owen PhD Pathway Scholarship

Applicants must:

Be a current financial member of the Australian Orthopaedic Association
Be a current AOA trainee who is enrolled in the AOA 21 training program
Intend to undertake the PhD pathway to meet the AOA 21 program research requirements and wishes to pursue a PhD in a research area of relevance to orthopaedic surgery in Australia
Must be enrolled or intend to enrol in a PhD program of study at an Australian university
Nominate a supervisor at a hospital that is accredited by AOA to host a PhD pathway candidate.

Eligibility for AOARF PhD Scholarship

Applicants must:

Be a current and financial AOA Fellow Member (this scholarship is available to AOA Fellow members only)
Intend to undertake a PhD, whilst working at a reduced clinical load.
Applicants must be enrolled or intending to enroll in a PhD program of study at an Australian university.
Nominate at least one supervisor who is an AOA member.

Additional eligibility criteria can be found in the Guidelines for the relevant scholarship below.

Selection Process

Applications will be assessed and ranked based on the following criteria:

Scientific merit and strength of the proposed research project
Record of performance in the AOA 21 training program (for AOA trainees only)
Relevance of the proposed research to orthopaedic surgery
The applicant’s prior academic achievement, publications, research experience, qualifications and other relevant experience
Evidence of the applicant’s research capability and interest.

Please view the relevant PhD Guidelines carefully before completing your application

How to Apply

All Applications must be submitted through the AOARF online application portal during the specified application period dates.

Applicants will be required to register in the system using their name, email address and a password. Registration allows applicants to track their application and make changes (up to the application deadline). Applicants may create an account at any time.

You can view the PhD application form templates below, to assist you in preparing your application:

Please note: these are templates are provided to assist you in preparing your application. All applications must be submitted via the online application portal, as linked below.

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PhD Scholarships

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