In 2025, four University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships will be available for students undertaking their Doctoral studies at The Liggins Institute. The following priorities will be considered by the selection committee when assessing applications. Candidates should talk to their prospective supervisor about including at least one priority in their application.

Liggins Institute strategic priorities for 2025:

1. Supporting early career researchers in student supervision. Doctoral candidates applying for a UoA scholarship under this category will have an early career researcher in the supervision team, either as primary or co-supervisor.
2. Supporting collaborative research. Doctoral candidates applying for a UoA scholarship under this category will have a research project that involves a collaboration with researchers outside the Liggins Institute. The respective roles of the participating researchers in the proposed project should be clearly stated in the thesis proposal.
3. Connecting with the community. Doctoral candidates applying for a UoA scholarship under this category will have a research project that supports collaboration with a community group (or groups). The respective roles of the participating researchers and the community group in the proposed project should be clearly stated in the thesis proposal.

Other factors may also be taken into account during the selection process, for example, academic excellence, the viability of the research project, equity and diversity, and alignment with the principles of the University Strategic Plan, Taumata Teitei. The selection committee may also access documents in the Apply to Study portal to assist with the selection process (for example, the candidate’s CV).

Application process

Candidates can apply for the scholarships when they fill out the online University of Auckland Application for Admission for entry into the Doctoral programme. Candidates wishing to apply for a UoADS will need to identify a Liggins Institute supervisor and should discuss the application with them well in advance of the deadline. They will also need to submit a Liggins Institute Thesis Proposal Form (Section A and B) which will be provided during the application process once a supervisor has been confirmed.

For further information and application deadlines, please see the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Guidelines.

Applications will be assessed by a committee that includes the Deputy Director (or nominee), the Associate Director - Postgraduate (or nominee) and the Associate Director - Research (or nominee) of the Liggins Institute. Successful applicants will be notified by the University of Auckland Scholarships Office.

There may be philanthropic funding available to support you if you don’t meet the criteria for a University of Auckland scholarship.
 

Start-Up Doctoral Scholarships provide new Liggins PhD students with stipend and fees support during their first year of candidacy when other funding sources are unavailable.

The one year scholarship includes a PhD stipend at the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship rate, plus fees. Ongoing funding may be available. However, it is expected that students and supervisors will investigate and apply for alternative funding as opportunities arise. 

Please contact our Associate Director - Postgraduate if you think you might be eligible: liggins_phd@auckland.ac.nz

For second year Auckland medical students interested in exploring research as part of their future clinical career, we have Undergraduate Clinical Research Internships.

Interns will undertake a two-year programme working within one or more clinical research projects at the Liggins Institute. Successful applicants will be assigned supervisors and mentors and will also work alongside graduate students at the Liggins Institute. Interns will be paid for casual work during the semester and full-time work during the summer breaks.

If you’re taking on a supervised research project over the summer (usually run from November to February), you might be eligible for a $6,750 Summer Research Scholarship. Applications open in June.