2012 R G Menzies Scholarships for Australian Citizens, USA

The Robert Gordon Menzies Scholarships to Harvard are Australia's most prestigious national awards for postgraduate study in the United States. Inaugurated in 1967 by prominent Australian alumni of Harvard to honour the Australian statesman and former Prime Minister, the Menzies Scholarship grants at least one annual award to talented Australians who have gained admission to a Harvard graduate school. The ideal candidates for the Scholarship are Australians whose primary objective, after completing their studies at Harvard, is to make a significant contribution to this country's development.

    

Value

In 2011, the Selection Committee awarded three Menzies Scholarships valued at US$60,000 each. The third scholarship was able to be offered this year as a result of pledges from Harvard Business School (HBS) alumni to the Harvard Club of Australia and was available to HBS students only. Depending on funding from Harvard, a Menzies Scholarship may be taken over one or more years at the discretion of the Selection Committee and the Committee on General Scholarships at Harvard University.

    

Eligibility criteria

Competition for the Menzies Scholarships is extremely competitive and candidates selected for interview are of outstanding quality.

To be considered for a Menzies Scholarship, you must be an Honours graduate (or equivalent) of an Australian university or other recognised Australian tertiary institution and:

• be an Australian citizen, or have permanent resident status, and normally reside in Australia
• intend to return to Australia after completing your studies or to directly represent Australia overseas
• have not commenced or previously undertaken a postgraduate degree course at a United States university; and
• you must not have accepted another major scholarship (such as a Knox, Fulbright or Monash Award).

You must also have applied to the Harvard graduate school of your choice, and either been accepted or be confident about meeting its admission requirements and deadlines.

You must also address these criteria:

• qualities of intellect - as demonstrated through academic achievement and likely benefit from study at a Harvard graduate school
• qualities of leadership - as demonstrated by prominence in your chosen field or by involvement in, for example, community affairs
• breadth of vision - as evidenced by the way you look at your present or intended profession in relation to its contribution to Australia and the Australian community.

There is no specific weighting for these criteria and the Selection Committee considers all fields of study. Mid-career applicants will also be assessed against an appropriate level of achievement.

The Committee may also consider these factors:

• financial need and the financial resources available; and
• field of study - the Committee may consider the academic endeavours of past Scholars to broaden the Scholarship's focus into all academic areas.

The Committee will also give preference to candidates who are not duplicating graduate studies previously undertaken elsewhere and who have not completed an undergraduate degree in the United States.

Further Scholarship Information and Application