Applications have opened for the Neville Bonner Memorial Scholarship, a national award for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to complete an Honours year in political science at any recognised Australian university.
The current round closes on 10 February, 2026.
The scholarship was established in 2000 by the federal government, and one award may be made each year.
It is valued at about $34,315 per annum, with payments made per semester.
ANU states the award is equivalent to the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship Stipend, valued at about $34,315 in 2026. It also includes upfront payments of the student contribution amounts relevant to the Honours year of study.
The scholarship is paid in two equal instalments over the scholarship period, which is one year of full-time study or pro rata over two years for approved part-time study.
Political science is defined broadly for the program, including areas such as government, political geography, political history, political anthropology and political economics. The selection committee may also consider other subject areas where the proposed thesis includes a political component.
Selection is based on academic merit and Indigenous status. Applicants must be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, identify as such, and be recognised by their community.
They must be enrolled in, or have been enrolled in, a bachelor degree with majors relevant to an Honours year in politics or political science, and receive an offer into an eligible Honours program.
Applications are submitted online and require an academic transcript, a two-page personal statement, two academic references, a personal reference, evidence of Indigenous status, and confirmation of Honours acceptance.
Enquiries can be directed to ANU's Scholarships Team Coordinator via [email protected].
The scholarship honours Neville Bonner, a Yuggera man who became the first Indigenous Australian to enter federal parliament.
Mr Bonner was born in 1922 on Ukerebagh Island near Tweed Heads and received little formal education before working as a rural labourer.
In 1945 he relocated to Palm Island, where he became a foundation member of the Palm Island Social and Welfare Association.
By the early 1960s he was involved with the One People of Australia League in Ipswich and served as its Queensland president from 1968 to 1974.
He joined the Liberal Party in August 1967 and became a member of the party's state executive by 1969.
At the 1970 election he campaigned unsuccessfully for the Senate, before being nominated the following year to fill a casual vacancy.
On 11 June 1971, Mr Bonner was chosen by the Queensland Parliament to fill a Senate vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Annabelle Rankin.
He won the seat in his own right at the following general election and represented Queensland in the Senate until 1983.
He was a respected figure who spoke regularly on Indigenous matters and issues including the environment, East Timor, technology and social security.
The scholarship is positioned as a pathway for Indigenous students to deepen research and public policy skills through an Honours thesis in political science or related fields.
Applications close on the 10th of February.
