Start your journey to a Higher Degree by Research
Choose your HDR path – bring your own research idea or take on a ready-made project, some with scholarships included.
Whichever path you choose we'll support you every step of the way to find the perfect fit for your research.
HDR scholarships
We have scholarships available to that can cover living stipend, tuition fees – or top up scholarships for domestic students, making a PhD more affordable.
If you are considering undertaking a Higher Degree by Research at UniSC now is a good time to explore the range of scholarship opportunities available.
Find your people
Get to know the some of the researchers who supervise our HDR candidates and explore supervisors in your area of interest.
With world-class expertise across a wide range of research areas, you’ll easily find a UniSC researcher to guide you on your journey to research excellence.
Support for research students
UniSC supports you at every stage of your research in an environment designed to help you succeed.
HDR Industry Internship
Enhance your skills and career prospects with an HDR Industry Internship. Every HDR candidate can undertake an internship and we can help match you with the perfect placement.
Graduate Research Development Program
We'll help you to build essential core competencies and the skills you need to successfully complete a research degree and graduate with a diverse skill set for broad employability.
Your HDR experience
Achieve your research ambitions with UniSC’s support. Explore our facilities, graduate development programs, and resources designed to help HDR candidates succeed.
What's your area of interest?
Explore UniSC's research to uncover the wide range of areas we’re working in and find what sparks your interest.
UniSC research in the news
Prawn baby boom could crack new market
18 MarBuild it and they will spawn - the outstanding success of a hatchery custom-built by scientists at the University of the Sunshine Coast could make a native prawn species the next big thing in Australian seafood
Vote for UniSC’s koala vaccine researchers in the Shaping Australia Awards
5 Dec 2025Queensland’s koala Chlamydia vaccine is in the running for a major national innovation award – and the public can help by voting
Underwater recorders reveal surprising dolphin and whale activity at southern Great Barrier Reef
26 Nov 2025Researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast have become the first to publish acoustic data that confirms the presence of the elusive dwarf minke whale in the southern Great Barrier Reef.