HDR Philanthropic Living Stipend Scholarships in Surgery
Enrolment status
Future UQ student
Student type
Domestic
Study level
Postgraduate research (HDR)
Study area
Health and medicine
Scholarship focus
Academic excellence
Funding type
Financial award,
Living stipend
Scholarship value
$60,000 per annum
Scholarship duration
3.5 years with the possibility of 1 extension in line with UQ and RTP Scholarship Policy
Number awarded
May vary
Applications open
3 November 2025
Applications close
5 January 2026
About this scholarship
On offer, are a selection of philanthropic HDR scholarships in surgery, awarded to exceptional applicants demonstrating outstanding academic merit and research potential. These scholarships are open to new domestic applicants.
This scholarship was established in 2020 in memory of Professor Philip Walker to support research in areas related to surgical disease.
Eligibility
You are eligible if you are applying to undertake a Higher Degree by Research and are a medical student or medical graduate and have a research focus on areas related to surgical diseases and where at least one member of your advisory team is a member of the Mayne Academy of Surgery within The University of Queensland Medical School.
Selection Criteria
Your application will be ranked on the basis of:
academic achievement and potential for scholastic success;
the potential for the proposed use of the scholarship and if applicable development grant, to advance research in the field of surgery; and
any other matters the selection committee sees fit.
Special Conditions
The successful applicant must present an update of their research at the annual Phil Walker Memorial Ethics Lecture.
The fellowship is in honour and acknowledgement of Professor William Burnett’s contribution to Surgery, as the former Head of Surgery at The University of Queensland’s School of Medicine. It was established in 2004 and is maintained by the income of a bequest from Professor Burnett’s sister, Mrs Helen Ann Gordon Rimmer. The purpose of the scholarship is to support a PhD student in the discipline of surgery.
Eligibility
You are eligible if you are applying to undertake a PhD with a research focus on areas related to surgical diseases and where at least one member of your advisory team is a member of the Mayne Academy of Surgery within The University of Queensland Medical School.
Selection Criteria
Your application will be ranked on the basis of:
academic achievement and potential for scholastic success;
the potential for the proposed use of the scholarship and if applicable development grant, to advance research in the field of surgery; and
any other matters the selection committee sees fit.
Special Conditions
The successful applicant must present an update of their research at the annual Academy of Surgery meeting.
This scholarship was established in 2025 and is supported from funds held on trust by Perpetual Trustee Company Limited (Perpetual), from the Will of the late Charles Mitford Lilley, who was a medical practitioner based in Brisbane from 1917 to 1955. Charles Mitford Lilley began his career working as a general practitioner, before specialising in surgery where he became a leading figure in Australia, particularly in the area of head and neck surgery. Charles Mitford left a gift in his will in 1955 to establish an endowment fund for post graduate study in the field of Surgery at UQ. This Scholarship is for to HDR students undertaking research in the field of surgery.
Eligibility
This scholarship may provide an additional $35,000 per annum award (for up to 3 years) to an outstanding applicant who has been successful in receiving the Professor Philip Walker Surgery Research Scholarship or Professor William Burnett Research Fellowships.
You must be a graduate of a Doctor of Medicine Program from a University in the state of Queensland to be eligible for this award.
Selection Criteria
Your application will be ranked on the basis of:
Academic achievement and the potential of scholastic success; and
Any other matters the Executive Dean, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences considers to be relevant to your future research development.
Special Conditions
Each subsequent year of the Scholarship (up to a total of 3 years full-time) is conditional upon the recipient demonstrating satisfactory progress.
Identify a supervisor in your field with expertise that's relevant to your proposed project. How to choose a supervisor. At least one member of your advisory team must be a member of the Mayne Academy of Surgery within The University of Queensland Medical School.
Holders of these philanthropic scholarships must acknowledge them in any paper that is published as a result of the research conducted while the recipient held the scholarship.
Donors may also invite the recipient to present on the work conducted as part of the scholarship, in which case they must comply or risk losing the scholarship.
The information you provide in your application is collected for the purposes of (1) assessing your eligibility for this scholarship, (2) selecting scholarship recipients, and (3) administration of the scholarship. The University of Queensland may disclose the information you provide to the Donor for the stated purposes. The University will not otherwise disclose the information to a third party without your consent, unless such disclosure is authorised or required by law. For further information, please refer to the University’s Privacy Management Policy.
