The New Colombo Plan is a signature initiative of the Australian Government which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in the region.

The Australian Government made an initial commitment of $100 million of funding for the New Colombo Plan over five years. Funding for the Program is now ongoing. It involves a prestigious scholarship program for the study of up to one year and a flexible mobility grant program for both short and long-term studies. Both programs prioritize opportunities for Internships, Mentorships, practicums, clinical placements, and research.

New Colombo Plan Mobility Grants

Course level: 

Mobility Projects can include one or more of the following:

  • Undergraduate student exchange of one semester
  • In-country language study
  • Clinical placements or practicums
  • Internships and Mentorships
  • Research

Fields of study: Any program being offered at the Host Institution, however, it must be aligned with the applicant’s current studies at the Home Institution

Scholarship period:

  • Short-term grants – a minimum of two weeks (14 days) 
  • Semester grants – full-time study overseas for a Semester as defined by the Host Institution
  • Internship grants – available for Semester-based Mobility Projects that include an Internship component in addition to Semester study
  • Language training grant – available for Semester-based Mobility Projects that include an in-country language training component in addition to Semester study

Institution and country: 

Mobility Projects may be conducted in the following 40 eligible Indo-Pacific Host Locations:

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Caledonia, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Vietnam.

Sponsor: Australian Government

Scholarship inclusions:

  • Short-term grants – $1,000 to $3,000 per Student
  • Semester grants – $3,000 to $7,000 per Student
  • Internship grants – $1,000 per Student
  • Language training grant – $1,500 per Student

Eligibility criteria for the New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant:

  • Must be an Australian citizen. Students cannot receive a Student Grant to undertake a Mobility Project in a Host Location in which they have dual citizenship or residency rights;
  • Must be enrolled in an on-shore campus of an Australian University throughout the duration of the Mobility Project;
  • Must be undertaking a Bachelor Degree (Level 7) or Bachelor Honours Degree (Level 8), as defined by the Australian Qualifications Framework at the commencement of their Mobility Project;
  • Must be between 18 and 28 years of age at the commencement of their Mobility Project;
  • Must not have already commenced a period of overseas study in the same Host Location as the Mobility Project; and
  • Must not receive more than one short-term and one Semester grant (with or without an internship) during their Australian course of study.

Application period: 4-24 August 2021, 11.30 pm AEST

How to apply for the New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant:

Applicants must apply online for funding and accept or decline funding offers through ISEO (https://iseo.education.gov.au/). Any applications received after the closing date will be deemed ineligible and not considered for funding. Applicants are responsible for all costs incurred in the preparation and lodgement of their applications.

Applicants will be required to enter the following details for each Short-term or Semester Mobility Project application:

  1. Host Location and primary city, the field of study, years of funding sought (Single-term or Multi-year), whether the Mobility Project is a new or existing project, whether the Mobility Project is also being submitted for other locations in the 2019 round, the length of study and whether the application is a Consortium application
  2. A title and description of the proposed Mobility Project (including whether the project involves travel to a secondary Host Location and whether the project can be scaled up or down), Mobility Project type, qualification level, indicative travel dates, and Project Partner(s)
  3. Confirm that the Mobility Project will provide credit/count towards the course requirements for the Australian course of study in which the student is enrolled
  4. If a Project Partner is an Offshore Campus of an Australian University
  5. Provide a contact point for the Mobility Project from the Home University (the academic or mobility officer leading the Mobility Project)
  6. Respond to the selection criteria and where relevant, additional selection criteria for Internship Grants, Language Training Grants, and Multi-year Funding
  7. Provide a financial breakdown of the funding sought consisting of the proposed Student numbers, the value of each Student Grant sought and whether administration funding is sought, as well as the indicative dollar figure for any Private Sector Organisation and/or internal contributions to the Mobility Project.

For further details, you may refer to the Program Guidelines 2022 Round.

Other useful links:

New Colombo Plan Mobility Grants