GO ID: GO7824

Agency: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Close Date & Time: 23-Sep-2025 11:30 pm (ACT Local Time)
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Primary Category: 191002 - Higher Education
Secondary Category: 191006 - Scholarships
Publish Date: 12-Aug-2025
Location: ACT, NSW, VIC, SA, WA, QLD, NT, TAS
Selection Process: Open Competitive

Description:

The strategic objective of the New Colombo Plan, as described in Program 1.5 of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Portfolio Budget Statement (PBS) is to advance Australia’s interests and bilateral relationships through enduring people-to-people, institutional and business links with the Indo-Pacific region The NCP provides opportunities for Australian undergraduate university students to develop their Indo-Pacific capability and Asia literacy through immersive, structured learning and internships in the Indo-Pacific region. The intended outcomes of the NCP are: for participants to acquire Indo-Pacific capability and Asia literacy; to foster deeper people-to-people and education relationships between Australia and the Indo-Pacific; and to increase Australia's economic engagement with the region by supporting NCP participants to build job-ready skills, and supporting NCP alumni to maintain their ties to the Indo-Pacific. In the 2026 round, the NCP includes three programs – Scholarships, Semester and Mobility. The 2026 NCP Semester Program seeks to leverage Australian universities‘ partnership arrangements to support one-to-two semester length experiences for students to develop Indo-Pacific capability, including language learning and internships. The intended outcomes of the NCP Semester Program are: program participants develop their Indo-Pacific knowledge and capability, including language skills, in line with Australia’s strategic and economic interests; Australian universities leverage institutional partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and there is an expansion of engagement with counterpart institutions in priority host locations, languages, and sectors; and alumni maintain and develop their Indo-Pacific capability, including language skills, and engagement with the region.

Eligibility:

Applications for funding will be accepted from all Australian Universities (defined as a registered higher education provider under the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (Cth) in a provider category that permits the use of the word “university”) and consortia of Australian Universities.

Total Amount Available (AUD): $23,760,000.00 

Instructions for Application Submission:

Applications must be lodged in ISEO (International Student Exchange Online) by the closing date/time (11.30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on 23 September 2025).

Addenda Available:
View Addenda

For grant queries, please refer to the official contact details:

New Colombo Plan Secretariat

Email Address: [email protected]

Web Address: https://www.dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/new-colombo-plan/new-colombo-plan-semester-program