UQ provides financial support to over 1600 RHD students from an annual scholarship budget of more than $35 million from the Australian Government and UQ. 

UQ receives more than $330 million in research funding from a variety of sources including the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

UQ’s facilities include multi-million dollar laboratories and research centres, one of the largest academic library collections in Australia with over 2.5 million volumes and over 75,000 distinct journals, and dedicated office space for RHD students, including the Graduate School’s Thesis Hub. UQ’s St Lucia campus is one of Australia’s most attractive campuses and boasts outstanding sporting, recreational and cultural opportunities.

The Graduate School provides continued support to students through an annual Skills Training program specifically for RHD students.  The Skills Training program includes a diverse range of presentations, workshops, applied training activities, social functions, professional development, and cross-disciplinary collaboration events. 

UQ also runs two Graduate Student Weeks each year, an important feature of UQ’s academic calendar, which include signature programs and interactive sessions with guests from industry.  In 2010 over 500 individuals attended almost 50 sessions.

The Graduate School's annual research competition, Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) celebrates the contribution of RHD students and encourages the development of strong communication and presentation skills.  In 2010 it attracted interest from 32 other universities both in Australia and overseas who participated in the Inaugural Australia & New Zealand competition.

UQ is consistently ranked among the top one percent of universities in the world:

• 48th - QS World University Rankings
• 86th - Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities 2011
• 74th - Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2011 (the only Queensland university and one of only 4 Australian universities in the top 100)

Our global focus and commitment to research excellence are evident in our strategic academic networks:

• UQ is a founding member of the Group of Eight (Go8) - a leading group of Australian universities that conduct 70 percent of all university research in Australia.
• UQ is also one of three founding members of Universitas 21 (U21) - an international network of leading research-intensive universities. With collective budgets over $13 billion and a network of 650,000 students, U21 provides our RHD students with extensive research collaboration opportunities, including joint PhDs and international travel awards.

UQ’s experts deliver on a broad range of research strengths across our 6 faculties and 8 globally-recognised research institutes.  A reputation for research excellence has made UQ a destination of choice for a growing community of internationally renowned scholars, scientists and research experts. 

UQ’s supportive research community is dedicated to ensuring the success and development of new knowledge from RHD students.  UQ also provides RHD students with opportunities for international engagement and avenues to develop long-term research relationships and strategic partnerships. 

For over 10 years our Awards for Excellence in RHD Supervision have recognised advisors who provide outstanding mentorship.  During this time, 28 advisors have been rewarded for leading by example, training, and inspiring our RHD students. UQ advisors are dedicated to developing the next generation of researchers.

UQ offers free research commercialisation workshops for RHD students through UQ’s company UniQuest Pty Ltd. With 80 staff and group revenue exceeding AUD$100 million, UniQuest benchmarks in the top 10% globally for university-based technology transfer. UQ extends the benefits of globally recognised research commercialisation expertise to our RHD students, including through the Commercialisation Training Scheme (CTS). Find out more.

• Financial support
• First-class facilities
• Research skills training
• Culture of research excellence and collaboration
• Excellent supervision
• Commercialisation and professional opportunities

These are some of the distinctive strengths and features that make up the UQ Advantage: providing opportunities to choose and achieve what you want from your research degree.

To find out how your PhD or MPhil can benefit from the UQ Advantage contact uqadvantage@gradschool.uq.edu.au.