We list 2 postdoctoral Scholarships for Nigerian Students in Australia, with the deadline, study level and eligibility of each one taken from the award's own terms. 2 of them are fully funded. 2 state eligibility that includes Nigerian applicants. Awards with a known closing date are listed soonest first.
Written from the 2 awards on this page — every figure below is counted from what the awards themselves state. 6 min read.
This page collects 2 postdoctoral scholarships in Australia that are open to Nigerian researchers. Both are labelled fully funded by the bodies offering them. That is the whole list: two awards, one country, one career stage.
Postdoctoral funding is a different animal from the scholarships most Nigerian students meet earlier in their studies. You are not applying for a place on a taught programme. You are applying for a research position, a fellowship or a visiting arrangement, and the department or institute that hosts you is usually part of the decision. The Forrest Research Foundation Post-doctoral Fellowships 2026-2027 and the Griffith University Scholarships 2027 Fully Funded are the two entries on this page.
Two providers appear here. One is the Forrest Research Foundation, working with Australian universities. The other is Griffith University, listing its own scholarships.
That split matters when you sit down to apply. A foundation award tied to a set of universities may require you to name a host institution and a supervisor before you submit, because the foundation is funding a placement that a university has to agree to host. A single-university award is administered inside that university, so the research office, the school and the supervisor are all reachable through one institution. Read the award page for which of these you are dealing with before you start drafting anything.
Both awards on this page are described as fully funded. Beyond that, the detail is thinner than applicants usually expect, and it is worth being precise about what the brief actually shows.
Treat those two lines as what the award documents say in writing, not as a promise about the full package. A fellowship that names travel is telling you it will move you to Australia; it is not telling you the stipend level, the relocation allowance or whether dependants are covered. Those questions go to the provider, and they should be asked early, because the answer changes what you need to budget from your own pocket.
One entry on this page gives a duration: 3 years. For a postdoctoral position that is a normal run, long enough to build a publication record and short enough that you should arrive with a plan for what comes after it.
This is the part most Nigerian researchers want answered first, so here it is plainly. Both awards are open to Nigerian applicants. Neither one names Nigeria or an African region specifically, and neither one carries a nationality restriction. The route in is the qualification, not the passport.
The pathway is straightforward: you hold a doctorate. That is the entry condition for this level. Postdoctoral positions, research fellowships and visiting programmes are built for researchers who have completed a Ph.D, and the brief describes the level in exactly those terms.
What that means in practice is that your Ph.D is the document under scrutiny, not your WAEC or NECO results and not your first degree. Your thesis, your publications, your conference record and your referees carry the application. If your doctorate was awarded by a Nigerian university, that is not a barrier in itself. What matters is whether the host group can see a research fit and whether your examiners and supervisors can speak to it in writing.
One award states a minimum degree class as a requirement, and one asks for letters of recommendation. Check which is which on the individual award pages before you assemble anything, because a stated class requirement is a screening condition and not a preference.
Two requirements are stated across the two awards: a minimum degree class on one, letters of recommendation on the other. That is a short list, and it understates the work. Postdoctoral applications in Australia generally turn on a research proposal, a supervisor who has agreed to host you, and referees who can be reached.
Plan the document side around Nigerian realities. Transcripts and degree certificates from Nigerian universities take time to produce, and getting them certified, sealed and couriered to Australia is a cost you carry yourself. Start those requests before you need them, not after a deadline is announced. If a referee is a former supervisor who has moved institutions, confirm their current email address now rather than in the week the portal closes.
Recommendation letters are not a formality at this level. A letter that says you were a good student is of little use. A letter that describes your thesis contribution, your independence as a researcher and the specific project you are proposing is what a selection panel reads for. Give your referees your research proposal and the name of the host group, and give them enough notice to write properly.
Of the two awards, one carries a date and one does not. One is still open. One recurs. May is the month named in the brief.
The dated award is the Forrest Research Foundation Post-doctoral Fellowships 2026-2027, which closes 31 May. That is the next deadline on this page. The Griffith University Scholarships 2027 Fully Funded entry carries no fixed date and directs you to the details on the award page.
Because one award recurs, the cycle is not a one-off event you either catch or miss forever. If you are not ready this round, you have a date to work towards for the next one. Use it: line up your supervisor conversation, your proposal and your referees against that May date rather than against the day the portal opens.
Australia hosts a substantial Nigerian student population. According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2,385 Nigerian students were studying in Australia in 2024, making Nigeria the 7th largest source of students there.
That figure covers students at all levels, not postdoctoral researchers, and it is worth reading that way. It tells you the country is not unfamiliar territory for Nigerians and that there are established routes in. It does not tell you how many Nigerians hold postdoctoral fellowships in Australia, because that number is not in the brief and should not be guessed at.
Two awards is a small list, and small lists reward finishing rather than browsing.
Both awards are fully funded and both are open to Nigerian applicants. The rest is preparation, and the preparation is yours to start today.
Australia remains one of the most sought-after study destinations for Nigerian students — known for its high-ranking universities, multicultural campuses, and globally recognized degrees. Yet, the cost of studying abroad often becomes a significant barrier for many deserving students.
Fortunately, numerous fully funded and partially funded scholarships are available specifically for Nigerian students, covering everything from tuition fees and living expenses to travel and health insurance. These opportunities aim to attract talented individuals and support their academic, professional, and personal growth in Australia.
In this comprehensive guide, we've curated the Top 10 Scholarships in Australia for Nigerian Students for 2026. These include generous government-funded programs like the Australia Awards Scholarships, as well as merit-based and research-focused grants offered by top institutions such as the University of Melbourne, Monash University, and the University of Sydney.
Whether you're pursuing an undergraduate degree, a Master’s, or a PhD, these scholarships can significantly reduce your financial burden — and even provide long-term pathways to career development or migration.
Let’s explore the best scholarship options that can turn your dream of studying in Australia into reality.
*UNESCO Institute for Statistics, inbound internationally mobile students from Nigeria, 2024.
A browser notification when a scholarship you can apply for is added or about to close. No account needed.
