Bridging Research to Policy – Round 2

General Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• be a citizen of Sri Lanka and currently residing in Sri Lanka
• not be applying for or hold permanent residency in either Australia or New Zealand, or be married, engaged to, or a de facto of a person who holds, or is eligible to hold, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency. This criterion applies at any stage of the application, selection or mobilisation phases of the course
• be able to provide attested documents for processing a visa application to enter Australia for the duration of the Australian component of the course and satisfy all requirements of the Department of Home Affairs for an Australian Student Visa (Subclass 500)
• be able to obtain the necessary study and travel approvals from their employer for the time commitment required, as outlined above
• be able to commit to completing a Return-to-Work Plan (RWP)
• have access to the internet and be computer literate
• not be a currently serving military personnel.

Further Eligibility Criteria

Candidates who can demonstrate the potential to apply the knowledge and experience gained through course participation are encouraged to apply. Selected candidates will be required to complete their negotiated ‘Return-to-Work Plan’ which will involve the implementation of observations and learnings obtained throughout the Short Course.

To be eligible candidates must:

• hold a strategic role in the respective organisation
• have a minimum of at least two years in their current role or relevant work experience
• not be retiring or being considered for transfer for at least one year from the conclusion of the Short Course
• not have undertaken an Australia Awards Short Course in the last two years
• be assessed as having a strong level of English to be able to participate in this course
• be committed and available to participate in each of the three major components of the Short Course by ensuring release from usual professional duties during the course delivery phases due to its demanding subject matter.

Women, people of diverse ethnicity, ability/disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics are all encouraged to apply.

All interested applicants will need to complete their applications online through the Australia Awards – South Asia and Mongolia Short Course application portal by 16 November 2025.

Completed eligible applications will be assessed and ranked based on the above selection criteria. The Australian High Commission will finalise the selection of participants. 

Participants will be mid- to senior-level professionals from government ministries, public institutions, or relevant civil society and research organizations engaged in Sri Lanka’s ongoing reform agenda. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their experience or responsibility in areas such as economic governance, public sector reform, anti-corruption, digital transformation, or policy development.

Applicants should possess a strong commitment to driving institutional change, a collaborative mindset, and the ability to apply course learnings to advance evidence-based policymaking, inclusive growth, and accountable governance in line with Sri Lanka’s reform priorities and Australia’s Development Partnership Plan.

To apply for the Short Course, applicants must follow the following procedure:

• Register and access the online application on the Australia Awards South Asia and Mongolia Course application portal.
• Select Bridging Research to Policy from the drop-down menu as the course option.
• All applications should be completed and submitted online; no paper applications will be accepted.
• All required supporting documents need to be uploaded at the time of submission.

Only complete applications submitted by 16 November 2025 will be considered for assessment.

For more information email inquiries@australiaawardssrilanka.org