What the CommitteeLooks For.
How applications are judged, in the words of the Conditions of Award (131/2025), and what you would be agreeing to if you accepted the award. The Conditions are the authority. This page puts them in plain English.
What the Award Is For
Clause 1 of the Conditions sets out the award’s objective: “to support talented Australians who have gained admission to a Harvard University graduate school and whose primary objective after graduation is to make a significant contribution to Australia’s development.”
Clause 5 then says how candidates are chosen: “Selection is made based on academic merit, qualities of leadership and breadth of vision as demonstrated by their passion and commitment to making a significant contribution to the development of Australia.”
Only applicants who meet every eligibility criterion are considered, so check your eligibility first.
The Criteria in Plain English
The Conditions don’t publish how the criteria are weighted or scored. The questions under each one are taken from the criterion’s own words, to help you think about your application. They aren’t a scoring guide.
Academic merit
The quality of your academic record and your capacity for graduate study. Eligibility already requires Honours or an equivalent demonstration of academic excellence, and merit is also a selection criterion in its own right. The ANU asks that two of your referees be able to speak to your academic or professional merit and your capacity for higher degree study.
- What in my record shows academic merit, and how would I explain it to someone outside my field?
- Who knows my academic or professional work well enough to speak to my capacity for higher degree study?
Qualities of leadership
The Conditions don’t define leadership. The application asks for the leadership roles you have held or hold, with dates, and for your community or volunteer work. One referee comments on your personal qualities and your role in the wider community.
- Which roles I have held show qualities of leadership, and what did I actually do in them?
- What is my role in the wider community?
- Who could write about my personal qualities from first-hand knowledge?
Breadth of vision
The scope of what you want to achieve and how it connects to Australia. The statement of purpose asks for your aspirations and future career plans and how you believe you can contribute to the future interests of Australia. The form also asks for 250 words on what you plan to do after Harvard.
- What contribution to Australia’s development do I want to make, and why does it matter to me?
- How does my Harvard program connect to it, and what will I do after I graduate?
Passion and commitment to Australia’s development
Clause 5 says the three criteria are judged “as demonstrated by” your passion and commitment to making a significant contribution to the development of Australia. Clause 1 describes scholars whose primary objective after graduation is that contribution. You must also intend to return to Australia after Harvard, or to work overseas representing Australia.
- Is making a significant contribution to Australia’s development my primary objective after graduation?
- What have I already done that shows that commitment?
- How does my plan fit the requirement to return to Australia?
Who Decides
The award is offered by a selection committee of no more than six people, three appointed by the ANU’s Vice-Chancellor and three by the Harvard Club of Australia (clause 5). The Club notes that the panel usually includes a number of past winners, and its timetable has interviews between March and April.
The committee may decide to make no award if it considers no applicant of sufficient merit. It may also vary the number of awards or offer one at another time in exceptional circumstances or where funds allow (clause 5).
Conditions You’d Be Agreeing To
What must I disclose before the interview?
The ANU page says candidates invited to interview must give full financial disclosure of other awards, employer sponsorship, Harvard funding and any other financial benefits. They must also check with Harvard the maximum and minimum funding they may be eligible to receive.
Who pays for attending the interview?
The ANU page says candidates are responsible for any costs of attending an interview if they don’t meet the disclosure condition. It doesn’t say what is covered otherwise, so check with the ANU.
How much would I receive?
The value is stated in your letter of offer and depends in the end on any financial aid you receive from Harvard (clause 2). The ANU lists the award as variable, up to US$60,000 a year.
Can I defer the award?
No. Clause 7 says the award can’t be deferred. Clause 12 allows the Harvard Club of Australia, on the recommendation of the committee’s Chair, to vary this in exceptional circumstances, case by case. If you think that might apply to you, check with the ANU.
Can I hold other scholarships at the same time?
Yes, with one limit: you must not have accepted, or plan to accept, another major scholarship of more than US$30,000 unless it comes directly from the ANU or Harvard (clause 3(h)). Smaller scholarships, and awards made directly by the ANU or Harvard, can be held alongside the Menzies. You tell the Harvard Club of Australia about them through its administrator (clause 6). See how the Menzies sits with other awards.
What do I have to do while I’m at Harvard?
Enrol in, and keep, a course load that meets your Harvard school’s requirements, and keep your academic performance at the level the school requires. At the end of each academic year you send the selection committee a progress report, including an official statement of your results. If anything interrupts your studies, tell the committee’s secretary straight away (clause 8).
When would the award stop?
On the earliest of: the date you withdraw from or stop attending Harvard (other than approved absences), failing to stay enrolled as clause 8 requires, or breaching academic or behavioural standards under the Academic Integrity Policy or the Discipline Rule (clause 9).
Could I have to repay the award?
Yes. The committee’s Chair, or an approved nominee, may ask for part or all of it back if you don’t pursue your approved course at Harvard for at least the first academic year, breach the conditions or withdraw from the program (clause 10).
What if information in my application is wrong?
The award can be withdrawn at any stage if incorrect, false or misleading information is given, or relevant information is withheld, even where it is unrelated to the assessment (clause 11).
Is the award taxable, and does it affect Centrelink?
Get independent tax advice for your own circumstances. Student awards can affect Centrelink payments, and are generally treated as taxable income if you are enrolled part-time. The Conditions point to guidance from the Australian Taxation Office and Services Australia (clause 13).
Is accommodation provided?
No. Finding a place to live while you study at Harvard is your responsibility (clause 14).
Will I have to take part in publicity?
You may be asked to, including in your home state or territory or where you went to school, and you may be contacted for an interview and photograph. Recipients’ names may be published. If you’re invited to a Harvard Club of Australia meeting, the Club covers reasonable travel and accommodation (clause 15).
Who sees my application?
The ANU may share your personal information with the selection committee, including members from outside the university, to assess applications. It takes reasonable steps to make sure the committee follows the Australian Privacy Principles (clause 16).
What if my question isn’t covered here?
Check with the ANU Coursework Scholarships Office at philanthropic.scholarships@anu.edu.au. The full Conditions of Award are linked from the ANU scholarship page.
Next Steps
Check your eligibility, then work through the application checklist. To hear what selection was like, ask to talk with a past scholar.