NZLF Doctoral Scholarship

The New Zealand Law Foundation Doctoral Scholarship aims to encourage postgraduate study and research in law in New Zealand.

The scholarship will be awarded to a doctoral candidate who will carry out research in a defined area of the law which is for the benefit of New Zealand and its legal system.  The inaugural award of this scholarship was made in 2011 but then withdrawn.  In 2016 it was reviewed and is now available again under different terms of reference.

Every scholarship shall be tenable at a law school in a New Zealand university and will be provided as a top up to the award of a New Zealand University PhD scholarship.  Any grant of this scholarship is conditional upon the successful applicant providing confirmation of enrolment for the approved course of study at the university specified in the application, and confirmation of the award of a NZ university PhD scholarship.

Value: $10,000 each year for up to three years as a ‘top up’ to the award of an NZ University PhD Scholarship.

Applications are accepted twice a year.  Applications close at 5pm on 28 February and 5pm on 31 August in each year.

Read the Guidelines for Applications and the Terms of Reference documents before applying, then click the link below to start the application process.

Terms of Reference

Guidelines for applications

Previous Recipients

Applications are made online.  Apply Here.

If you do not receive a notification that your application has been successfully submitted, then please contact us to check it has been received. Phone Lynda Hagen on 04-499 1038 or email lynda@lawfoundation.org.nz if you have any queries or concerns with your application.

2017 : Nikita Melashchenko LLB (St Petersburg, Russia) ; LLM (St Petersburg); LLM (Vanderbilt, USA) PhD study at Victoria University of Wellington About the recipient and their research
2017 : Mark Wright LLB (Hons) / BCom (Otago); LLM (Cambridge) PhD study at University of Canterbury About the recipient and their research
2016 : Kesia Sherwood BA (Otago); LLB (Otago). PhD study at University of Otago About the recipient and their research
2012-2015 : No award was made
2011 : Bridgette Toy-Cronin BA (Auck); LLM (Harv). PhD study at University of Otago About the recipient and their research