ABC TOP 5 MEDIA RESIDENCIES

ABOUT THE ABC TOP 5 

Presented by ABC Radio National, the ABC TOP 5 is for early-career PhD scholars with a passion for communicating their work to non-academic audiences. 

Each year, we put a call out to Australia’s higher education sector and research organisations to find the TOP 5 PhD scholars in three categories: 

• Humanities
• Science 
• Arts 

Applications for 2026 are open from 9am (AEST) Tuesday March 3 through to 11.59 (AEST) Monday April 6. You will need to register with Submittable to apply.

Three media residencies are presented each year. The five winners in each category will spend two weeks at the ABC learning about the media and developing new communication skills.

The media residencies are designed to provided researchers with the skills to share their knowledge and expertise with audiences seeking credible information and informed debate.  

We strongly encourage previously non-successful applicants are encouraged to apply again. 

The selection process is very competitive, and you may have just missed out. The judges are seeking enthusiastic applicants who can convey what their work is, why they are passionate about it, and why a broader non-academic audience should be interested in their work.

AIMS OF THE ABC TOP 5

• Enable early career PhD academics to be the best communicators of their specialist research areas. 
• Demystify the media experience and build the researcher’s confidence in engaging with the media.
• Help the researchers connect with a wide, range of non-academic audiences.
• Introduce participants to the ABC’s approach to content creation.
• Develop talent, commentators and regular guests for ABC programs across Audio, Television and Digital.

DOES IT COST TO PARTICIPATE?

The TOP 5 is an investment by the ABC and our program partners in our drive to share new knowledge and is presented at no cost to participants. 

• The ABC TOP 5 Humanities is supported by our project partner the University of Sydney.
• The ABC TOP 5 Science is supported by our project partner Australian National University.
• The ABC TOP 5 Arts is supported by our project partners the University of Melbourne & Creative Australia.

CAN YOU CONTINUE TO WORK DURING THE RESIDENCY?

The short answer is no, as the residencies are essentially full time for the two weeks. To get the most out of the experience, participants need to be fully immersed and available for this period.

If successful, we expect your university or research institution to support you to take part in the TOP 5 residency as part of your professional development. The ABC TOP 5 program will cover your travel expenses, but you should still be paid by your institution and not required to take annual leave. 

CAN I APPLY MORE THAN ONCE?

• You can apply for the TOP 5 Media Residency Program once per residency per calendar year.
• If your research crosses over in specialisation, you can apply for more than one residency. If you want to clarify your eligibility, please email the TOP 5 team: top5@abc.net.au 

WHAT ARE JUDGES LOOKING FOR?

• ABC TOP 5 applications are judged on excellence of and the level of general interest in this research.
• The judges are seeking enthusiastic applicants who have the ability to convey what their work is, why they are passionate about it, and why a broader non-academic audience should be interested in their work.

FURTHER QUESTIONS? 

Please get in touch with the ABC TOP 5 Team with any additional question, just email: top5@abc.net.au