Guidelines and Application Information for All Fellowships

Guidelines: It is essential that you carefully read these instructions and use them as a reference when filling in each section of the application form as they contain all necessary information.

It should not be necessary to request extra information.

PURPOSE OF THE FELLOWSHIPS

The Fellowship funds are intended to facilitate a research project that will extend the nature and/or scope of the currently approved PhD program and the specialised knowledge and skills of the applicant.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applicants should provide adequate information to address the following criteria:

  • Capacity of the project to extend the nature and/or scope of the current PhD program;
  • Academic merit of the project;
  • Academic merit of the applicant as demonstrated in progress in research activity;
  • Feasibility of the project with respect to time and budgetary constraints;
  • Extent to which the project will add to the specialised knowledge and skills of the applicant and be of benefit to her future career plans;
  • Extent to which the project will be of benefit to the community.

ELIGIBILTY GUIDELINES

The Fellowships are open only to women who are Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia and are enrolled in a PhD degree by research at any Australian university or equivalent Institution. Proof is required (see below for details). The Barbara Hale Fellowships are offered annually and are open to candidates in any discipline; The Georgina Sweet Fellowship is open to candidates enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine (STEMM); the Jennifer Strauss Fellowships is open to candidates enrolled in the Humanities. These two Fellowships are offered in alternate years. They do not require a separate entry form.

  • Applicants must, by the closing date, have completed at least the equivalent of the first year of their PhD program or have confirmation of candidacy. Proof is required (see below for details).
  • Applicants successful in gaining a Fellowship may not apply in subsequent years: applicants unsuccessful in one year may apply in later years.
  • Applicants do not have to be members of AGW.

TENURE GUIDELINES

The project is to commence on or after 1 June 2025 and be completed by either 31 July 2026 OR the date for PhD submission, whichever is the sooner. Any change of the proposed schedule must have written prior approval of the Fellowships Officer

Preparing Your Application and Supporting Documentation

  • Applications must be on the current official form.  This is available on the website as both a Word document and a pdf for your convenience in drafting, but must be submitted as a pdf consisting of the application form followed by any required documentary evidence.
  • All questions must be answered. If a question is not applicable to you, the letters ‘NA’ should be typed in the space provided.
  • In completing the sections of the form and the accompanying documents note these Guidelines:

PERSONAL INFORMATION GUIDELINES

  • Documentary proof of citizenship or permanent residence status must be provided – for example, an attached photocopy of a passport, birth certificate, citizenship certificate or Certificate of Evidence of Resident Status (CERS).
  • Email addresses must be current at all times: you must notify the Fellowship Officer immediately of a change of email address or if you have any problems accessing your email.  Postal addresses should include street, city, State, postcode.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

  • Provide a photocopy of evidence of receiving the qualification or award claimed – for example a degree certificate or an official university academic record confirming award of degree.
  • Prizes and Awards – List up to three academic prizes and awards, including date of award and name of awarding institution. Select those that best demonstrate your academic merit, research capacity or relevance to proposed project.

CURRENT ENROLMENT

  • Provide evidence of your current enrolment. This should make it clear that you have completed an academic year of your PhD program and/or been confirmed in your PhD candidacy.

RESEARCH AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION SECTIONS GUIDELINES

In describing your current research program and the project for which funding is sought:

  • Observe word limits for the description of your current PhD research activity and the project proposed for the Fellowship. Do not include a detailed Bibliography for either section, although you may wish to indicate other relevant research affecting your research program or your proposed project.
  • In choosing publications or conference presentations for citation in your application, preference should be given if possible to those related to current research. Please provide full publication details and a DOI or URL if available.
  • The project to be funded should have a clear and concise title, indicative of its nature.
  • The time required for the project must be feasible given pressure on timely completion of a PhD program.
  • You must make it clear how it will extend the parameters of your current PhD program or research skills– examples of acceptable extension might include:
  1. Travel overseas or interstate for interviews, specialised research techniques, archival research, conference presentations. Evidence should be produced of progress in arrangements to complete work in an overseas institution – for example a letter of invitation or provisional acceptance for a course.
  2. Extending the quantitative or qualitative scope of enquiry. Introducing new research techniques.
  3. Introducing new technology or new uses of technology.
  4. Equipment and research materials related to the project and not required to complete the approved PhD program. You must make a special case for funds of this nature.

(NB: It may help you to visit the website see how these possibilities are exemplified in previous winning applications).

  • Your project description should include a statement of the projected outcome(s) of your work.

In indicating how the funds will be used and providing a detailed budget please note the following information:

  • Your budget will be assessed for feasibility.
  • All budget figures must be given in Australian dollars. Requests submitted in other currencies will not be considered.
  • All items must be specific to the project and NOT expenses that would normally be covered by the funding of the current PhD program.
  • Travel overseas or interstate: A rationale for the travel proposed must be given. Note that a request for funding for conference travel is unlikely to succeed unless it is linked to other activity.
    The fellowship may be used for the applicant’s travel and accomodation expenses relevant to the proposed project but cannot be used to cover any costs associated with travel or support for dependants.
    Your budget should include a quotation of current cost of accommodation, air fares or other forms of travel.
  • Equipment costs and costs of experimental materials must be specific to the project and must not include any infrastructure or equipment items which would normally be necessary for the current PhD program – for example, a laptop or i-pad would not normally be approved but a software package specific to the project would be acceptable.
  • Living expenses are not automatically approved, but may be accepted if a case can be made for them – for example, if the applicant is in part-time employment, it may be necessary to forego some or all of that income in order to have time for the project.
  • Payments or gifts to experimental subjects specific to the project may be approved if justified, but should not be a major part of your expenses.
  • Other sources of income will not prejudice your Fellowship application, but will be used to assess your general situation, including your capacity to complete the project if the funds required exceed the amount of the award.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Use this section to indicate briefly how the project will benefit your career plans and the community and to provide any further information you consider relevant to the assessment of your application.

REFEREES

Before completing the application you should obtain the consent of two (2) referees familiar with, and able to appraise, your academic work. You must include your principal academic supervisor for the six months immediately preceding submission of the application. Any variation of this must have prior consent from the AGW Fellowship Officer.

Do NOT include letters of reference as part of your application. It is your responsibility to:

  • see that your referees are familiar with your application;
  • provide the link to Guidelines for Referees to them as soon as you obtain their consent;
  • make sure that they understand that their reference must be sent to the AGW Fellowships Officer at agw.fellowships.officer1@gmail.com by the closing date for Applications.

Give title, name, position, e-mail address, and telephone and mobile numbers for each referee.

It is essential that these contact details be correct during March 2025 when it may be necessary to contact them.

SUMMARY FOR PRESS PURPOSES

Provide a brief summary or description of your academic and professional background and the project you are proposing to undertake. If you receive the Fellowship, this summary, which may then be edited, will be used in press releases, AGW publications and news media. The description should therefore be in terms easily understood by the general public and be in the third person.

Submitting Your Application

For final submission, a single pdf is required containing the completed application form followed by supporting documentation in the order above. Do NOT send this documentation in the form of separate attachments.

Make sure you have completed the check list on the Application Form.

Applications must be submitted by email. The subject heading of all email messages must include your family name. Email the completed pdf before midnight AEST Friday. 28 February 2025 to: AGW Fellowships Officer agw.fellowships.officer1@gmail.com

Late applications will not be considered.  Do not leave submission to the last moment as internet communications can often be disrupted or delayed.

Notification of Receipt of Application

You will receive emailed notification within one (1) week of the date of lodgement of application.

If you have not received this notification within one week, it is your responsibility to contact the Fellowships Officer.

Notification of Result of Application

All applicants will be notified of the competition results no later than 15 May 2025

The assessors’ decisions are final and no correspondence can be entered into concerning notifications to unsuccessful applicants.  It is not possible to provide feedback on the application.

 

GUIDELINES