[Australia] John Allwright Fellowship

Deadline: August 30 each year

The ACIAR Fellowships Scheme was introduced in 1986 to provide the opportunity for partner country scientists involved in ACIAR-supported collaborative research projects to obtain postgraduate qualifications at Australian tertiary institutions.

The primary aim of the Scheme is to enhance research capacity in ACIAR’s partner country institutions. Whilst individual awardees will benefit from the Scheme, it is important to note that partner country institutions are the key targets.

Postgraduate studies undertaken by each awardee are based on the research work being carried out under the collaborative research project in which the awardee is engaged prior to taking up the award. However, it is important that the student’s research project forms a discrete topic related to, but not part of, the existing ACIAR project. The study program should be designed to provide the awardee with the opportunity of continuing active involvement in the project research work throughout his or her studies, and sufficient knowledge to continue the research effort on final return to their home country. ACIAR will in certain circumstances support course work postgraduate degrees.

Project Leaders are requested to ensure that a project will not be jeopardised should their nominee receive an award, as the ACIAR project must be able to function in the absence of a successful awardee. More than one person may be nominated from a project, but awards will rarely be given to more than one applicant from any one project.

An ACIAR Fellowship award usually covers the cost of return airfares, a living allowance, initial settling–in allowances, the fees charged by the tertiary institutions (including an orientation program) and miscellaneous course–related costs. In selected cases, ACIAR encourages field work in home countries. ACIAR will consider postgraduate research programs that include some fieldwork in the applicant’s home country, where in the opinion of both the Australian and overseas project leaders, it is essential for the project. A maximum of three field visits are usually permitted and it is essential that the component of time spent in Australia is more than 50% (this should not just consist of thesis writing). ACIAR will not support fieldwork in a third country.

Project Leaders wishing to nominate partner country project staff for a Fellowship should contact the relevant ACIAR Research Program Manager to discuss the eligibility of the candidate, possible study programs and the impact of a successful Fellowship award on the project.

Details on eligibility criteria, together with access to application forms are included in the link below.

Although applications are welcome from participants in both bilateral and multilateral (IARC) projects, applicants must be working in a current ACIAR bilateral partner priority country. In 2003/04 these are:

* Papua-New Guinea and in the Pacific - Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tonga, Samoa
* in SE Asia - East Timor, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Myanmar
* in S Asia - India, Bangladesh, Pakistan
* the Republic of South Africa

Applicants must also be citizens of the country in which they are working.

To be eligible for selection, a candidate must:

* at the time of applying, hold qualifications that would be assessed to be equivalent to at least an Australian bachelor’s degree in a discipline that is relevant to the proposed area of postgraduate study;
* be a scientist or economist from the developing country partner, who is actively involved in a collaborative research project supported by ACIAR at the time of application (in some cases, ACIAR will consider supporting researchers from "advanced pipeline" projects, i.e. in cases where a full project proposal has been approved by ACIAR);
* be jointly supported in the application by the Australian and partner country Project Leaders;
* obtain approval from both the employing institution and home government training authority who must agree to the absence of the candidate should he/she receive a Fellowship for the period involved in obtaining the postgraduate qualification; and
* demonstrate that he/she is employed on a permanent rather than short-term contract basis.

Criteria for selection reflect the aim of the Fellowship Scheme to enhance the research capacity of ACIAR’s partner country institutions. Thus, strong preference will be given to a candidate who:

* can demonstrate that the studies he/she proposes to undertake under the award will be relevant in the short term to the general thrust of the research supported by ACIAR;
* in the longer term, will significantly benefit the candidate’s employing institution in the partner country;
* can demonstrate through the Australian Project Leader that placement for him or her at an appropriate tertiary institution can be assured subject to the candidate being awarded a Fellowship;
* can demonstrate that the Australian Project Leader (or an alternative) will be responsible for monitoring the awardee’s academic progression for the duration of his or her study in Australia; and
* can demonstrate that he/she has a sufficiently high level of English to be accepted into an Australian tertiary institution (English language testing can be arranged through the Country Manager). If the results of English testing suggest that limited additional training is required in o rd er to be accepte d into an Australian tertiary institution (e.g. the applicant has a least an IELTS score of 5 for each of speaking, listening, reading and writing), ACIAR may provide support for limited English training in the home country of the Fellowship applicant. ACIAR will support at most one year's English training, and it is expected that any formal training supported by ACIAR will be complemented by the applicant's private study.

Priority will be given to candidates who have not previously undertaken tertiary education in a developed country;

In very rare circumstances, where in the opinion of ACIAR that suitable English training in the home country is unavailable, ACIAR may support limited full-time English training within Australia.

Within the Fellowship Scheme, ACIAR strives to meet the Australian government policy on gender equity, and reflect ACIAR’s training policies and strategies.

Application procedure

ACIAR has a single stage application process for the Fellowship Scheme. Candidates wishing to commence their study in Semester 1 or 2 of an academic year must submit their applications before 31 August of the previous year. An offer of an award is only valid for the Australian academic year following the calendar year in which the offer is made.

It is important that Project Leaders check the eligibility of proposed candidates before application, including the selection criteria used by the Committee in the competitive process. Any queries may be directed to the appropriate Research Program Manager or the Project Officer, Education and Training Programs, in ACIAR.

To download the application form, click here.

For further information please contact:

Mrs Sharon Harvey, Secretariat
The John Allwright Fellowships
c/- ACIAR, GPO Box 1571
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
fax + 61 2 6217 0501
email: harvey@aciar.gov.au

Source: click here