2024 Westpac Research Fellowship

Overview

These Fellowships offer early career researchers a unique opportunity to support their groundbreaking research, provide access to networks, open career pathways and global experiences.

Fellowship recipients will be exceptional people, chosen for their intellectual ability, leadership qualities, and commitment to the community. Successful Fellows will be undertaking research that has the ability to make a difference to Australia’s future in one of the Foundation’s priority areas:

• An Inclusive Country;
• Australia in Asia;
• Sustainable Futures; or
• Thriving Tech Sector.

NOTE: Funding requests for the purpose of medical research as defined in the ARC Medical Research Policy available on the Australian Research Council website will not be considered.

Westpac Bicentennial Foundation (now the Westpac Scholars Trust) will offer two Westpac Research Fellowships valued at over $400,000 over 3 years, with the option to extend to 5 years. Final value may be less or more as each Fellow’s salary and on-costs will vary according to the university and at what level the Fellow is employed. Included in this amount is access to the Westpac Professional Development Fund and research costs.

Download Funding Guidelines.

A) Eligibility

• You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident;
• You must have been awarded a PhD between 1 September 2017 and 1 September 2020; or have obtained an Eligibility Exemption Request (EER) from the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) or equivalent;
  • carer’s responsibility;
  • illness;
  • maternity or parental leave and/or
  • non-research employment not concurrent with research employment.

• If relevant, EER requests must be entered and submitted within the EOI form for University longlisting, as well as within the full application if your EOI is successful.
• Your proposed area of research must be in a field of research at a participating university with an Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) four digit Field of Research (FOR) rating “well above world standard”. For a comprehensive list of FOR codes by university, visit the UoM Research Gateway page.
• You must commence your research by 30 June 2024.
• Your proposed research must contribute to the future of Australia in one of the Foundation’s four focus areas.
• Your proposed research must include international opportunities which will develop your leadership skills and global networks, such as; study tours for the purpose of research, attending a short course or conference, an internship or volunteering.
• You are able to supply two letters of reference - Personal & Academic.
• Should your application progress to the final stage, you must be able to attend one of the National Assessment Centre to be held in Sydney on 5-6 December 2023.
• You have read the ARC’s definition of Medical and Dental research and your proposal lies outside of this definition.

B) Salary Funding

Funded by: Westpac Scholars Trust.

Amount: $110,000 per year, for three years.

The Westpac Research Fellowship may not fund salaries of Fellows who are the recipients of another salary-funding Award (e.g. DECRA) at the same time. If you are currently on another salary-funding Award / Fellowship, or are the recipient of a salary-funding Award at the time the Westpac Research Fellowship (WRF) is awarded, you may request:

• a reallocation of the Westpac-funded amount ($330,000 or part thereof) to another needed resource related to your research e.g. research costs; and/or
• an extension of up to an additional two years to utilise the Westpac Research Fellowship salary funding.

These requests must be approved by the Westpac Scholars Trust and your host university and will be assessed on a case by case basis.

C) Salary Top-Up

Chancellery (Research) has approved the salary top up required will be covered under the conditions of the Fellowship funding policy (internal login required).

D) Westpac Professional Development Fund

Funded by: Chancellery (Research).

Amount: $30,000 over the length of the Fellowship.

E) Research Budget

Funded by: The University of Melbourne (Cash contribution 2:1 basis - Department/School/Faculty: Chancellery. Please note Chancellery (Research) contribution is capped at $35,000 and is conditional on the Fellowship being awarded) *MDHS applicants please note, co-funding must be requested on a 1:1:1 basis, (Faculty, Department/School, DVCR).

Westpac: A fully costed budget for the research project is required in the application. The Research Budget must exclude those costs funded by the Fellowship i.e. salary, on costs and Westpac Professional Development Fund.

UoM: When you submit your full application to RIC for review, you are also required to submit a fully costed Research Costing and Pricing Tool budget form. This form is for internal approval purposes and does not need to be submitted to Westpac via the Westpac Portal.

Note the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) or equivalent will be required to confirm support for the proposed research budget in their Letter of Support.

Amount: Max $105,000 over three years.

How to apply

1. Submit completed Expression of Interest (EOI) form

   Due  2pm Friday 21 July. Click here to access the EOI form via Smarty Grants.

   NOTE: If applicable, eligibility exemption requests (EER) can be entered in section B2 of the EOI form.

2. Notification of EOI  outcome

   Each applicant will be notified whether they can proceed to full application stage by 2 August 2023.

3. Final Applications due to RIC

   Please send a pdf copy of the complete application to ric-philanthropicgrants@unimelb.edu.au by 9am, 28 August 2023.

   Once RIC/DVCR approves your application, RIC will secure the Letter of Support for you.

   You must create a Themis submission and include a completed RCPT budget form.

4. Applications due to Westpac

   Applications must be submitted by the applicant to Westpac via the Westpac Application Portal by 5:00pm Monday 4 September 2023.

5. Invitation to online assessment

   Eligible applicants will be invited to complete an online assessment between 13-20 September 2023.

6. UoM Pitch Clinic

   Wednesday 27 September 2023 10-12pm AEST applicants will be invited to a Pitch Clinic to help prepare and structure your project pitch to the UoM Central Selection Committee.

7. UoM Central Selection Committee Presentation

   Longlisted applicants to present to UoM committee between 10 October 2023, 1-4pm.

8. Shortlisted applicants notified

   The two shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend the Assessment Centre in Sydney will be notified on 18 October 2023.

9. UoM pitch rehearsal and feedback workshop

   A rehearsal and feedback workshop will take place Wednesday 8 November 2023, 2:30-4:30pm.

10. Interview at the National Assessment Centre, Sydney

    Shortlisted applicants will be required to attend an interview/pitch meeting in Sydney between 5-6 December 2023. Travel and accommodation will be covered by Westpac Scholars Trust.

11. Notification of fellowship outcomes

    Successful and unsuccessful fellows will be notified  on 13 December 2023.

Supporting documents

Documents and Resources

• Westpac Research Fellowship 2024 Guidelines
• 2023 Westpac webinar (hosted by Chancellery and RIC)
• Reference letter (see Westpac webpage under "Supporting Document Templates")
• HoD certification
• EOI form
• Tips for your pitch

Contacts