2008 UNESCO L'Oreal Co-Sponsored Fellowships

L’Oréal Australia For Women in Science Fellowships with the support of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO

Criteria for eligibility

• Application is open to post-doctoral researchers who completed their PhD within the last five years (NB: excluding maternity leave).
• Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents.
• Applicants must be associated with an Australian-based academic or research institution, and must be intending to continue their research in Australia for the next 12 months.
• Applicants must be women involved in the life sciences, material sciences, physical sciences, mathematics or engineering.
• Applications will be considered only if they are complete and arrive within the deadline time.
• Applications open on 19 May 2008 and close on 20 June 2008. NB. Do not confuse the deadline for the L’Oréal Australia For Women in Science Fellowship with that of the UNESCO-L’ORÉAL Fellowship program, which is part of the international program.

Criteria for review

An inter-disciplinary jury of scientists will review all applications.

The 2008 jury comprises:

• Kurt Lambeck, Professor of Geophysics, ANU and President of the Australian Academy of Science; § Jennifer Ann Marshall Graves, Professor and Head of the Comparative Genomics Research Group, ANU and 2006 L'Oréal International Laureate;
• Cathy Foley, CSIRO Industrial Physics and President of the Australian Institute of Physics;
• Suzanne Cory, Director, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and 2001 L’Oréal International Laureate;
• Vijoleta Braach-Maksvytis, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Innovation and Development) at the University of Melbourne and member of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO;
• Julie Campbell, Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland;
• Georgia Chenevix-Trench, Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research.

The jury will review all applications and select three Fellows based on:

intellectual merit/academic records/accepted requisites for scholarly scientific study including: 

• ability to plan and conduct research
• ability to work as a team member or independently
• ability to interpret and communicate research findings

scientific excellence and appropriateness of proposed research or a clearly articulated plan of study

reference letters

The award

Three AU$20,000 Fellowships will be awarded. 

Candidates will be permitted to attain matching grants or supplemental fellowship grants if they do not prohibit or pose a conflict in acceptance of the L’Oréal Australia For Women in Science Fellowship.

The Australian Fellowships may not be deferred nor renewed.

Awardees will receive the funds in two-part payments: the first at the award ceremony and the final payment six months later.

L’Oréal Australia reserves the right not to award one or more of the For Women in Science Fellowships.

The Fellowships are intended to help finance the scientific research of the Fellows. The Fellowship funds can, for example, be used for equipment and reagents/consumables, and for travel expenses including the cost of attending conferences. The funds may also be used for child care but not for any other personal costs.

Successful Fellows will be advised in writing of their successful submission. They will be invited to Melbourne prior to the Award Ceremony to undergo a media training session. This is not compulsory but is highly recommended.

The Fellowships will be announced in late August 2008. The three Fellows will be expected to attend an Award Ceremony to be held in Melbourne during the week of 25 August 2008. Jury members and representatives from the Australian National Commission for UNESCO and the Australia Academy of Science will be invited to the ceremony, together with relevant government officials, academic or research institutions, science and general media, and the Fellows’ family and friends. L’Oréal Australia will cover the cost of travel to Melbourne and accommodation (if required) for the successful Fellows.

The first payment, equal to half of the Fellowship funding, will be made at the ceremony. Six months after receiving their Fellowships, recipients are expected to submit a status report on their research projects, including the value of the Fellowship and a reconciliation of funds spent. This report will be forwarded to L’Oréal and the jury members for review. The second payment will follow receipt of this report.

At the conclusion of the Fellowship in August 2009 a final report should be submitted including a summary of the Felllow’s achievements during the Fellowship year, the value of the Fellowship and a reconciliation of funds spent. The report should be submitted to L’Oréal within one month of the completion of the Fellowship and will be forwarded to jury members for review.

During the Fellowship period, Fellows will be expected to act as advocates for women in science in Australia. They may be asked to attend events in Australia on behalf of L’Oréal, and where possible be available for interviews and similar opportunities.