Roberta Sykes Fellowship

The Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation provides partial funding for Indigenous postgraduate students to undertake research, at a leading overseas academic institution, as part of their Australian postgraduate study program. The period of study at the overseas institution can vary from a few months to a year.

The value of the Scholarship is up to AU$20,000, depending on the period of study. 

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and be accepted as such by the community in which they live or have lived
• Be currently enrolled in a postgraduate program at a recognised Australian academic institution
• Be accepted into a recognised overseas academic institution to carry out postgraduate research as part of their postgraduate program in Australia
• Be able to demonstrate that they have, or will have, sufficient funds to support themselves during the course of their postgraduate degree (such as through another scholarship, private sponsorship or personal funds)
• Be able to demonstrate that their studies will be of benefit to their community upon their return to Australia.

When to apply:

Applications for the Roberta Sykes Fellowships are reviewed, and candidates interviewed, at each board meeting of the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation.

The deadlines to submit applications in 2018 are as follows:

• 14 February 2018 
• 28 March 2018
• 6 June 2018
• 25 July 2018
• 28 November 2018

Your Fellowship application will only be reviewed by the Board if you have been accepted in to a recognised overseas academic institution to carry out postgraduate research as part of your postgraduate program in Australia. You should submit your application to the Foundation while you await the outcome of your university application, or contact the Trust if you require further information.