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Best postgraduate scholarships for women in 2018

James Davis

Careers Commentator
We’ve taken the liberty of researching some of the top funding opportunities for women across Australia. Read on to find the right one for you.

Women have never been more empowered in Australia than today. According to the ABS, women are consistently more likely than men between the ages of 25 and 29 to gain a bachelor qualification. Many postgraduate scholarships are designed exclusively for women, making top-level education even more accessible.

These opportunities are more numerous than ever. Benefactors like the Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists and Australian Federation of Graduate Women work tirelessly to fund the postgraduate academic exploits of women, specialising in a number of different field and capacities. The former naturally favours its namesake, with thousands of scholarships being distributed to develop successful applicants' abilities in energy and engineering. Funding is generously provisioned to grow their leadership capabilities while working in these sectors.

On average, recipients can expect between $1,000 - $6,000 in funding. This considers all the various types of scholarships, such as smaller bursaries awarded to socio-economically disadvantaged students. Grants, on the other hand, are for one-time payments conferred to whoever wrote the best grant application regarding what they want to accomplish. To be successful in applying for grants, make sure to do the following:

  • Propose a SMART goal, not something you can’t define. This means it has to be
    • Specific: What exactly do you wish to accomplish?
    • Measurable: Can you define and determine what success looks like?
    • Assignable: Who’s going to do what?
    • Realistic: Can this actually be done?
    • Timeframe: Give yourself deadlines for each task required to complete the goal.
  • Reveal exactly how you intend to spend the funding. Build an accurate, realistic budget detailing travel, accommodation, equipment etc.
  • Argue for why your project would be useful and would make a meaningful contribution to the grant’s subject area.
  • Show that there is public demand for your project. Would it help whole communities of people?
  • Get some references from professors and faculty. Having respected members of your subject area vouch for you will work wonders for your application.

What can’t be understated is the experiential value of these opportunities. Although some won’t offer much in the way of money, they provide a great deal of networking and professional opportunities, which can be worth a great deal.

A grant, no matter how small, is a chance to get a meaningful project under your belt that you can point to on your resume. The chance to travel to a developing country shows you’re adventurous, have initiative and aren’t afraid to try new things. Try to see past the monetary value of these opportunities wherever possible and you can find some real gems.

With that said, here are some of the best scholarships available to women. If you find any are currently closed, that’s OK; they generally come back annually.

Scholarship

Discipline

Value

Requirements

Adore Beauty Women in Tech Scholarship
 

Computer Science

$2,000 +

Internship at Adore Beauty

250-word application answering the question, “what is your motivation to succeed?”

Toptal Scholarships for Women

Any

$10,000 pa

Write a 1,000-word blog post about your idea for changing the world. Must feature sections on your vision to change the world, how you'll accomplish your goals, what support you'll need and a reference to Toptal Scholarships.

Toni Dick Memorial Prize

Law & Justice

$550

Complete the Toni Dick Prize application form available here and send it to law.scholarships@qut.edu.au

Amelia Earhart Fellowship Program

Aerospace Engineering

$13,498.65

  • Must be registered to a full-time aerospace engineering PhD
  • Fill out the application here.

Kath Watson Scholarship for Women

Any

$2,000 pa

  • Must be an Australian citizen
  • Must be 25
  • Studying at Swinburne University
  • Be demonstrably socio-economically disadvantaged

Master of Business Administration (MBA) Scholarship for Women

Business Administration

50% off tuition fees

Katie Page Scholarship for High Achieving Women

Any

$7,500 pa

  • If an existing student, have a GPA of 5.0; if commencing, an ATAR of 80
  • Studying at Western Sydney University
  • Application detailing background and circumstances

UQ Women in Action Fund

  • Architecture & Building
  • Engineering & Technology

$2,000

  • Have been enrolled for one year making satisfactory academic progress
  • 350-word application detailing professional development
  • “Demonstrated initiative,” meaning extracurricular activities like being on sports teams or committees
  • Studying at the University of Queensland

Women in Leadership Scholarship

Business Administration

66% off tuition fees

  • Studying at the University of Sydney
  • Must have accepted an offer for the Executive Master of Business Administration
  • Must have applied for the scholarship in the ‘supplementary documents’ section when applying for the MBA here 

UNISYS Scholarship

Business Administration

$10,000

Demonstrable previous IT experience detailed in a written application

UN Women National Committee Australia Executive Scholarship

Business Administration

66% off tuition fees

  • Must be eligible for an executive MBA at the University of Sydney
  • Cannot be employed by the University of Sydney or UN Women National Committee Australia

Australian Federation of Graduate Women - New South Wales

Any

$1,000 - $8,000

Must be registered with the Australian Federation of Graduate Women.

 

If you want to see more scholarship opportunities for women, click here.