Apply for Australia Awards Fellowship (Round 19)

Deadline: 7-Nov-23

Applications are now open for the Australia Awards Fellowships to build networks of influence and leadership by strengthening partnerships between Australian organisations and partner organisations in the region.

Fellowships target senior and mid-career officials and professionals who are in a position to advance development outcomes in priority areas and increase the institutional capacity of partner countries through their leadership.

Australia Awards Fellowships offer eligible Australian Host Organisations, from all sectors including but not limited to the private enterprise, not-for-profit organisations, the tertiary sector, research institutions, etc, the opportunity to deepen and broaden their links with leaders and professionals in developing countries by hosting Fellows from overseas partner organisations.

Australian organisations identify their relevant development expertise and submit a Fellowship proposal with an overall aim of:

• strengthening partnerships and links between Australian organisations and partner organisations in developing countries, in support of Australia’s strategic development objectives; and
• increasing the capability and professional development of selected Fellows to advance priority development issues bilaterally, sub-regionally and/or regionally.

The program is designed to complement Australia’s individual bilateral and regional development programs and long-term scholarships by offering future leaders and mid-career professionals who will be in a position to advance priority development and foreign affairs issues on their return home. Fellowship activities aim to provide high-quality training, exchange of expertise, skills and knowledge, and opportunities to enhance networks on issues of shared interest. Activities can include a combination of short-term study and/or training, research, professional attachments and networking experiences.

Priority Areas

• Fellowship proposals for Round 19 must align with one (only) of the following six priority areas:
  • Climate change, adaptation, resilience and green energy transition: Fellowships covering climate change adaptation and resilience, climate science, energy transition and nature-based solutions including (but not limited to); blue carbon and carbon-market, climate resilient and regenerative agriculture, climate smart water, sustainable ocean economy and sustainable mining, as well as transition to low emissions intensive economies, building clean energy supply chains and hydrogen economy safety training.
  • Health: Fellowships covering health in the areas of communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, including mental health; sexual and reproductive health and rights; health system strengthening, including building workforce capacity; health security including pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and One Health approaches.
  • Gender equality, disability equity and social inclusion: Fellowships targeting gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment, and/ or disability equity. These could include proposals for Fellowships in legal and regulatory reform (that eliminates discrimination and advances de jure equality), disability inclusive policy and budgeting; responding to and eliminating sexual and genderbased violence; gender-responsive and/disability inclusive social protection; economic empowerment of women and/or people with disabilities, including access to finance and gender-responsive business enabling environments; leadership of women and/or people with disabilities; equitable access to quality essential services and investing in systems strengthening (education, training, health); equitable access to infrastructure or the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
  • Digital Economy (including cyber, critical technology and media engagement): Fellowships with a focus on the digital economy and future architecture and environment needed to deliver prosperity, protection and long-term capability. This could include future-proofing critical assets, technologies and industries and technological obsolescence. Fellowships with a focus on the media and journalism sector are also welcome, including for example digital transition, web-based platforms, social media, media viability in the digital era, and related areas.
  • Maritime and the Blue Economy: Fellowships with a focus on maritime cooperation and development – leading to longer term prosperity, protection of environment and maritime cooperation, including in areas such as, environmental management and reduction of plastic pollutants. Applications could also focus on outcomes for future development of the blue economy including in areas such as maritime policy, resource management, maritime law and protection, meteorological surveying, as well logistics, cold supply chain and transition to sustainable green energy maritime supply chain networks.
  • Infrastructure and connectivity: Fellowships that provide Indo-Pacific countries with skills and relationships that support development and management of quality, resilient and sustainable infrastructure and connectivity. This could include telecommunications, clean energy, disaster resilience, logistics, public private partnerships (PPPs), procurement, infrastructure pricing and cost estimation, project planning and management, infrastructure standards, aviation, telecommunications, energy, ports, broadcasting and transport.

Funding Information

• Successful applicants will receive funding up to a maximum of $517,500 per Fellowship proposal.
• Each application is limited to 15 DFAT funded Fellows.
• Funding can be implemented over two financial years (2023/24 and 2024/25) except where funding is delivered in Tranches.
• Fellowship Award
  • Australian organisations can request funding of up to AUD $34,500 per Fellow, to a maximum of 15 Fellows to cover:
    • return air travel and relevant in-Australia travel
    • training costs
    • accommodation and living expenses
    • medical insurance costs when in Australia (for Fellowship holder only)
    • special assistance for people with disability
    • program overhead fee.

Fellowship Duration

• Applicants may include a variety of modes of delivery that are available in Australia, in Australian off-shore campuses or locations, at Overseas Counterpart Organisations and through distance or online learning.
• Fellowships must be between a minimum two weeks and maximum 52 weeks duration with a minimum of two weeks of the activities taking place in Australia. Travel time to and from Australia cannot be included in the calculation of the two-week minimum.
• successful applicants must implement the Fellowship within 12-months of receiving funding.
• where the Australian Organisation is requesting DFAT funding for follow-up activities in the partner country(ies), the activities must begin within three months and conclude within six months of completing the Fellowship activities in Australia.

Fellowship Activities

• Fellowship activities may include an appropriate combination of the following types of activities to achieve the Fellowship’s objectives:
  • short-term study and/or training;
  • professional development;
  • networking and work experience activities.
• Examples include: management and leadership training, peer-to-peer learning, policy dialogue, work attachments, specialised research, seminars and site visits, conference participation, a study tour, program meetings and visits or a combination of these.

Eligible Countries

• Australian organisations may nominate Fellows who are citizens of the following countries:
  • Pacific: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna.
  • Southeast Asia: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam
  • South Asia and Middle East: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iraq, Jordan, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories and Sri Lanka
  • Africa: Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
  • Europe: Ukraine
• Australian organisations are required to align their application with eligible countries as noted above
• Note: Brunei Darussalam, New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Singapore are not eligible for development assistance. Applications for these locations will not be considered in Round 19.

Eligibility Criteria

• Australian Organisations in partnership with Overseas Counterpart Organisations in eligible developing countries are invited to apply for an Australia Awards Fellowship.
• Australian Organisations must be legal entities with a current Australian Business Number (ABN). Examples include:
  • Australian organisations, institutions and businesses — e.g. research centres, higher education providers, vocational education and training providers, peak bodies, Australian chambers of commerce, community groups, private sector, non-government organisations, media, professional associations and industry bodies.
  • Australian Government departments — (Federal, State/Territory and local), government agencies, statutory authorities, and Government Business Enterprises.
• Australia Awards Fellowships target senior officials and mid-career professionals, who, in the short to medium term, will be in a position to advance priority development and foreign affairs issues on their return home. To be eligible, all Fellows nominated by Australian organisations must:
  • be a minimum of 18 years of age at the time of commencing the Fellowship;
  • not have Australian permanent resident status or be applying for permanent residency;
  • be a citizen of and residing in an eligible developing country. The Fellow’s country of citizenship and residency may differ;
  • not be current serving military personnel;
  • not be married or engaged to, or be a de facto of a person who holds, or is eligible to hold, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency;
  • have been working in their country of citizenship or residency and in an area relevant to the Fellowship activities preceding the date of the proposed commencement of their Fellowship;
  • be able to satisfy all requirements determined by the Department of Home Affairs for a visa;
  • be able to participate in the nominated Fellowship activities at the time and for the duration proposed by the Australian organisation;
  • be able to travel without family members as DFAT will only fund and provide visa support letters for individual Fellows, not their family members;
  • have an adequate level of English language ability to be able to fully participate in the program, including an ability to complete the Fellow’s Completion Survey at the conclusion of their Fellowship;
    • Note: Australia Host Organisations (AHOs) are responsible for ensuring Fellows have an adequate level of English language ability or must implement appropriate measures to enable Fellows to fully participate in and benefit from the Fellowship activities (e.g. translation services).
    • DFAT does not recommend using translation services for multilateral Fellowships where use of translation services may compromise learning outcomes or where English language capabilities differ substantially amongst Fellows.
  • If successful in their application AHOs should consult with the relevant DFAT post in their selection of candidates for Fellowships (in some instances there may be candidates who Posts may be able to identify as high calibre potential Fellows).

For more information, visit Australian Government.