Advancing Women’s Success Grant

Applications for the 2024 Advancing Women's Success Grant will open around October 2023. Information will be available soon.

The information on this page and below documents relate to the 2023 round. Materials for 2024 will be uploaded in early October.

Application Guidelines (PDF)
Application Form (.doc)
Online lodgement form (only available when grant applications are open)

About the Advancing Women's Success Grant

The Advancing Women's Success Grant supports the career progression of early to mid-career high potential academic women with carer responsibilities and assists the university in fostering talent and progressing gender equity in senior roles within the academy.

By providing funding at a critical time in the careers of academic women, this initiative aims to reduce the impact of career breaks and/or caring responsibilities on academic success. Grant awardees receive funds to support a range of academic activities so that they can maintain or enhance the momentum of their productivity and strengthen their academic profile.

The grant also offers optional professional career coaching to assist awardees with their long-term career planning.

Additional support

As a proud and active supporter of Women in STEMM, Monash Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME) is also now pleased to contribute additional awards to the AWSG program for women, from their four faculty partners who are involved in MedTech research and innovation (further information can be found within the AWSG online application form).

Applicants from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences may also opt in to be considered for a faculty sponsored grant (further information can be found within the AWSG online application form).

Grant amount

The maximum amount awarded to each recipient of the Advancing Women’s Success Grant is $11,000.

Grant awardees will also have the opportunity to participate in a professional career coaching service, valued at approximately $2500 (optional component).

Grant use

The Advancing Women's Success Grant aims to promote academic excellence and has been designed to offer a degree of flexibility in terms of its use. Applicants can request for funding for:

research assistance;
extraordinary carer support;
academic collaboration;
teaching relief or relief from other duties;
travel for educational development and research purposes (e.g. field trips, visits to archival sources) where other funding sources are unavailable;
professional development / training / upskilling;
other direct costs where other sources of funding are not available.

Please ensure you read the Guidelines for information on the above.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants must be current Monash University academic staff members and be:

current Monash University academic staff member in a Teaching and Research, Education-focused or Research only position who is employed at Level B or Level C as at 31 January 2023 at one of the Australian locations of Monash University;
full-time or part-time (minimum appointment at 0.4 fraction) in an ongoing appointment or a fixed-term employment contract which expires no earlier than 31 December 2023 (please note: staff whose contracts are set to expire prior to 31 December 2023 can apply if they attach a confirmation from their supervisor or head of unit that there is an intention to renew their fixed-term contract); and
a woman who is, or expects to be a carer in 2023.

For further information on eligibility please consult the grant guidelines (available while grant applications are open).

Please contact AWS-grant@monash.edu to seek clarification if needed.

How to apply

Applicants must:

complete the Advancing Women’s Success Grant 2023 application form (available during the grant open period);
prepare attachments (outlined in the Guidelines); and
complete a simple online lodgement process. Link to the online lodgement form is available on the Advancing Women’s Success Grant website during the period when applications are open.

The application form will ask applicants to:

provide details of their employment at Monash University;
provide a succinct summary of their academic career, and achievements;
explain how they intend to use the Advancing Women’s Success Grant and how this will support their academic success, enhance their productivity, strengthen their academic profile, including expected outcomes for the University;
provide a brief budget outline, which demonstrates that the proposed items/activities are carefully planned and ultimately feasible;
provide details of family/carer responsibilities and any career interruptions or disruptions they have had due to these responsibilities, including details of any periods of parental leave, COVID-related impacts (childcare / school closures / lab closures) or reduced work fractions;
include their supervisor’s details (and confirm their supervisor has been advised of their application).

Attachments will include:

CV up to 2 pages;
academic outputs and awards (Pure); and
list of nominated outputs.

Please see the Guidelines for specific information.

It is highly recommended that prior to submitting, applicants seek feedback on their application from the relevant Head of School/Department/Unit and/or other colleagues.

Selection criteria

Applications will be assessed against the key selection criteria:

Evidence of high potential and academic achievements relative to opportunity;
The likelihood that the grant would enable the applicant to maintain or improve their academic standing / productivity and thus address the impact of career interruptions/carer responsibilities;
Feasibility of the proposed budget and that no other source of funding is available; and
Strong potential for career progression.

Selection process

All eligible applications will be assessed by the Selection Committee.

The Committee may, on a confidential basis, consult with the relevant Dean, Associate Dean or Head of Department regarding individual applications.

More information

For more information, please contact Anthea Hall, Senior Advisor, Staff Equity, Diversity & Inclusion:

at Advancing Women's Success Grant AWS-grant@monash.edu or (03) 990 29915.