Deadline:
January 31, 2025
Location(s)
Australia Canada France Germany Japan United Kingdom United States of America Worldwide
Overview
The Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation provides supplementary financial assistance to Indigenous Postgraduate students who wish to undertake studies at any recognised overseas university. The scholarship is offered for one year, but recipients may reapply for a subsequent year of the same program of study. Roberta Sykes Scholarships are jointly funded by the Australian Government (National Indigenous Australians Agency), the British High Commission (Chevening), Cambridge Australia Scholarships Ltd, Cambridge Commonwealth Trust, and the University of Cambridge.
Details
The criteria for the Roberta Sykes Scholarships reflect the strong community and activist roots of the foundation Roberta set up. While we are looking for outstanding Indigenous scholars who will be role models for Indigenous communities, the Roberta Sykes Scholarships calls for more. Our mission is to support scholars who will return from their overseas studies with a commitment to 'give back' to their community. We have no fixed ideas on how you should go about 'giving back', what courses are going to better advance the interests of Indigenous communities, or whether this is better done in public or private sector on your return. We are open to imaginative, novel and ambitious ideas. We have supported students to study in education, environmental, law, arts, history, health, architecture and scientific courses.
You will need to provide supporting evidence for you identification as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. You will also need to show us a material level of contribution to community to date. You may be proposing to use your overseas study to bolster the way you currently contribute, or you may be planning to strike out in new directions. Whichever is the case, what you have contributed to date will help us assess the strength and viability of your plans to contribute to community on your return.
When to apply:
Applications for the Roberta Sykes Scholarships are reviewed, and eligible candidates interviewed, at each board meeting of the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation.
Applicants need to apply directly to the overseas academic institution first, and then to the Trust for a Scholarship. Your Scholarship application will only be reviewed by the Board if you are accepted into your chosen course; however you should submit your application to the Foundation while you await the outcome of your university application.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and be accepted as such by the community in which they live or have lived;
- Hold an Undergraduate degree with strong performance;
- Be accepted into a Postgraduate coursework or research degree at an overseas university;
- Be able to demonstrate that they have or will have sufficient funds to support themselves during the course of their Postgraduate study, 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.
Dates
Deadline: January 31, 2025
Cost/funding for participants
The value of the Scholarship is up to $30,000 per year, paid directly to the recipient in equal instalments at the start of each semester or term, subject to satisfactory academic progress. Applicants may be awarded funding for a number of years or may need to reapply for the Scholarship in subsequent years.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
