Elevate Boosting Women in STEM Program – Australia

Elevate addresses gender inequities in STEM through fostering industry-academia collaborations in research and business, growing professional skills in STEM and propelling scholars into leadership.

• The Elevate program provides:
  • A scholarship
  • Access to events and networking
  • Mentoring
  • Wellbeing support during scholars’ university studies

Objectives

• The strategic objectives of Elevate are to:
  • Encourage women and non-binary people to pursue education and careers in STEM.
  • Foster industry-academia collaborations in applied research and business.
  • Extend qualifications and professional skills in STEM and business.
  • Propel women and non-binary people into leadership.
  • Award up to 500 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships to women and non-binary people in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) over six (6) years.
• International students are not eligible to apply for the Elevate program.

Categories

• Undergraduate Scholarship: To receive an Undergraduate Scholarship applicants must have an intention to study an undergraduate STEM degree at an Australian university. STEM degrees include any degree focusing on science, technology, engineering or mathematics, administered by a STEM School or Faculty, e.g. Faculty of Engineering.
• Postgraduate Research Scholarship: Postgraduate Research Scholarships are for applicants commencing either a Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Philosophy, or Master by Research. If applying for a Postgraduate Research Scholarship, prospective applicants must have identified, or plan to identify, a research project in an applied domain in a research team at an Australian university.
• Leadership Scholarship: They encourage women and non-binary people who are more than 5 years’ post-graduation, either in STEM, or outside the STEM sector, to apply for a Leadership scholarship. If applying for a Leadership Scholarship, prospective applicants must plan to undertake postgraduate coursework studies related to start-ups or mature business or areas of high job growth that address nationally important industry STEM skills gaps. Alternatively, an individual may be eligible if they intend to commence a higher degree to improve business acumen e.g. Master of Business Administration, having previously obtained a STEM qualification.

Funding Information 

• Scholars will receive a $5,000.00 payment in advance of the commencement of their first semester of study, after all required documentation and proof of enrolment has been received by ATSE. This payment is designed to help with relocation and initial study costs.
• Undergraduate Scholar: Maximum total amount paid $30,000, Upfront payment $5,000, Quarterly payments (full time rate) $2,083.33, Maximum length of scholarship 3 years or minimum length of degree at full time rate.
• Postgraduate Research Scholarship: Maximum total amount paid $130,224.50, Upfront payment $5,000, Quarterly payments (full time rate) $8,944.61, Maximum length of scholarship 3.5 years or minimum length of degree at full time rate.
• Leadership Scholar: Maximum total amount paid $70,000, Upfront payment $5,000 Quarterly payments (full time rate) $8,125.00, Maximum length of Scholarship 2 years or minimum length of degree at full time rate.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be considered for an Elevate program scholarship applicants must meet these three eligibility criteria:
  • Identify as a woman or non-binary person.
    • All applicants must identify as a woman, non-binary person or may refer to themselves using a different term that does not identify them exclusively as a man or woman.
    • The purpose of this grant, provided by DISR, is to support individuals who identify as a woman or non-binary person in STEM. It is required that all applicants identify either as a woman or as non-binary to be eligible for the Elevate Program.
    • While the term non-binary is regularly used to include all people who do not identify as a man or woman, ATSE acknowledges that this term may not describe your own gender identity, and therefore, you are welcome to nominate a different term.
  • Be enrolling as a domestic student at an Australian university.
    • Applicants must be planning to study at any Australian university.
    • Generally, domestic students are either an Australian Citizen, a New Zealand. Citizen, or a person entitled to enter and stay in Australia without any limitation of time (such as Australian permanent residents, or Australian permanent humanitarian visa holders).
    • To be eligible for the Elevate Program, all students must be able to enroll as a Domestic Student at their university.
    • Please check the requirements of the university you are applying for to determine if you are legible to enroll as a domestic student.
  • Be planning to undertake a STEM degree or a higher degree to improve business acumen (Leadership category only), commencing in 2025.
    • Applicants must be commencing a new degree in 2025
    • Applicants must be planning to either:
      • Commence a STEM undergraduate Bachelor degree.
      • Commence a postgraduate research degree (Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Philosophy, Master by Research).
      • Commence a higher degree to improve business acumen, having previously obtained a STEM qualification.
      • Commence a Master’s degree by coursework in a STEM-related disciple of nationally important industry skills gap.

For more information, visit ATSE.