Sydney, Wednesday 20 March 2024
Today, grassroots social enterprise Franklin Women announces the Round 1 recipients of the 2024 Franklin Women Carer’s Scholarship, delivered in partnership with the Sydney Local Health District. Now in its ninth year, this innovative initiative aims to retain and support talented women working in Australia’s health and medical research ecosystem by alleviating financial and logistical barriers associated with primary caregiving duties.
The 2024 Round 1 recipients span diverse health research areas, including mental health dietetics, smart home technology, retinal diseases, diabetes and chromatin biology. The funds associated with this scholarship will allow recipients to tap into diverse professional opportunities from attending conferences and commercialisation training workshops, to additional time to write up their PhD studies and research grants.
For Rachel Hicks, a PhD candidate examining consumer perspectives of diabetes and pregnancy, and the primary carer for her two young children, winning the award means being able to pay for additional days of childcare so she can publish her research papers.
Another recipient, Nida Afzal, a PhD candidate focusing on enhancing the utilisation of smart home tech for elderly independence, is using the funds to fly her mother-in-law to Australia from Pakistan to care for Mrs Afzal’s four young children while she presents at a conference in the USA.
“The Carer’s Scholarship is a perfect fit for me. Juggling caregiving and research can be a challenge, but it’s a challenge I love! This scholarship allows me to contribute even more effectively to my research on smart technology solutions that can support elderly Australians in maintaining their independence.” Mrs Afzal said.
The five recipients of the 2024 Round 1 Franklin Women Carer’s Scholarship are:
- Dr. Yvette Wooff, Australian National University
- Melissa Eaton, University of Wollongong
- Nida Afzal, Macquarie University
- Rachel Hicks, Western Sydney University
- Dr. Kate Giles, Children’s Medical Research Institute
Following a surge in applications in 2023, Franklin Women transitioned to a two-round model in 2024, providing increased opportunities for women in the sector to engage in career-critical activities. A prime example of collective impact, the scholarship is made possible by funds raised directly through Franklin Women memberships as well as with generous top-up funding from the Sydney Local Health District. Franklin Women has committed to allocating 10% of each individual membership fee to the scholarship fund from 2024 onwards, ensuring its sustained growth.
Reflecting on the initiative’s evolution, Franklin Women Founder, Dr. Melina Georgousakis, emphasised,
“Increasing the allocation of membership fees to the scholarship fund is a no brainer for us. Everything Franklin Women does is about our community supporting and investing in each other. It is so important that we recognise that those working in our sector often hold unpaid caring roles which impact their ability to engage in professional development opportunities.“
Applications for Round 2 are now open, providing opportunities for activities between June 1 and December 31, 2024.
Franklin Women encourages anyone working in the health and medical research ecosystem, regardless of their career stage or gender identity, who are also primary caregivers to apply.
For further information, including eligibility criteria and key dates, please visit https://franklinwomen.com.au/scholarship/
Franklin Women
Franklin Women is Australia’s only professional community dedicated to supporting the careers of women working across the health and medical research ecosystem.
Learn more and become a member
Sydney Local Health District
Sydney Local District is responsible for the health and wellbeing of more than 740,000 people living, working or studying in the centre and inner west of Sydney, as well as many more from rural and remote parts of NSW and Australia.