Scholarships Sites

Peter Cullen Postgraduate Scholarship

The NSW Government has developed a postgraduate scholarship in honour of the late Professor Peter Cullen AO FTSE. Professor Cullen contributed significantly to water policy and water management in Australia and NSW.

Applications for 2012 are now open and should be submitted by Friday 25 November.

The Peter Cullen Postgraduate Scholarship is an appropriate way to remember Professor Cullen and will support some of the brightest up and coming scientists to undertake water research in New South Wales.

The program is jointly funded by various NSW Government water agencies, including the NSW Office of Water, Sydney Catchment Authority, State Water, Hunter Water Corporation and Sydney Water Corporation. The aim of the scholarship is to:

improve our understanding of how rivers, groundwater, wetlands and estuaries function and respond to enhanced management
improve the linkages between aquatic science and water management in NSW
provide research opportunities in NSW for water specialists.

Funds available

A three year scholarship of up to $20,000 per annum will be awarded each year. Funds totalling $60,000 will be available to the successful student over a three year period. The scholarship may form part of a stipend and/or directly support student research. The scholarship can be used to pay for such things as equipment, field expenses and sample processing. These conditions will be further defined in the scholarship agreement between the NSW Government and the University/Research Organisation.
Selection criteria
Student

There are a number of criteria upon which students will be assessed. They must show they:

are a first or second year PhD research student that will be enrolled at an Australian university in the first semester of 2012
are an Australian citizen or have permanent residency
can demonstrate expertise in one of the following disciplines: bio-physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, information sciences, spatial analysis and modelling. Students with expertise in law, resource management, social sciences, and resource economics are also eligible
can demonstrate academic excellence in their chosen field (a copy of their full academic transcript must be supplied)
can provide written proof of their supervisor’s support, indicating how a scholar may benefit from participation in the Peter Cullen Scholarship.

The proposed project

The student’s proposed project will be assessed on how well they:

demonstrate how the project will lead to an improvement in our understanding of how rivers, groundwater, wetlands or estuaries function
demonstrate the relevance of the research to water management in New South Wales
demonstrate how the project improves the linkages between water science and water management in New South Wales
demonstrate how the project is innovative, and
demonstrate the project methods.

Note: The scholarship seeks projects on a wide range of water topics, not just those that relate to water sharing and environmental flows.

The following additional conditions apply:

supervisor endorsement will be necessary
employer endorsement will be required
preference will be given to full-time students
the top up of existing scholarships may be considered.

Assessment of applications

A selection panel will be convened by the NSW Office of Water with industry partners. The selection panel will undertake an initial assessment of applications and generate a short list of eligible applicants.

The short-listed applicants will be required to attend an interview and/or make a formal presentation of the proposed research to the selection panel. The selection panel will make a recommendation to the Minister.
Reporting

The successful applicants will be required to submit an annual progress report to remain eligible for the scholarship. The progress report will include:

a financial report on expenditure
a list of project activity
a report of project outcomes.

All communication for the project will be required to acknowledge the scholarship.

Additionally, the successful applicant will be required to give an annual presentation to the funding bodies and NSW Government Scientists.
Application forms and documents should be sent:
By post     Peter Cullen Scholarships
c/- Human Resources, NSW Office of Water
PO Box 3720, Parramatta NSW 2124
By email     information@water.nsw.gov.au
Enquiries

Simon Williams – Scholarship Convenor, NSW Office of Water
Telephone (02) 4224 9728 or 0413 601 500
Email simon.williams@water.nsw.gov.au

Related posts:

1. Dr Barbara Wright Postgraduate Scholarship for Australian Citizen at Australian Federation of Graduate Women New South Wales Australia
2. Postgraduate Scholarship for New Zealand and Australian Citizens
3. The Temple Travelling Scholarship for Australian Citizens at The University of Sydney Australia
4. Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) at The University of Sydney for Australian and New Zealand Students
5. Australian Council of Agricultural Societies for Australian Citizens at Australian National University