What could you do with University of Melbourne research mentoring, funding and facilities?
Apply now for the Melbourne Social Equity Institute’s 2025 Community Fellows Program.
What’s involved?
Melbourne Social Equity Institute's Community Fellows Program is the only program of its kind in Australia. It was developed in recognition that community organisations possess deep and extensive practice knowledge, but often lack the capacity, time and resources to test, codify and share this knowledge.
Community Fellows conduct their own research projects and spend time at the University of Melbourne to develop their research skills. Each Community Fellow is assigned an Academic Mentor with relevant expertise to support their project. During their placement, Fellows also participate in a range of academic and professional development activities.
Projects could involve:
- A scoping report
- Literature review
- Data analysis
- A small research project.
As a Community Fellow, you will be assigned an academic mentor with relevant expertise. You will spend time at the University of Melbourne to develop your research skills. You’ll also have the opportunity to take part in a range of academic and professional development activities.
Over the 12-18 month fellowship, Fellows are also provided with:
- A grant of $A7000
- A small research budget
- A temporary University email address
- Support to conduct and write up your research
- Access to library and internet facilities.
Spotlight: Rebecca Harris, Co-ordinator of Student and Family Wellbeing at Carlton Primary
It’s likely that every classroom in the world has at least one student with an experience of trauma. For educator Rebecca Harris, that makes it essential that schools are paying close attention to their students’ wellbeing.
Rebecca used her Community Fellowship to develop a new resource to support trauma informed practice in education.
Who can apply?
The Community Fellows Program welcomes applications from people who work for small to medium-sized organisations that have limited capacity to conduct research.
Fellows do not need to have prior research experience, although some Community Fellows may have worked on other research projects or have some research-related qualifications.
Fellowships can align with any aspect of social equity research.
A total of twelve Community Fellowships are expected to be offered, to commence in February 2025.
Of these twelve:
- Two fellowships are funded and supported by the Melbourne Disability Institute. Projects should have a disability lens and seek to understand the matters important to people with disability and the solutions that are needed. People with disability and those from disability representative organisations are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Four fellowships are identified for people working in community organisations based in the Goulburn Valley.
Information session
An online information session about the Community Fellows Program was held on Thursday 19 September.
In this session, the Melbourne Social Equity Institute team provided an overview of the work of the Institute, information about the Fellowship structure and some tips for completing the application form.
Find out more
If you have any questions about the Community Fellows Program or the application process, contact Charlene Edwards at community-fellows@unimelb.edu.au or visit Community Fellows Program.
Banner image: Community Fellows Program: Applications now open. Image by Vonecia Carswell/Unsplash.
First published on 3 October 2024.
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