In alignment with the aims of Swinburne University of Technology and the Australian astronomical community, the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing (CAS) seeks to promote diversity in astronomy-related science.

The Visiting Fellow Program will give an opportunity to early- and mid-career female and gender-diverse researchers to visit CAS and interact with our researchers and graduate students.

Program benefits you can receive

Up to A$12,000 nominal funding

to cover travel, accommodation and family support for the duration of the visit

Mentoring relationships

with Swinburne astronomers who share common research interests

Opportunity to expand collaboration

with Swinburne postdoctoral fellows and graduate students

Expectations on the Visiting Fellow

  • You will be expected to stay at CAS for a minimum of four weeks. Longer stays are encouraged (subject to funding availability). You are welcome to use your own funds for this purpose.
  • You will be required to identify at least one current or intended collaborator from CAS academic staff members, engage with your research group regularly during the visit and give a colloquium on your research.
  • You will be required to deliver a presentation to and engage with CAS students. This is open to your interpretation and must be addressed in your application.
    • Your presentation may be research-based (e.g. your research topics and methods).
    • You may also include a discussion on career progression, for example, in relation to diversity and inclusion and work-life balance. Please contact us if you have any questions.
  • You will be required to arrange your visit dates, tickets and accommodation by the end of 2022. Your visit can take place in 2023. 
  • If you are visiting from overseas, you will be encouraged to visit other Australian astronomy departments on short trips (subject to funding availability) to deliver colloquia.

Program objectives

The Visiting Fellow Program aims to:

  • promote collaboration between Swinburne astronomers and a network of researchers nationally and internationally
  • enable interaction of postdoctoral fellows and graduate students with successful researchers in their discipline
  • develop career opportunities for early- and mid-career researchers and provide a platform to expand their research collaborations
  • foster mentoring relationships between visiting fellows and Swinburne astronomers
  • further improve the research environment in CAS

Eligibility

The Visiting Fellow Program is open to female and non-binary researchers in the career range of four to 15 years (from the award of their PhD to their visit to CAS).

The 15-year limit can be extended to account for any career interruptions. In this event, please include a statement with your application.

The research must overlap with the interest of at least one CAS academic staff members.

If you have any questions about eligibility, please email dfisher@swinburne.edu.au.

Funding

The nominal funding is up to A$12,000, which is sufficient to cover travel (including international) and accommodation for the duration of the visit.

Additional funding for childcare may be available on a needs basis (subject to funding availability).

Application

Please submit one PDF file to dfisher@swinburne.edu.au containing:

  • curriculum vitae
  • proposal (up to two pages) addressing:
    • visit dates
    • presentation topic
    • mentoring activities
    • research activities (identifying CAS academic staff member involved)

Have a question about the program?

If you would like to know more about the Visiting Fellow Program, please send your query to dfisher@swinburne.edu.au.

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