Violet Louise Bonner Postgraduate Scholarship for Women 2025

This scholarship was established by Swinburne alumna Kate Brown in memory of her late mother Violet Louise Bonner.

The scholarship aims to support female Postgraduate students to complete their studies in the sciences, particularly where their research aims to translate into innovative products or processes to assist the community.

The scholarship is valued at $5000 for one year.

Any postgraduate course offered by Swinburne University of Technology in the following disciplines:

• Science
• Engineering
• Technology

This can include Higher Degree by Research students and online students. 

To be eligible for the Violet Louise Bonner Postgraduate Scholarship for Women, applicants must:

1. Meet the following criteria:
   • identify as female
   • Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, Australian Permanent Resident with Humanitarian visa or New Zealand citizen. 
2. Meet the following enrolment criteria:
   • be a commencing or continuing student in Semester 1, 2025
   • enrolled full-time or part-time in an eligible course (see courses eligible in section above)
3. Provide a personal statement of 500 words or less, or 2 minute video, outlining:
   • your passion and commitment to study
   • how this scholarship will help you achieve your educational goals
      
   • Please upload your video to cloud based storage and provide a link in an MS Word or PDF document. The video must be accessible by anyone - provide any passwords if necessary.
4. Provide evidence of educational disadvantage. Disadvantage(s) may include: 
   • financial difficulty or low-socio economic status (Centrelink statement, payslips)
   • disability or medical condition
   • relocation from a rural or regional area in order to undertake tertiary study
   • English as a second language
   • identification as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
   • first in family to attend university 
5. Provide evidence of community participation in extra-curricular service to the community and leadership qualities (supported by certificates/letters of participation or a reference letter).
    
6. Provide an Academic transcript of previous undergraduate and/or postgraduate study.
    
7. Written Reference: Once applications have closed and shortlisting has been completed, all shortlisted applicants will be contacted to provide a personal written reference. This reference should be submitted within 5 days of request and can be written by a teacher, community leader, or employer.

The scholarship is valued at $5000 for one year only, paid bi-annually.

Applicants should complete an online application form and submit with all supporting documentation by 16 March 2025. 

Incomplete applications will not be considered. For assistance when completing your application, please view the Scholarship Application Help Guide.

Fees and Scholarships Team, Student Administration.
scholarship@swin.edu.au