Bill Williams Travel Scholarship (BWTS)

Applications are invited from research students for financial assistance in the form of the Bill Williams Travel Scholarship (BWTS) to enable them to present a paper or poster at an overseas conference, symposium or workshop. Bill Williams was a founding member of the Australian Freshwater Sciences Society (the then Australian Society for Limnology), a leading pioneer of limnological research in Australia and widely known both inside and outside the country for his advocacy of the study of inland waters. He was very conscious of the need to encourage international exchange amongst limnologists, hence the inauguration of this scholarship. The purpose of this scholarship is to enable research students to present their work in an international forum.

Conditions

Applicants must be:

1.    Students who are carrying out research in any branch of limnology for a postgraduate degree (but not an Honours degree).

2.    Current postgraduate students at any Australian University or have submitted their thesis within 12 months of applying for the BWTS.

3.    Members of the AFSS for at least 12 months and have current financial membership.

4.    Prepared to acknowledge the scholarship in full in their presentation.

Process for application

1.    Include a written statement (no more than two A4 pages) describing your research, its significance, and the stage that has been reached. The statement must be endorsed by your supervisor, who should confirm the stage you have reached.

2.    Include an abstract of the paper that you propose to present.

3.    Attach your CV.

4.    Submit a budget indicating the various costs of your trip. This should indicate how the scholarship will be used and what other support you hope to obtain. The intention is that the scholarship will cover a substantial amount of your costs (e.g. airfares).

5.    Applications will only be accepted between December 1 (of the current year) and January 31 (of the subsequent year)

Assessment

A three member committee consisting of the AFSS President, the AFSS Treasurer and a representative of the Bill Williams Memorial Committee will assess the strength of your application, including:

1.    The significance, originality and soundness of the research

2.    The progress made and whether you have reached the stage where something useful can be presented.

3.    Your ability to present a clear and concise statement of the study.

4.    The rationale and support that your supervisor provides for the intended trip.

5.    The reasonableness of your budget.

Contact

Applications must be lodged with the AFSS Secretary via ASN Events

Please note that selection for this award is competitive as the number of applications exceeds the available funds.