Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute

Women in Spatial Scholarship 2011

This scholarship is designed to support women in the spatial disciplines and is open to all, including non-SSSI applicants. The purpose of the scholarship is to:

Provide an opportunity for personal and professional development of female spatial professionals whether in technical, management or policy roles;
Support women to obtain further experience in a spatial discipline or career development in the spatial industry, either abroad or locally (nationally or internationally), through conference attendance, study (workshop or support for course work including tertiary courses) or professional development;
Support women returning to work after a career break, by providing opportunity to re-skill or update skills as required;
Support and promote opportunities for women in spatial.

The 2011 scholarship is now open for nominations. Please complete your nomination on the form provided below. Nominations close on the 28th of October 2011.
Please note that this scholarship is open to both members and non-members of the SSSI.

WIS Scholarship 2011 Information Form WIS Scholarship 2011 Application Form

A report from Veronika Frank, our 2010 winner

As part of winning the 2010 Women In Spatial scholarship I was invited by the Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council (CPSISC) – who are joint sponsors of the award - to attend their annual conference, entitled “The Future Workforce” in Melbourne on 29^th and 30^th August. The conference focused on the Construction and Property Services industry but many of the trends and challenges equally apply to the spatial industry. Strong themes were aging workforce, training to meet industry requirements, and under representation of women in training courses.

I took part in a panel discussion on the topic of “Working with equity groups”. We discussed issues such as ways of getting women better represented in senior and management positions, how to manage children and a career, what had been key factors in our success. An overriding message that came across was that women were not necessarily disadvantaged but sometimes created a glass ceiling for themselves.

After the conference I attended a Women In Spatial breakfast in Canberra hosted by the ACT WIS committee. I was one of four presenters on the topic of “The Challenge of Change”. This was another great opportunity to meet people, share some knowledge and make some new contacts. Thank you to the organising committee for a great event.

Applications for the 2011 WIS scholarship have just closed and I wish all applicants luck. The scholarship has opened a lot of doors for me and created opportunities that would not otherwise have been possible. The benefits are far broader than just the actual training or development you undertake.

- Veronika Frank