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Advance Australian society - and your career - through Churchill Fellowship
IT HAS been called the ‘Rhodes Scholarship’ for everyday Australians and the Churchill Fellowships have a fine record of drawing out the country’s most innovative and progressive thinkers who want to enhance their societies.
More than 100 Fellowships are awarded each year valued at more than $20,000 each, for awardees to pursue an area of interest that will ultimately benefit Australia. It is a program that has endured and succeeded largely because of its own innovative nature – the Churchill Fellowships came out of a national doorknock appeal, five decades ago, that aimed to secure a foundation for the annual Australian program inspired by Sir Winston Churchill and endorsed by him before his death in 1965. 
“From scientists to artists, jackaroos to journalists, or any inspired Australian, a Churchill Fellowship is the research opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to truly advance the fabric of Australian society,” Winston Churchill Memorial Trust CEO, Paul Tys said.
Applications are now open for the 2015 Churchill Fellowships, which provide an opportunity for Australians with a passion to travel the world in search of new ideas, excellence and innovation.
“A Churchill Fellowship is a remarkable opportunity to research a topic or an issue that you are passionate about. They are recommended for anyone who feels they have exhausted opportunities within Australia and would like to see what overseas has to offer,” said Mr Tys.
“A Churchill Fellowship provides you with an opportunity to investigate the best ideas in the world, inspire people, and give back to Australia.
“If you’ve ever dreamed of travelling abroad to study ways of improving practices in your chosen field, a Churchill Fellowship provides the means and support to make this a reality.”
Mr Tys said the high international regard for Churchill Fellowships provide a pathway for Fellows to access expertise from around the world to expand their knowledge and experience.
It was almost five decades ago, just four weeks after the death of Sir Winston Churchill on February 28, 1965, that the Churchill Memorial Sunday doorknock appeal was held across Australia.
The doorknock was well promoted as raising funds for an unusual type of memorial to Sir Winston – something like Rhodes Scholarships, but more egalitarian, and available to all people and on a much wider basis. The concept, endorsed by Churchill before he died, was fellowships, bearing his name, for ordinary people – providing a unique opportunity to travel, learn, and bring knowledge back to their country.
Such was the admiration and respect that Australian fighting men and women of World War Two held for Churchill, that this became the greatest one-day doorknock in Australian history. Funds collected from everyday Australians together with donations from government and Australian companies totalled £2,206,000 ($4,412,000 at the time).
“That laid the foundation for fellowships to be offered annually and worth on average $20,000 each, available to Australians who want to make a difference,” Mr Tys said.
The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust was established to administer not only the total funds raised by the 1965 Appeal, but also the Churchill Fellowship award scheme.
Since the inception of the Churchill Trust, more than 3,900 Australians have identified projects where overseas research allowed them to bring back vital networks and skills.
Applications are open for the 2015 Churchill Fellowships from until Monday February 16, 2015, for travel between September 1, 2015 and August 31, 2016.
“All Australian citizens aged over 18 can apply,” Mr Tys said. “No prescribed qualifications are required and the subject of the project is limitless – provided a benefit to Australia is evident.”
The application process involves completion of a two page application form, two references, a description of how the prospective recipient would contribute to Australia’s knowledge base, and an interview process.
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