Lift-off Fellowships

The Australian Mathematical Society Lift-off Fellowships are prestigious fellowships which jump start the careers of young mathematicians by supporting them after the submission of their PhD thesis. The Lift-off Fellowships are awarded on the basis of academic merit. Fellowships can be used for living expenses, to attend conferences, for travel and to fund visits of collaborators.

Applications can be made at any time. Prospective applicants should obtain a copy of the Lift-off Fellowship application form (in PDF format (PDF, 213 KB) or as a Word document (DOC, 96 KB)) before submitting an application electronically to the secretary of the selection committee via the email address: Lift-off@austms.org.au. Applications should include a full CV, a letter of support from your supervisor and referees’ reports on two papers accepted for publication, or at least two examiners’ reports on your thesis.

The list of the fellowships awarded by the Society can be found on the Lift-Off Fellows page.

The members of the selection committee for the fellowship are as follows.

• Dr Bronwyn Hajek (UniSA) — chair
• Prof. Scott McCue (Univ. Queensland)
• A/Prof. Marcel Jackson (Monash Univ.)

Lift-off Fellowship Rules

1. The fellowship scheme is to provide short-term support, including living expenses and travel grants, for students who have recently submitted for examination a PhD thesis in the mathematical sciences.
2. To be eligible to apply for a Lift-off Fellowship, candidates must have submitted their PhD thesis for examination within the previous six months and applicants must have been members of the Society for the consecutive twelve-month period immediately prior to the date of application.
3. Awards will be based on academic excellence. It is expected that applicants will have submitted at least one paper for publication. The Fellowship Committee may consult with experts in the field.
4. Applications may be submitted via email to Lift-off@austms.org.au at any time.
5. Applications for the Lift-Off Fellowship should include the completed application form, with a research plan and budget (at most one page), a full CV and a thesis abstract. The applicant should arrange for a letter of support from an expert in their field for their application together with referees’ reports on two papers, which have been accepted for publication, or at least two examiners’ reports on the applicant’s thesis, to be sent directly to the committee care of Lift-off@austms.org.au.
6. In applying for a Lift-Off Fellowship applicants agree that if they are successful then their names and photos can be published on the web pages and journals of the Society. Fellowship recipients agree to submit a report to the Society at the conclusion of the fellowship and that excerpts from this report can be published in the Gazette of the Australian Mathematical Society.
7. The Fellowship Committee of the Society will make recommendations to the President of the Society on the award of the Lift-Off Fellowships.
8. The selection committee will recommend the amount to be granted, to a maximum of $5,000, to a successful applicant, taking account of the proposed research activities, the need for support and the research track record of the applicant relative to opportunity.
9. Any unspent grant money from a Lift-off Fellowship is to be returned to the Society.
10. The Society expects to award up to seven scholarships annually until late-2020. Depending on demand, the Council may change the available funding for the scheme.

[Updated: 29 September 2012; December 2014; September 2015; December 2018, January 2020]