Visiting Fellowships

For visits within the period of March - November 2025.

• Round opens: Monday, 1 July 2024.

• Deadline to contact a prospective academic host: Friday, 16 August 2024.

• Applications close: Monday, 2 September 2024, 11.59 pm (AEST, Sydney time).

• Visiting Fellows announced: Early November 2024.

Applicants must secure the support of a Sydney Law School academic staff member to host their proposed visit. The academic host should have similar or complementary research interests to those of the applicant. 

How to identify relevant Law School staff:

Applicants who do not have an existing connection to Sydney Law School can:

• Refer to the list of academic staff; and
• Search for academic staff with specific research interests e.g. environmental law.

When contacting your prospective academic host, please provide:

• A copy of your CV and list of publications;
• A brief explanation of why you'd like to apply for a Visiting Fellowship and the activities you’d like to undertake; and
• The potential dates of your visit (to ensure the host is available for that time period).
  

If you secure the support of an academic host, you will be required to provide a draft proposal outlining the purpose of your proposed visit including details of the research project or research related activities you intend to undertake during your visit (if applicable), opportunities for potential collaboration with Sydney staff, and the contributions you intend to make to Sydney Law School.

Applicants must agree to a program of work with their academic host before completing their application.

Sydney Law School staff are likely to receive multiple enquiries and may not be able to accommodate every request to act as an academic host. In addition, the Visiting Fellowships are competitive and not all applicants will be successful.

Applicants are required to upload a statement of support from their Sydney Law School academic host which confirms the host's endorsement of the application.
 

Statement of support template

Academic hosts are required to use the statement of support template provided below:

Download the statement of support template (doc, 46KB)

When to visit

Visiting Fellows are encouraged to visit during the Australian academic year (late February to end November 2025) to ensure there are greater opportunities to engage with Sydney Law School staff and students.

Visits outside of this period will be considered as exceptional, and must be justified based on the applicant's proposed activities and the availability of the applicant’s academic host.

It is not possible for the Law School to support visits during the University of Sydney's seasonal break which generally occurs during the last two weeks of December and the first two weeks of January.

Duration of visit

The length of the Fellowship is flexible depending on the Visiting Fellow's research priorities, external funding sources, and the availability of their Sydney Law School academic host.

It is expected the Fellow will visit the University of Sydney Law School for a period of 2 weeks, but visits may be up to 3 months. Longer visits up to 6 months may be considered in exceptional cases.

Visiting Fellows are responsible for ensuring they hold a valid visa for entry into Australia that will allow them to engage in all the activities they wish to undertake during their stay.

Visiting Fellows will typically require a 408 Temporary Activity - Research Activities visa or 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa. The University's Immigration and Global Mobility team will recommend the most suitable visa for each Visiting Fellow based on the nature and duration of their visit.

If the Visiting Fellow intends to visit other universities during their trip to Australia, these institutions must be listed in their visa application.

Tourist and visitor visas (e.g. 600, 601, and 651) aren't suitable for the recipient of a Visiting Fellowship payment or for visitors who plan to undertake or collaborate on research during their visit.

The University’s Immigration and Global Mobility team will provide each Visiting Fellow with an invitation letter and instructions on how to lodge their visa application.

As some visas can take up to several months to be approved, it is important for applicants to consider visa processing times when planning the dates for their proposed visit.

The Visiting Fellowships are named after three former Sydney Law School Medallists. These distinguished alumni demonstrated a breadth of expertise and sustained achievement in the law.

Elizabeth Andreas Evatt AC (1933 - present)

The Hon Elizabeth Evatt AC was the first female recipient of the University Medal for Law (1955). As the youngest student ever accepted to Law School, Evatt joined the New South Wales Bar in the same year she graduated and became one of the youngest people to become a barrister at the age of 21. She also was awarded a scholarship to attain her Master of Laws at Harvard University and was admitted to the Bar in London. Evatt was the first female Deputy President of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission and the inaugural Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia. In her controversial Royal Commission on Human Relationships, Evatt contributed over 500 recommendations and opened up taboo conversations on abortion, rape and child abuse. Evatt is well-known in international circles through her role as Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and became the first Australian on the United Nations Human Rights Committee. As a celebration on the centenary for the first graduation of female students from the University of Sydney, Evatt was conferred the prestigious Doctor of Laws. In 1995, Evatt's outreach as an equal opportunity and human rights campaigner expanded through her role as the Commissioner of Australian Human Rights. Further details on Elizabeth Evatt's career can be accessed via The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.

Sir Percy Claude Spender KCVO KBE QC (1897-1985)

The Sir Percy Spender Visiting Fellowship is named after Sir Percy Claude Spender KCVO KBE QC (1897-1985). Spender won Sydney Law School's University Medal for Law in 1922 and was appointed to King's Counsel in 1935. Spender acted as Treasurer under the Menzies Government and later served as the Minister for External Affairs, playing a critical role in securing the ANZUS Pact and Treaty of San Francisco. Spender went on to serve as Ambassador to the United States (1951-8) and President of the International Court of Justice (1964-7). Further details on Sir Percy Spender's life and career can be accessed via the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

George Ernest Flannery KC (1872-1945)

The George Flannery Visiting Fellowship is named after Sydney Law School's first University Medallist for Law, George Ernest Flannery KC (1872-1945). Flannery was an avid campaigner for Federation and regarded as an "eminent expert of Constitutional Law" by former NSW Attorney-General Edward McTiernan. Flannery was appointed to King's Counsel in 1920. His accomplishments include being appointed the Federal Government Chairman in determining coal strike issues (1916) and addressing the Legislative Assembly on incorporated legal practice (1931). Further details on George Flannery's life and career can be accessed via the Australian Dictionary of Biography.