Nancy Paton Women in Science Scholarship

1. Background

a. Established in 2023, this Scholarship has been generously donated by Nancy Paton to support the long-term future of women in science, a field in which women are currently underrepresented.

2. Eligibility

a. Applicants must be an Australian Citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, or a New Zealand Citizen.

b. The Scholarship is offered subject to the applicant being a female recent school leaver and having an unconditional offer of admission in full-time in an undergraduate degree (including combined or double degrees) within the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney.

c. Applicants who have deferred or have undertaken a gap year are not eligible.

3. Selection Criteria

a. The Scholarship will be awarded on the basis of:
I. academic merit,
II. demonstration of financial need or disadvantage (if relevant), and
III. personal statement outlining the impact of a scholarship on their ability to study at the University of Sydney.

b. Preference may be given to students who demonstrate financial need or disadvantage.

c. The Scholarship will be awarded on the nomination of the Dean of the Faculty of Science, or their nominated delegate.

4. Value

a. The Scholarship is valued at $8,500 per annum and is tenable for up to 3 years.

b. The Scholarship annual value will be paid in two instalments after the census date of each semester.

c. Deferral of the Scholarship is not permitted without the prior permission of the Dean of the Faculty of Science or their nominated delegate, and it is not transferable to another University school, faculty or university.

d. The Scholarship will be offered subject to the availability of funds.

e. No other amount is payable.

5. Ongoing Eligibility

a. To continue receipt of the Scholarship, the recipient must maintain a minimum Semester Average Mark (SAM) of 65 each semester.

b. If recipients enrol part-time in their degree (i.e., domestic students only), they must seek prior approval to hold the scholarship on a part-time basis. The payments may be paid on a pro-rata basis.

c. Recipients undertaking an exchange during the tenure of this Scholarship are required to have achieved a Satisfied Requirements grade (SR) to receive their next payment.

6. Termination

a. The Scholarship will be terminated if the recipient:
I. withdraws from an eligible course or fails to enrol,
II. commences part-time study without prior approval,
III. does not maintain satisfactory academic performance,
IV. is determined by the University to be guilty of serious misconduct, including, but not limited to, having provided false or misleading information as part of their Scholarship application,
V. accepts an alternative scholarship, administered by the University of Sydney, valued at $8,300 per annum or more for the same purpose as this Scholarship,
VI. does not resume study at the end of a period of approved leave, or
VII. any other provision as indicated in these terms that would lead to termination.

b. Once the Scholarship has been terminated, it will not be reinstated unless due to University error.

c. Where a student is found guilty of serious misconduct or the Scholarship is terminated under any instance in the Termination Clause of these terms and conditions, the University reserves the right to request that any Scholarship funds paid to the Scholarship recipient be reimbursed.

7. Report

a. Recipients will be asked to provide a report at the end of each year of their degree detailing the impact of the scholarship to their studies.