Applications

Encounters Fellowships are suitable for emerging to mid-career Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in the cultural, heritage or creative sector.

Here you will find the application form, more on who can apply, how to apply, key dates, requirements and details about the selection process.

• The fellowships include a total of 12 weeks’ hands-on engagement across an eight-month period, from late April to November 2019.
• Six fellowships are offered, with placements at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra and at partner cultural institutions in Australia and the United Kingdom.
• The program is facilitated in Canberra and Sydney, in the United Kingdom, and in the fellow’s own community.
• Fellows receive individual and collective mentoring to acquire new skills, build leadership capabilities and establish new networks and partnerships.
• Professional development is tailored to individual learning targets and goals and the proposed project plan.
• Participants receive a stipend of $1000 a week plus travel allowance, with all accommodation and travel costs covered.
• Each fellowship is valued at about $60,000.

More on the 2019 program and benefits

The program is intensive, requiring the full commitment of applicants. There are occasions when you will be away from your family, community and workplace for more than three weeks at a time. As well as working in your community, you will be required to travel to Canberra, Sydney and the UK.

Fellows will also need to complete evaluation assessments throughout the program and record their experiences in a journal or a video diary.

Fellows are expected to:

• research and prepare a plan for a relevant arts or cultural or heritage project
• maintain a written or digital notebook or journal that records your experiences and responds to questions about your areas of interest, professional practice and project planning
• co-produce (with the help of Museum staff) a short video recording your experiences which will be uploaded to this Encounters Fellowships website
• submit a brief report on your fellowship (for internal Museum use)
• contribute to ongoing program evaluation and feedback.

Applicants must:

• be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage, identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and be accepted as such by the community in which they live or have lived
• be over the age of 18
• identify as an emerging or mid-career worker within the cultural, heritage or creative sector
• be available for the full duration of the fellowship
• if employed, have their employer’s endorsement and support to participate
• be willing to live away from family and community for periods of up to three weeks at a time
• possess a current passport or be able to obtain one.

The selection process will be open and competitive. It will identify six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people whose cultural, heritage or creative work showcases their leadership and vision. Applicants will need to demonstrate how the fellowship will benefit both them and their community. To apply:

• complete the application form
• provide contact details of one personal referee
• provide contact details of one professional referee
• submit your curriculum vitae or resume, including a photo of yourself
• submit your application by 5pm on Monday 24 December 2018.

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Apply online

1. Download and complete the application form (MS Word docx 169.1kb)
2. Include support materials listed above. Read our helpful hints for more on support materials
3. Include your employer’s letter of support when you submit your application or arrange for your employer to email it directly to the Program Manager, encounters.fellowships@nma.gov.au, by 5pm on Monday 24 December 2018
4. Email your completed application form with supporting material to: encounters.fellowships@nma.gov.au.

Apply by post

Download the application form (MS Word docx 169.1kb) or call us on +61 2 6208 5178 and we will post you a printed copy of the form.

Address your application to:

Encounters Fellowship Program
National Museum of Australia
GPO Box 1901
Canberra ACT 2601

Applications registered with a postal date after 24 December 2018 will not be accepted.

A selection panel will consider all applications and assess them according to four equally weighted criteria:

• your current skills, knowledge and expertise in the cultural, creative and heritage sector
• demonstrated leadership and vision
• the potential to maximise the fellowship opportunity to benefit your community
• your ability to research, design and deliver a proposed project and complete a project plan or business case.

A shortlist will be compiled, and candidates will be interviewed via Skype or teleconference. The successful candidates from this round will then travel to Canberra for a face-to-face interview. Final announcements will be made in March 2019.