The John Monash Scholarships are prestigious
postgraduate
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree.
The organization and stru ...
scholarship
A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need.
Scholarsh ...
s awarded to outstanding Australians with leadership potential who wish to study at any university overseas. The John Monash Scholarships are amongst the most important postgraduate scholarships currently available in Australia. They are intended to be Australia's adaptation of the British
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...
and the American
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
.
History
The General Sir John Monash Foundation was established in 2001 with an initial contribution from the Australian Federal Government together with further contributions from corporate and private sponsors and donors. The first John Monash Scholarships were awarded in 2004 to a total of eight Scholars. Recipients of the John Monash Scholarships are recognised as John Monash Scholars. As of December 2018, 183 John Monash Scholars have been selected, all of whom possess significant leadership potential, are outstanding in their chosen fields and aspire to make the world a better place.
The Foundation is named after General Sir
John Monash
General Sir John Monash, (; 27 June 1865 – 8 October 1931) was an Australian civil engineer and military commander of the First World War. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the war and then, shortly after its outbreak, became co ...
GCMG KCB VD.
The mission of the Foundation is "to invest in outstanding Australians from all fields of endeavour who demonstrate remarkable qualities of leadership and have the ability to deliver outcomes and inspire others for the benefit of Australia".
Criteria and selection process
John Monash Scholarships are open to outstanding Australians with demonstrated leadership skills who are studying or working in areas of potential benefit to Australia. The Scholarship is publicised at all Australian universities to highlight the opportunity it offers for recipients to undertake postgraduate studies at an international institution.
As of July 2017, overseas degrees that were completed or under way and funded by the John Monash Scholarships included 77
Doctorates of Philosophy and 72
Masters or equivalent degrees.
Criteria
In awarding the John Monash Scholarships, factors considered include:
* Australian citizenship;
* Outstanding intellect – demonstrated by academic excellence (having completed or about to complete a university degree or degrees with outstanding results); excellence can also be demonstrated through language skills, musical skills and/or publications;
* Leadership – demonstrated and potential – within or outside of an applicant's field of study or professional field; Citizenship – community service;
* Program – a defined research project or study programme to be conducted at an overseas university;
* Proposed career trajectory – a credible and concrete pathway, addressing an issue the applicant is passionate about which is of benefit to Australia;
* Referee reports supporting the applicant's profile.
The John Monash Scholarships are not restricted by, age, gender, field of study or choice of overseas institution.
Selection process
The initial selection process involves an assessment of all written applications. Applicants successful in the initial review are then interviewed by Selection Panels at the State level, followed by the National level. Panels are composed of high-calibre members drawn from academia, industry, government and community organisations. Following this stringent assessment process, the National Selection Panel recommends candidates to the General Sir John Monash Foundation Board for endorsement as recipients of the John Monash Scholarships.
Recipients
Scholar fields and locations
John Monash Scholars are working and studying in their fields of expertise in Australia and around the world. In December 2018, 18 individuals were announced as John Monash Scholars to commence their studies in 2019, bringing the total number of John Monash Scholars to date to 183. John Monash Scholars are currently studying throughout the world at institutions in the UK, USA, Europe, Asia, Canada and New Zealand. John Monash Scholarships are not restricted by field of study and as such the range of disciplines of the John Monash Scholars is very diverse and includes medicine, law, social science, science and Technology, economics and finance, sustainability, engineering, humanities, arts, education, mathematics, defence and cyber security.
Notable scholars
Many John Monash scholars are already having an impact in Australia and abroad.
* Associate Professor Mark Dawson (2006 John Monash Scholar) is Head of the Mark Dawson Laboratory and Consultant Haematologist and Head of Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, also known as the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute and commonly abbreviated as Peter Mac, is an Australian oncology research institute, cancer treatment and professional oncologist training centre located in M ...
. Dawson has commenced an international treatment trial which is the result of his commitment to nearly a decade of research. The trial will focus on the treatment of
acute myeloid leukaemia
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells that build up in the bone marrow and blood and interfere with normal blood cell production. Symptoms may include ...
, a rare blood cancer. It is being conducted both in Australia and internationally.
* Major General
Roger Noble
Major General Roger John Noble, (born 16 March 1966) is the Australian Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism and a retired senior officer in the Australian Army. He joined the army via the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1984 and was commissio ...
(2008 John Monash Scholar) completed his Masters of International Public Policy at
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
in the US in 2009. His focus was on strategy in conflict management. Noble was the first member of the Australian military to receive a John Monash Scholarship. On his return from the US, Noble was promoted to brigadier in 2010, commanded the 3rd Brigade based in Far North Queensland from 2013 to 2015, and advanced to major general in 2017.
* Squadron Leader Chris Lowe (2012 John Monash Scholar) completed a
Masters of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
in the US in 2014. During his studies, Lowe conducted research into the integration of
unmanned aircraft
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
systems into non-segregated civil airspace. A member of the
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
since 2005, he has served in operations in
Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a List of cities in Afghanistan, city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population ...
,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. He is currently working within Air Force Headquarters to address and resolve a range of policy, regulatory, technical, operational and legal issues that will permit the normalisation of unmanned aviation across Australia and internationally.
* Fergus Green (2012 John Monash Scholar) is a widely published authority on Australian and international
climate change policy
The politics of climate change results from different perspectives on how to respond to climate change. Global warming is driven largely by the emissions of greenhouse gases due to human economic activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels, ...
. His paper "China's 'New Normal': Structural Change, Better Growth, and Peak Emissions", co-authored with Lord
Nicholas Stern
Nicholas Herbert Stern, Baron Stern of Brentford, (born 22 April 1946 in Hammersmith) is a British economist, banker, and academic. He is the IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government and Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Cli ...
of the
, received over 600 media mentions globally. Green is a regular commentator on the issue and has spoken at conferences around the world.
* Catherine Drummond (2014 John Monash Scholar) has worked in
international law
International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...
for a firm in Paris, for the
United Nations International Criminal Tribunal in Rwanda and for the Queensland Court of Appeal. She was nominated for
Australian of the Year
The Australian of the Year is a national award conferred on an Australian citizen by the National Australia Day Council, a not-for-profit Australian Governmentowned social enterprise. Similar awards are also conferred at the State and Territo ...
in 2012 for leading community initiatives that promote
human rights
Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
,
and in 2015 won the prestigious Whewell Scholarship in International Law, awarded by
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
.
* Dr Phoebe Williams (2015 John Monash Scholar) has stated:
I plan to use my John Monash Scholarship to travel to Kenya to work with the University of Oxford's research unit. My aim is to help identify the best and most effective way to administer oxygen therapy to critically ill and malnourished children. This is a really important project because it has the potential to change the way oxygen therapy is administered worldwide, including to children who are admitted to hospitals in Australia. I am absolutely thrilled to have been given this opportunity.
Other noteworthy scholars include:
**Lara Olsen (2004), Tesla Motors; formerly head of strategy at CitiPower and Powercor, chief executive of Coolnrg International
** Danielle Malek Roosa (2004), senior legal counsel,
The World Bank Group
The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development Group ...
** Andrew Hudson (2005), executive director, Crisis Action
** Dr Matthew Baker (2005), postdoctoral research assistant at
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI) is an Australian non-profit medical research facility that is dedicated to finding cures for cardiovascular disease. With headquarters located in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, the research hub ...
;
ABC Radio National 2015 Top 5 Scientist under 40
**
Hugh Evans (2008), 2004 Young Australian of the Year and CEO of the
Global Poverty Project
Global Citizen, also known as Global Poverty Project, is an international education and advocacy organization working to catalyze the movement to end extreme poverty and promote social justice and equity through the lens of intersectionality. The ...
** Dr Alice Chang (2008), child and adolescent psychiatrist at Cairs & Hinterland Hospital and Health Service; 2015 John Monash Oration Key Note Speaker
**
David Smerdon
David Craig Smerdon (born 17 September 1984) is an Australian chess player and economist who holds the FIDE title of Grandmaster (GM). He is the seventh highest ranked chess player of Australia. Smerdon has played for the Australian team in th ...
(2011), an
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal Au ...
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
grandmaster and economist; lecturer at the
University of Queensland
, mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work
, established =
, endowment = A$224.3 million
, budget = A$2.1 billion
, type = Public research university
, chancellor = Peter Varghese
, vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry
, city = B ...
** Madeline Gleeson (2012), research associate, Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at
UNSW
The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive ...
** Sarah Lux Lee (2014),
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration (M.P.Adm., M.P.A., or MPA) is a specialized higher professional post graduate degree in public administration, similar/ equivalent to the Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the issues of ...
,
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
; one of ''
The Australian Financial Review
''The Australian Financial Review'' (abbreviated to the ''AFR'') is an Australian business-focused, compact daily newspaper covering the current business and economic affairs of Australia and the world. The newspaper is based in Sydney, New Sou ...
'' and
Westpac
Westpac Banking Corporation, known simply as Westpac, is an Australian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered at Westpac Place in Sydney, New South Wales.
Established in 1817 as the Bank of New South Wales, it ...
's 2014 100 Women of Influence
Governance
The current patrons of the General Sir John Monash Foundation:
* His Excellency General The Honourable
Sir Peter Cosgrove
General (Australia), General Sir Peter John Cosgrove, (born 28 July 1947) is a retired senior Australian Army officer who served as the 26th governor-general of Australia, in office from 2014 to 2019.
A graduate of the Royal Military College, ...
AK MC (Retd) (Patron-in-chief)
* His Excellency General The Honourable
David Hurley
General David John Hurley, (born 26 August 1953) is an Australian former senior officer in the Australian Army who has served as the 27th governor-general of Australia since 1 July 2019. He was previously the 38th governor of New South Wales ...
AC DSC (Retd) (NSW)
* His Excellency The Honourable
Paul De Jersey
Paul de Jersey, (born 21 September 1948) is an Australian jurist who served as the 26th governor of Queensland, in office from 29 July 2014 to 1 November 2021. He was Chief Justice of Queensland from 1998 to 2014.
Education
De Jersey was edu ...
AC (Qld)
* His Excellency The Honourable
Hieu Van Le
Hieu Van Le, ( vi, Lê Văn Hiếu; born 1 January 1954) was the 35th governor of South Australia, in office from 1 September 2014 to 31 August 2021. He served as the state's lieutenant-governor from 2007 to 2014. He also served as chair of the ...
AO (SA)
* Her Excellency Professor The Honourable
Kate Warner
Catherine Ann Warner (born 14 July 1948) is an Australian lawyer and legal academic who was the 28th Governor of Tasmania from 2014 to 2021.
Early life and education
Warner was born Catherine Ann Friend in Hobart, Tasmania, and attended St Mi ...
AM (TAS)
* Her Excellency The Honourable
Linda Dessau
Linda Marion Dessau (born 8 May 1953) is an Australian jurist, barrister, and the 29th and current governor of Victoria since 1 July 2015. She is the first female and the first Jewish holder of the office. She was a judge of the Family Court ...
AM (VIC)
* Her Excellency The Honourable
Kerry Sanderson
Kerry Gaye Sanderson, (née Smith; born 21 December 1950) is a retired Australian public servant and business director, who served as the 32nd Governor of Western Australia, in office from 20 October 2014 to 1 May 2018. She is the first woman t ...
AO (WA)
Current Board Directors of the General Sir John Monash Foundation Board:
* Ms
Jillian Segal AO (Chairman)
* Mr
Steven M. Skala AO (Deputy Chairman)
* Emeritus Professor
Peter Darvall AO
* Mr Stephen Gerlach AM
* Ms Carolyn Kay
* Mr Leon Kempler OAM
* Ms Lee Liberman
* Mrs Jan McCahey
* Emeritus Professor Alan Robson AO CitWA
* Dr Mark Schembri
* Ms Wendy Simpson OAM
* Dr Jane Wilson
Current Chief Executive Officer of the General Sir John Monash Foundation:
* Ms Annemarie Rolls
See also
*
Marshall Scholarship
The Marshall Scholarship is a postgraduate scholarship for "intellectually distinguished young Americans ndtheir country's future leaders" to study at any university in the United Kingdom. It is widely considered one of the most prestigious sc ...
*
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...
*
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
References
Further reading
*{{Citation , first=Geoffrey , last=Serle , title=John Monash: A Biography , publisher=Melbourne University Press , location=Melbourne, Australia , year=1982 , isbn=0-522-85016-2 .
*Th
General Sir John Monash Foundation website
*The
Sir John Monash Wikipedia.
Awards established in 2001
Scholarships in Australia
2001 establishments in Australia