Fellowships — structured programs of learning, development, or research for individuals — are among the most powerful investments funders can make. Rather than funding programs or organisations, fellowships invest in people: the leaders, researchers, and change-makers who will shape fields and communities for decades. Australia has a rich fellowship ecosystem across sectors — from research fellowships at universities to community leadership fellowships in the nonprofit sector. Understanding which fellowships exist, who they serve, and how they're funded helps both individuals seeking development opportunities and funders thinking about how to build sector capacity.
What fellowships are
What fellowships achieve
Types of fellowships
Australian Research Council (ARC)
Major research fellowship program:
- ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)
- ARC Future Fellowships (mid-career researchers)
- ARC Laureate Fellowships (distinguished researchers)
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Research fellowship programs for health researchers.
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)
Indigenous research fellowships.
Australia Awards
International fellowships for emerging leaders from partner countries (and for Australians studying overseas).
Churchill Fellowship
Government-supported travel fellowships enabling Australians to study overseas practice.
The Ian Potter Foundation
Sector development fellowships.
The Myer Foundation
Arts, community, and nonprofit fellowships.
The Paul Ramsay Foundation
Leadership fellowships in social change.
Harkness Fellowships
Health and public policy fellowships to the United States (The Commonwealth Fund).
The Australia-Japan Foundation
Cross-cultural leadership fellowships.
Asialink
Asia engagement leadership fellowships.
Bain & Company / McKinsey
Nonprofit sector leadership programs (not traditional fellowships, but similar function).
The Scanlon Foundation
Social cohesion research fellowships.
Research fellowships
Community leadership fellowships
Indigenous fellowships
International fellowships
Arts and creative fellowships
Policy and government fellowships
Emerging leaders
The Churchill Fellowship enables Australians from any field to travel overseas to study a specific topic and bring insights back. It has funded:
- Community workers learning overseas practice
- Artists studying international approaches
- Health workers examining global innovations
- Educators exploring international models
- Policy professionals studying overseas policy
The key features: open to Australians without formal qualifications (it's about who you are, not credentials), focused on a specific question or topic, and explicitly aimed at sharing insights with Australian communities and sectors on return.
For funders designing fellowships
Selection design is critical — fellowships are investments in people. Applications to support fellowship programs should demonstrate rigorous selection processes, not just generous support.
For organisations applying for fellowship support
The fellowship must serve a genuine development need that employment and standard training cannot meet. The best fellowship applications identify a specific gap — knowledge, experience, networks — that only a structured fellowship can fill.
Individual vs cohort
Solo fellowships build individual capacity; cohort fellowships build networks and collective capacity. The latter often produces more durable change — alumni support each other and create sector movements.
Return and application
Fellowship value is multiplied when fellows return with knowledge and apply it. Applications with strong plans for knowledge sharing, alumni engagement, and sector application of what was learned are more valuable.
Tahua's grants management platform supports fellowship funders and leadership development organisations — with fellow tracking, outcome measurement, alumni engagement data, and the reporting tools that help fellowship funders demonstrate their investment in the individual excellence that builds stronger sectors and communities.