Expressions of interest for the 2023 Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships are now open. Please review all program criteria for eligibility before commencing an expression of interest.
What are the Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships?
The Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships aim to support breakthrough solutions to Australia’s most pressing social and environmental challenges and bring new talent to the social sector.
Fellows are offered the unique opportunity to take 12 months away from their current role to pursue big ideas that have the potential to achieve positive outcomes in the program themes of:
- poverty and disadvantage
- sustainability and environment
- human, civil and legal rights.
The Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships provide recipients with time and support needed to develop their groundbreaking idea into a sustainable plan for action. Fellows will each receive $120,000 for their 12-month commitment to the program and an additional $30,000 will be available to each Fellow for approved expenses (incurred directly related to and upon commencement of the Fellowship) such as a separate work space, rent, travel and contracting of external expertise.
We seek ideas that are:
- high impact: likely to produce results in the areas of human, civil and legal rights, poverty and disadvantage, and/or sustainability and environment including climate change
- unique: different from existing approaches
- scalable and sustainable: the potential to scale up quickly and be sustainable over time.
And leaders who are:
- experienced and entrepreneurial: a proven track record of achievement in their field and an appetite for risk-taking
- passionate and connected: a genuine commitment and passion for their cause and the network to make it happen.
Expressions of Interest for the 2023 Fellowships open on 22 July and close at midnight AEST 4 September 2022. Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to step outside the routine and rhythm of everyday life and make your groundbreaking idea a reality.
What are the eligibility criteria?
The applicant must:
- be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- reside in Australia for the majority of the Fellowship period
- be prepared to take a sabbatical from their current role for 12 months
- have a proven track record of out-of-the-box thinking and risk-taking
- have an ability to turn ideas into action
- have well-developed networks within an area of the proposed project.
The proposed project must:
- be based in Australia
- be aligned with one or more of the subject areas of poverty & disadvantage, sustainability & environment including climate change, or human, civil and legal rights
- have been in development for not longer than three years.
What are the funding exclusions?
The Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowships program will not support the following:
- benefits or fundraising events
- capital or endowment campaigns
- ongoing or one-off academic research or work towards higher degrees (including by coursework or dissertations)
- medical research
- initiatives focused on specific diseases
- international projects
- scholarships
- sponsorships
- funding hubs or accelerators
- creative arts projects
- collaborations between a number of individuals
- projects that are focused on program or service delivery
- projects that have been in development for more than three years
- organisations.
