Image: Dr Alyce Wilson, winner of the Dora Lush Travel Fellowship
The COVID-19 pandemic will no doubt have a bearing on timing, but it hasn't dampened travel ambitions for winners of Burnet Institute's Travel Awards for 2020.
Dr Alyce Wilson, Public Health Registrar and Senior Research Fellow with the Global Women's and Newborn's Health Group, is the winner of the Dora Lush Travel Fellowship ($10,000 for international travel), open to mothers of young children.
"COVID has thrown so many challenges to us … and this award provides an opportunity for me to continue what I love doing," Dr Wilson said.
"The Institute and my managers have gone above and beyond in their support."
Research Assistant and PhD candidate Ashleigh Stewart hopes to use her $2000 Geoffrey Connard Travel Fellowship (open to all staff with 5-10 years' experience since highest degree) to attend the World Federation for Mental Health Congress in London next year.
"I hope I can do this award justice to support my work around mental health morbidity in prisons," Ms Stewart said.
The Crockett-Murphy Travel Award (up to $5000) to support national staff in Burnet's programs overseas was awarded jointly to Dr Thin Mar Win - Research and Development Manager in the Myanmar Office; and Ms Kaba Ula - Coordinator Pharmacy and Medical Procurement on the Fleming Fund project in the Port Moresby office.
Research Assistant and PhD student Michael Traeger hopes to use his Harold Mitchell Foundation Post-Graduate Travel Fellowship (open to senior PhD student, at least in their 3rd year; $7,500 for international travel) to facilitate international collaborations on his work focused on the epidemiology of STIs in Australia.
The Harold Mitchell Foundation Post-Doctoral Travel Fellowship (open to senior PhD student, at least in their 3rd year; $7,500 for international travel) was awarded to Postdoctoral Scientist Katherine O'Flaherty, who has her sights set on attending the annual conference of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
The Miller Foundation supports two awards - the Public Health Travel Award (open to all staff and students; $2000 international travel) won by Research Assistant and PhD candidate Michael Curtis; and Domestic Travel Grant (open to all staff and students; $2000 travel) awarded to Dr Shelley Walker.
Other award winners:
- Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Travel Fellowship (open to primary carers of young children; $10,000 for international travel) - Dr Jo-Ann Chan
- Pauline Speedy Biomedical Research Travel Fellowship (open to PhD student working in Infectious Disease; $5000 international travel) - Thorey Jonsdottir
- Geoffrey Stewardson Travel Award (open to all staff and students working in HIV; $2000 for international travel) - Sophia Schroeder
- The Margaret Harrison Parental Leave Grant (a new award) valued at $5000 - Dr Hayley Bullen
- Crofts Publication Award for Public Health 2020 - Dr Elissa Kennedy and Associate Professor Peter Azzopardi; and Professor Freya Fowkes and Paul Agius
- Biomedical Research Publication Award 2020 - Professor Gilda Tachedjian and Dr Joshua Hayward
