TEFMA Australasian Study Tour Scholarship
Applications for 2024 TEFMA Clever Campus Scholarships are open until 5 June 2024!
The TEFMA Australasian Study Tour Scholarship (formerly the Travel / Research Scholarship) provides an opportunity each year for an employee working in facilities management in a TEFMA Member Institution to undertake a study tour of other Australasian institutions. The successful applicant will improve their knowledge by researching a specific aspect of contemporary higher education facilities management practices through visits to other Australasian organisations.
The scholarship is available to those working in first line supervisory roles or above.
The scholarship has a value of up to AUD$5,000 incl GST towards the cost of the study tour.
The successful applicant will need support from their institution for both the time to undertake the study tour, and a financial contribution to any costs in excess of the scholarship amount.
The successful applicant will be required to produce a brief written or mixed media report by the ensuing annual conference describing the applicant’s research tour, their findings and the resulting benefits for their work and organisation. The report will be published in a TEFMA newsletter, on the website and the scholarship winner will be required to present their paper via TEFMA’s Webinar program.
Scholarship applications will be evaluated on the basis of the criteria set out below.
To view application forms and information packs, please refer to Related Resources below.
Applications for the Australasian Study Tour Scholarship open late March each year.
To be considered for the Australasian Study Tour Scholarship, applications and supporting material should be received by TEFMA no later than 5pm AEST on the close date as noted on the TEFMA website. If an extension is required, this request is to be received in writing by the Secretariat by this date.
Submissions must be made on the official application form.
Scholarship criteria should be addressed in applications.
Selection of the successful applicant will be approved by a panel established to review the applications.
The review panel will include the following members:
- Deputy Chair, Membership Services Committee
- General Manager, TEFMA
- A Past-President of TEFMA
- Additional panel members may be included at the discretion of the Deputy Membership Services Committee Chair.
Should an applicant be from the Chair, Membership Services Committee institution, the Chair, Education Services Committee will chair the review panel to avoid any potential conflicts of interests.
Applications will be judged against the published criteria. Panel deliberations will be confidential and TEFMA’s decision is final. No correspondence or appeal process will be entered into.
The panel may decide not to award if it deems that no suitable applications have been received.
More than one scholarship can be awarded in any calendar year
Evaluation of applications for the scholarship will be completed in June / July, with those short-listed to be contacted at least 4 weeks prior to the annual TEFMA Conference. The successful applicant will be announced at the TEFMA Awards Dinner, which forms part of the TEFMA Annual Conference. Details on the annual Conference will be on the TEFMA website. Should there be any reason the Awards Dinner is unable to take place in person, an online event will be hosted.
The Australasian Study Tour Scholarship is open for applications from individuals employed in the facilities department of a TEFMA Member Institution.
Individuals from any discipline associated with property and/or facilities management in a member institution are encouraged to apply.
The ideal candidate would be operating in a supervisory capacity (staff, contractors, etc) and at a HEW/HEO 7 or NZ equivalent. or above.
Scholarships will normally be granted to an individual only once.
If the candidate is not already a member of TEFMA, then the host Institutional Member is to arrange for the candidate to become a member of TEFMA.
Scholarship applicants may be required to undertake an interview.
Applications should clearly reference the criteria provided. Words provided are a prompt only, to assist those completing an application, but are not intended to be exhaustive.
Applicants should propose a study tour research program, to visit selected Australasian institutions relevant to their area of professional practice.
A. Professional development
Applicants should describe how their proposed study tour would assist them to broaden their knowledge of a particular aspect of tertiary facilities management if they were successful in winning the Australasian Study Tour Scholarship.
Applications should include reference to institutions proposed to be visited; why they have been selected, and what the applicant hopes to learn as a result of the tour.
Applicants should include evidence of their own developing professionalism, and the potential for them to increase the positive impact they can make in property and/or facilities management in their institution as a result of this study tour.
Applications should clearly demonstrate how the scholarship will professionally benefit both themselves and their Institution.
B. Interpersonal skills development
Applications should demonstrate that the applicant is developing leadership skills in a current role, and should provide examples of:
- A workplace task or situation where you were required to show strong leadership, recognised as such by your peers and/or supervisor. Describe the attributes you needed to perform this role successfully.
- A time when you were required to show strong relationship management in a work situation, either with your peers or with your customers. Describe the attributes you needed to perform this role successfully.
Applications should demonstrate that the applicant is developing representation skills in a current role, and should provide an example of:
- A situation where you were required to represent your Department or Institution at a senior level, either within or outside the organisation. Describe the attributes you needed to perform this role successfully.
C. TEFMA Participation
Applications should demonstrate that the applicant has a continuing interest in TEFMA and appreciates the value of participating in TEFMA activities.
Applicants should demonstrate their knowledge of the mission and workings of TEFMA by referencing some or all of the following:
- Active participation you may have had with TEFMA in the past.
- Recent understanding you have developed about the activities of TEFMA.
- Ways in which you would be interested in contributing to TEFMA in the future.
- Suggestions with respect to future activities that TEFMA could undertake to expand its work in the higher education property and facilities management sector.
Instructions
1. To be considered for this scholarship you must provide the following:
- Completed application form
- Supporting materials (if any)
- Details of any additional material to be made available should the judging panel choose to make a site visit
2. All sections of the application form must be complete for an application to be considered.
3. Applications must be endorsed and signed by the relevant Institutional Member.
4. Applications must be submitted online via the Online Submission Portal.
5. Save your file name as YOURSURNAME_AWARDNAME_datesubmitted i.e. SMITH_AUSTRALASIAN_STUDY_TOUR_SCHOLARSHIP_15.05.24. Word or PDF is acceptable.
6. If you have supporting documents (up to 2 supporting documents can be uploaded), please ensure they are saved as YOURNAME_AWARD NAME_Attachment A or Attachment B i.e. i.e. SMITH_ AUSTRALASIAN_STUDY_TOUR_SCHOLARSHIP_ATTACHMENT A
7. Once you have submitted your scholarship, you will receive an automatic email within 24 hours. If you do not receive an email, please email the TEFMA Secretariat: info@tefma.com to confirm your application has been uploaded correctly.
8. Applications are due by 5pm AEST as advised on the TEFMA website unless otherwise agreed. Please contact the TEFMA Secretariat on +61 2 9431 8692 or info@tefma.com with any queries.
Be factual and positive.
It is important to provide evidence to back up your claims. As well as describing the situation you are presenting, you should cite actual examples relating to the work done, how well it was carried out, what was achieved, and how it has benefited your institution.
Responses need not be lengthy, but they should be relevant, include meaningful supporting descriptions, and should demonstrate particular characteristics, qualities or approaches that have resulted in the work making a significant contribution to your organisation.
A submission should anticipate the key points a panel member will be looking for in the responses to the scholarship criteria.
To maximise your chances of success it is important that you address the scholarship criteria to clearly identify the suitability of your application for consideration as winner of the scholarship.
When addressing the criteria you should look for things to highlight that might set you apart from other applicants.
Be clear and to the point and do not exceed word limits. Edit your responses for grammar, spelling and punctuation.
See Awards & Scholarships Key Dates here.
Congratulations to:
2023 Travel / Research Scholarship Winner:
Gary Davenport, University of Auckland
TEFMA Scholarships are valid for 2 years after the date awarded. Should the recipient leave their Institution, the Scholarship will no longer be considered valid.
