Auto Skills Australia Churchill Fellowships: Apply now

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust has been awarding fellowships to Australians since 1965, and this year it has added a new category, the Auto Skills Australia Churchill Fellowship.

Fellowship winners are funded to take a 4 to 8 week trip overseas, to investigate a topic or issue they are passionate about.

The driving force behind this, as with other Churchill Fellowships, is to ‘increase industry expertise and knowledge for the benefit of the automotive sector and allied industries’. In this addition to Churchill Fellowships the Trust is picking up from where the Auto Skills Australia program left off, having closed in 2016.

‘Through this Fellowship, we hope to encourage the attitudes and attributes that have underpinned Australia’s success in this industry, and inspire, facilitate and celebrate ongoing innovation, quality, productivity and resilience as the industry continues to expand into the future,’ said Adam Davey, CEO of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

Here’s Adam providing an overview of what a Churchill Fellowship is, the sort of projects that fit the brief, along with who can apply.

Project scope

Given that the automotive industry is now a piece of the larger smart mobility picture, and in some instances acquiring or building businesses such as ride sharing, e-bikes and scooters, or involving themselves in work in smart cities, the scope for projects is broad.

Also broad are those industries allied with the automotive industry, as suggested on the Fellowship’s site:

… manufacturing, retail, service, repair, recycling, administration and management of, and infrastructure to support light and heavy passenger and commercial vehicles (cars, buses, trucks and trailers); specialised vehicles such as fire engines, emergency service vehicles and street sweepers; heavy vehicles used in mobile plant machinery (mining and construction), agriculture and road transport; and bicycles, motorcycles, marine, and outdoor power equipment.

One successful applicant from the 2018 Churchill Fellowship intake is someone iMOVE interviewed recently, smart city advocate Zoe Eather (pictured above). Right now Zoe is travelling in the USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, Spain, UK, and South Africa. Zoe’s trip has the aim of learning how to accelerate the integration of smart mobility to enable more liveable Australian communities.

‘My Fellowship has allowed me to start a global conversation about smart mobility concepts, such as self-driving cars and Mobility as a Service, and bring back learnings of benefit for Australia,’ said Zoe.

“A Churchill Fellowship is a life-changing experience available to Australians from all walks of life, and given the wide-reaching scope of the automotive industry the new Auto Skills Australia Churchill Fellowships have the potential to make a significant impact on many Australians. We welcome all those passionate about their work in this sector to apply”, said Mr Davey.

How to apply

Visit the Auto Skills Australia Churchill Fellowship page to find out more about the Fellowship, eligibility, and to apply online. Applications close at 5.00pm AEST, Tuesday 30 April 2019.

Up to three fellowships will be awarded in 2019. Final selections will be announced mid-September 2019.

Along with the Fellowship prize, successful applicants will receive ‘foundation skills training, ongoing support, mentoring, and financial assistance for disseminating findings when they return.’