RIRDC Rural Women's Award Background

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Award Background

What is the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award?

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award is Australia’s pre-eminent Award that recognises and encourages rural women’s contribution to primary industries, resource development and rural Australia.

While the Award acknowledges past achievements, it is focused on the future and provides rural women with financial and practical support to implement their visions for primary industries and rural Australia, and to enhance their leadership and representative capacities.

The Award provides an amazing opportunity to further your own professional development, to make a tangible difference and to inspire others. You could become one of the seven state and territory winners and go on to become the Australian winner.
But the Award is much more than just winning a title. It is a life changing experience that will open up a positive and powerful network of like-minded women across the country who are passionate about primary industries and rural Australia.

Who can enter?

The Award is open to all women involved in primary industries and resource development. Don’t be shy about entering yourself, many people do and we encourage you to. You can also nominate someone provided you have their written consent. You don’t need formal qualifications to enter.

What is the bursary?

The Award is very clearly a leadership and capacity building initiative that is designed to help build your skills and assist you to contribute more effectively to leadership and decision making in primary industries.

The $10,000 bursary is the major prize for each state and territory winner to support your professional development, by providing you with the resources to develop your vision into a new project or initiative that will benefit primary industries and rural Australia.

Examples of some of the initiatives the bursary CAN be used for include:

Formal training in leadership and business management
Overseas study tours
Networking at forums and conferences to grow your knowledge of industries, innovations and markets
Developing educational and promotional campaigns
Developing training programs and information technology initiatives
Publishing books
Examples of what you CANNOT use the bursary for are:
Buying capital equipment (without explicit approval from RIRDC)
Further education such as a Masters or Doctorate degree.

How do I enter or nominate someone?

To enter: Complete the entry form and attach your answers addressing each of the selection criteria.

(you can download the Application Brochure and Entry Form in pdf form. To download the Entry form in Word 2007 click here.)

To nominate someone: Please contact your relevant state coordinator for directions.

Remember to include the names and details of TWO REFEREES. We will only contact your referees if your application makes it to the final round. Mark your entry ‘PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL’ and send it to your state or territory contact.

What is the process from here?

Nominations open on 1st August 2010 and close on World Rural Women’s Day—15th October 2010
Applicants will be short-listed and interviewed in each state and territory.
Successful applicants will be announced at formal state presentation events
Award winners AND runners-up will be invited to attend the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course in Canberra.
State and territory winners will be interviewed by a national selection panel for the title of the Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2011 winner and runner-up who will be announced at the Award’s national celebratory dinner in May 2011 in Canberra during the week of the Company Directors Course.

What is RIRDC?

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation is an Australian Government Statutory Authority. Our mission is to maximise knowledge outcomes for industry and government from our R&D investments.

The Rural Women’s Award is a RIRDC initiative in partnership with relevant state and territory agencies who manage the Award at a state and territory level. National partners are the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. National sponsors are ABC Radio, Rural Press Ltd and Westpac Banking Corporation.

Your responsibilities to RIRDC

State and territory Award winners will need to sign a contract with RIRDC and will also need to submit a formal report at the end of their tenure on their Award activities and how the bursary was used. RIRDC will seek reimbursement of the bursary if the report is not provided. State and territory RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2011 winners and runners-up can expect to be interviewed by media and where practical, attend and speak at relevant public functions.

Additional financial support will be given to the Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2011 winner and runner-up to assist with speaking engagements. RIRDC and relevant state/territory agencies reserve ‘non exclusive’ rights to publish material generated from successful applicants’ involvement in the Award and from the bursary outcomes.

For further information contact Edwina Clowes, RIRDC Rural Women's Award National Coordinator. Phone: 0417 727 544.
Email: clowesedwina@bigpond.com