Strategic Grants for Outstanding Women

The Melbourne Medical School’s Strategic Grants for Outstanding Women is an initiative supporting early and mid-career women in academia.

About the Scheme

Launched in 2019, the Strategic Grants for Outstanding Women (SGOW) support high-performing early and mid-career women in academia to advance towards senior academic and leadership roles.

Offered biennially, the scheme provides support over a two-year period for activities that enhance academic capability, productivity, and profile, with the intention of progressing recipients’ careers.

The SGOW scheme is administered by the Melbourne Medical School and generously supported by our health service partners.

Questions can be directed to the MMS Research Support Team:
mms-research@unimelb.edu.au.

2025 Round

The 2025 round of the Strategic Grants for Outstanding Women offers funding of up to $30,000 per annum for up to two years (maximum award value: $60,000). A minimum of eight grants will be awarded.

The funding period will commence on 1 January 2026.

Ready to Apply?

Applications must be submitted online via SmartyGrants.

Apply Now

Key dates

Wednesday 4 June

Applications open

Friday 4 July

Applications close 5:00pm

October

Expected notification of funding outcomes

Thursday 1 January 2026

Funding period commences

Further Information

Grant Recipients

  • For more detailed profiles of our recipients please see the 2023 SGOW recipients page.

    Dr Yasmine Ali Abdelhamid

    Department of Critical Care, Melbourne Medical School
    Melbourne Health

    Dr Charlotte Indermaur Denniston

    Department of Medical Education, Melbourne Medical School

    Associate Professor Kimberley Haines

    Department of Critical Care, Melbourne Medical School
    Western Health

    Associate Professor Jessica Howell

    Department of Medicine, Melbourne Medical School
    St Vincent's Health Australia

    Associate Professor Belinda McClaren

    Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne Medical School

    Associate Professor Rosalind McDougall

    Department of Surgery, Melbourne Medical School

    Dr Elizabeth Paratz

    Department of Medicine, Melbourne Medical School
    St Vincent's Health Australia

    Dr Sheila Patel

    Department of Medicine, Melbourne Medical School

    Associate Professor Michelle Peate

    Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health, Melbourne Medical School

    Dr Laura Ross

    Department of Medicine, Melbourne Medical School
    St Vincent's Health Australia

    Associate Professor Joanne Said

    Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health, Melbourne Medical School
    Western Health

    Dr Emily See

    Department of Critical Care, Melbourne Medical School
    Melbourne Health

    Dr Nicole Van Bergen

    Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne Medical School
    Murdoch Children's Research Institute

    Dr Jessica Vanslambrouck

    Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne Medical School
    Murdoch Children's Research Institute

  • For more detailed profiles of our recipients please see the 2021 SGOW recipients page.

    Associate Professor Lauren Ayton

    Department of Surgery, Melbourne Medical School

    Dr Ada Cheung

    Department of Medicine, Melbourne Medical School

    Dr Maria Di Biase

    Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Medical School

    Dr Leonie Griffiths

    Department of Medical Education, Melbourne Medical School
    Northern Health

    Dr Gabrielle Haeusler

    Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne Medical School
    Murdoch Children's Research Institute (co-funded)

    Dr Sarah Hanieh

    Department of Infectious Diseases, Melbourne Medical School

    Dr Jess Heerde

    Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne Medical School
    Murdoch Children's Research Institute (co-funded)

    Associate Professor Lisa Hui

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School
    Northern Health

    Dr Rachel McQuade

    Department of Medicine, Melbourne Medical School
    Western Health

    Dr Jing Wang

    Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne Medical School 
    Murdoch Children's Research Institute (co-funded)

  • For more detailed profiles of our recipients please see the 2019 SGOW recipients page.

    Dr Katie Ayers

    Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne Medical School
    Murdoch Children's Research Institute (co-funded)

    Associate Professor Penelope Bryant

    Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne Medical School
    Murdoch Children's Research Institute (co-funded)

    Dr Lisa Cheshire

    Department of Medical Education, Melbourne Medical School

    Associate Professor Kate Drummond

    Department of Surgery, Melbourne Medical School

    Dr Amy Gray

    Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne Medical School

    Dr Amanda Gwee

    Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne Medical School

    Associate Professor Natalie Hannan

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School

    Dr Yasmin Jayasinghe

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne Medical School