An Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or Māori public servant will receive a fully-funded place in one of ANZSOG’s 2024 foundation programs, which includes the Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA), through the 2024 ANZSOG First Nations scholarship.

Applications for the 2024 Scholarship open on 31 May and close on 6 October 2023.

This second ANZSOG scholarship was announced at the First Peoples to All Peoples conference in Meanjin Brisbane in March 2023, and is part of ANZSOG’s commitment to building capability in First Nations administration and lifting the number of potential First Nations leaders in all levels of the public sector.

This scholarship will help to build the capacity of First Nations leadership within the public sector and give the recipient a career-changing opportunity.

The recipient of the scholarship will be able to choose any ANZSOG foundation program: the EMPA, Towards Strategic Leadership, the Executive Fellows Program, or the Deputies Leadership Program, and have all academic costs covered.

The inaugural scholarship was awarded in 2021 to Victorian public servant Brenda McDermott, a proud Palawa woman from the Manegin Community of North West Tasmania. She began the two-year EMPA program in 2022.

Applicants for the scholarship must Identify as either Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or Māori and be currently working in the public sector in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand, and are expected to remain in the public service for the period of their scholarship.

Applications for the Scholarship are now open and close on 6 October. Full criteria for the scholarship are available here and FAQs can be found here.