Call for Applications - IRSPM Jenny M Lewis Conference Travel Award 2027
Dear IRSPM members, colleagues and friends,
IRSPM is pleased to announce the inaugural call for applications for the IRSPM Jenny M Lewis Conference Travel Award 2027.
Established in 2026, the award supports one Australian Early Career Researcher (ECR) to attend and present their research at the IRSPM Annual Conference. The award is named in honour of Professor Jenny M Lewis, an internationally recognised public policy and management scholar and the recipient of several awards for her scholarship, including the IRSPM Routledge Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award will be presented for the first time in 2027. Applications will be assessed by a committee comprising the IRSPM Awards Coordinator and two IRSPM Board members, based on the scholarly contribution of the applicant’s accepted abstract.
Value of the Award
The successful applicant may receive up to AUD 6,000 towards the following eligible expenses:
- Conference registration;
- One return economy airfare;
- Conference-related accommodation; and
- Conference-related local transport and meals.
Eligible expenses will be reimbursed upon submission of the required invoices and receipts, subject to the maximum value of the award.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet all the following requirements:
- Be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident.
- Be an Early Career Researcher who was awarded a PhD fewer than five years ago. Eligible career interruptions will be taken into account.
- Be currently based in Australia and employed by an Australian university on a fixed-term or ongoing basis.
- Be the first or sole author of an abstract accepted for presentation at the 2027 IRSPM Annual Conference. If an applicant has more than one accepted abstract, the Award Committee will assess the application based on the abstract it considers the strongest.
- Not have access to alternative university or research-grant funding to support travel to the conference.
Currently enrolled PhD students and current IRSPM Board members are not eligible for this award.
IRSPM reserves the right not to award the prize in any given year.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted by email to awards@irspm.org.
Applications must include:
- A digital copy of the accepted abstract or abstracts; and
- Evidence of eligibility, including:
- PhD award date;
- Current employment status;
- Australian citizenship or permanent residency; and
- Confirmation that the applicant does not have access to alternative university or research-grant funding for conference travel.
Please include “IRSPM Jenny M Lewis Conference Travel Award 2027 – “Applicant’s full name” in the subject line of your email.
Key Dates
- Application deadline: 15 January 2027
- Selection of the award recipient: By 31 January 2027
- Notification of the successful applicant: Early February 2027
- Conference: IRSPM Conference 2027, 28 – 30 April 2027, Trondheim, Norway
- Deadline for submission of invoices and receipts: By Moday 31 May 2026
We look forward to receiving your applications.
IRSPM Awards Coordinator
Phuc Nguyen
on behalf of the IRSPM Awards Committe