Research Excellence and Inclusion Prizes

Program overview

The Research Excellence and Inclusion Prizes support the University of Sydney's commitment to developing excellent researchers relative to opportunity across all disciplines. Up to 10 Research Excellence and Inclusion Prizes are typically awarded each year.

Awardees receive:

Up to $55,000 in research funding and/or teaching relief
An academic mentor who will work with them over the course of their prize
A researcher development workshop program, which may include topics such as having difficult conversations, powerful external engagement, or how to lead teams effectively.

Who is it for?

Target audience

The program has three application streams:

Laffan (for colleagues with disabilities)
Brown (for colleagues with significant carer’s responsibilities) and
Thompson (for high-performing women seeking promotion to levels D and E).

At least one Prize will be specifically designated to supporting an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicant.

Eligibility

Scheme Guidelines outline full eligibility criteria, but key criteria include:

Academic at levels B to D (who have not applied for level E yet)
Fulfill the requirements of one of the three streams: Brown, Laffan, Thompson
Employed at least 0.5FTE (0.4FTE for the Laffan stream only) at the University of Sydney
Having a valid employment contract spanning the entire length of the program

Assessment criteria

Awards in each category will be decided by an academic panel chaired by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Researcher Training).

The key selection criteria for all streams are research excellence and the transformative potential of the award for each applicant, as outlined in the application.

Apply

Applications for the 2026 round are now closed. Join the notification list below to receive an email once the next round of the scheme opens.

Read the Research Excellence and Inclusion Prizes Guidelines (pdf, 192 kB)
Contact your Head of the School (or equivalent) before applying to establish support for the application. Please be aware that it is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain a signed letter of support. An e-signature is acceptable. Unsigned letters of support will not be considered. Refer to the guidelines for further details.
Complete the online application for the Prize and attach all required supporting documents in pdf format.
The supporting documents consist of:
- a letter of support from Head of School (or equivalent) (maximum 2 pages)
- two referee reports (Thompson applicants only, using the referee report template)
Applications for the 2026 round must be submitted by 5 pm on Wednesday 30 July 2025. Incomplete and/or late applications/supporting documents will not be accepted.

At the end of their term Research Excellence and Inclusion Prize, awardees are required to provide a final report of no more than two pages including activities, research outcomes and achievements to the Research Portfolio.

For information regarding application process, eligibility and the training that supports the award, contact researcher.development@sydney.edu.au.

Join notification list

_self

Get notified when the next round of the scheme opens in 2026.

h3

cmp-callout--informational-blue

Application documents

Testimonials from past awardees

Fantastic program and cohort that I felt honoured to be part of. (2023 Brown recipient)
It is a great program and gives confidence, which is needed a lot in the current environment. THANK YOU (2020 Thompson recipient)
Another amazing outcome of this whole program was having access to a network of high achievers in all areas at the university and opening up opportunities to work in multidisciplinary teams in the future. I am very grateful to that! (2021 Brown).
Thank you so much for this opportunity. I am so immensely grateful for the Equity prize and it has made the world of difference in my research trajectory. (2023 Brown recipient)