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The Vice-Chancellor's Childcare Support Fund for Women Researchers

The Vice-Chancellor's Childcare Support Fund enables women researchers who are staff at UNSW with childcare responsibilities to attain and/or sustain national and subsequently, international, research careers.

Under this program, UNSW assists women researchers financially to participate in prestigious national or international conferences, workshops or symposia associated with, and essential to, their research programs. It is dedicated to funding extraordinary childcare costs only. For example, it will pay for employment of an additional child-carer, or for travel, such as airfare for a grandparent from interstate or overseas to look after children.

The funds are given primarily to support the attendance of women staff of UNSW at prestigious national or international conferences that are held interstate, or conferences that are held overseas.

The Vice-Chancellor's Childcare Support Fund is not a substitute for existing childcare costs, nor does it provide assistance for staff undertaking a Special Studies Program (see SSP guidelines for financial assistance under 'Exceptional Circumstances').

Grants are available to women researchers from both academic staff and research-only general staff who are employed full-time and part-time at UNSW. Both tenured and untenured researchers may apply. Staff on a fixed term appointment may also apply. Consideration of applications from casual staff will be at the discretion of assessors.

Under the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act, UNSW is permitted to positively discriminate where an EEO group has suffered disadvantage in the past. This measure is designed to assist female research staff in an area that has been identified as restricting career development opportunities.

The next round of applications will close in early April 1999, for conferences, workshops and activities to be held in the second half of 1999. A call for applications will be made in Uniken in early November. If you wish to obtain information on criteria and application processes, forms may be obtained by emailing:Pamela O'Hara.