Forrest Creative Fellowships are open to candidates from all countries and all creative and performing arts disciplines.

Applicants will have a track record of proven academic excellence and will have already made significant personal contributions to their discipline. They will have gained high-level experience with a research component through studying and researching in a number of different institutions, and have professional experience in the creative arts or performing arts sector.

There are two Creative Fellowships available at any of the five Western Australia universities, including Curtin

• Future Students

• Faculty of Humanities

• Staff/Post-doctoral

• Australian Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident
• New Zealand Citizen
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa
• International Student

• Merit Based

The Fellowship provides: 

• A salary consistent with a Level A Step 8 appointment
• Accommodation allowance of $25,116 per annum in 2025 to live at Forrest Hall, on the banks of the Swan River
• A one-off research and travel allowance of up to $12,000
• Relocation allowance, including economy airfare to Perth

2

Forrest Creative Fellowships are open to students of any creative discipline. Previous awardees have included musicians, composers, writers, dancers, film makers and photographers. 

Applicants for these fellowships will normally be expected to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• A track record of proven academic excellence, such as a PhD or first class Honours (or equivalent).
• Completion of an undergraduate degree (with Honours) within the past eight years (2017 or after), or Masters degree within past five years (2020 or after), or PhD within past two years (2023 or after).
• Completion of a research component in an Honours, Masters or PhD program within a creative arts/performing arts discipline, or proven practitioner research experience and achievements.
• A minimum of three years professional experience in the creative arts/performing arts sector. This could be cumulative across a number of professional contracts/appointments. 

Applications will close on 8 September 2025. Applicants will need to submit a completed application form, CV, grants and awards list and contact details for three referees (at least two academic). 

For more information about the fellowships, please visit see the Forrest Research Foundation website: https://forrestresearch.org.au/creative-fellowships/ 

To be eligible to take up a Forrest Research Foundation Creative Fellowship, an awardee must:

a) have been offered and accepted an employment contract at a Western Australian university. The Forrest Foundation will liaise with the nominated university to issue the employment contract to successful applicants.
b) take up the Forrest Creative Fellowship and commence employment at the relevant university within 12 months of being awarded the Creative Fellowship.
d) agree to reporting their progress to the Forrest Research Foundation Director each year.

Louise Renwick, Program and Partnerships Coordinator, Forrest Research Foundation

admin@forrestresearch.org.au

The Mission of the Forrest Research Foundation is to create a world-leading collaborative centre of research and scholarship in Western Australia.  

The Foundation supports over 60 PhD scholars and postdoctoral fellows and their families, who bring their talents and creativity from all parts of the world to Western Australia to conduct ground-breaking research. 

Our researchers pursue everything from ‘blue sky research’ to projects focused on commercialisation and policy.

We have no defining theme but draw researchers from across disciplines. Our essential selection criteria are excellence, engagement and curiosity.

https://forrestresearch.org.au/