Fellowships

Gottstein Fellowship

These unique annually awarded Fellowships continue to contribute to and build capability within the industry. They are a fitting living legacy for Bill Gottstein – the fine man whose accidental and early death prompted leading industry figures to seek to honour him with a Trust Fund that supports people to learn.

Since formation in 1971 the Gottstein Trust has awarded more 151 Fellowships. Many Fellows can attest to the lasting and important impact made by the Gottstein Fellowship for their career and professional development. You can read about these in the testimonials.

The Gottstein Fellowship is a grant that is awarded to people who work within, or associated with, the Australian wood products and forest industries. This may be anywhere at all on the value chain. A fellow is funded to conduct a research project which they have put forward. Most projects (COVID permitting) entail international travel and/or domestic travel.

The fellowship can be a powerful experience. Many fellows have told that this really set their subsequent career trajectory. All fellows will benefit from the opportunity by acquiring new knowledge, experiences and networks.

The accumulated impact of Fellowships can be deep and long lasting.

Eighty-five percent of the grant is payable to the Fellow on commencement and the remaining fifteen percent is payable within thirty days of the receipt of the final report. Copyright of the project report produced at the conclusion of the Fellows' research term is assigned to the Trust. Intellectual property created remains with the Fellow and, where applicable, their collaborators.

Lasting impacts

Gottstein Fellows benefit personally from the experience and their professional capacity grows, which is also beneficial for the industry. Fellows are expected to proactively communicate their project findings upon submitting their final report. This spirit of passing on learnings achieved by virtue of support by the Trust Fund is an important element of the Fellowship

Requirements

There is not a formal educational requirement for Gottstein Fellowship applicants. However, applicants should demonstrate a strong commitment to the wood products or forestry industry through academic and professional achievements and career goals. They should also be excellent communicators with the ability to write clear reports and be willing to speak at seminars and industry events.

Read Gottstein Fellowship General Terms and Conditions
Read Frequently asked questions

Project Topics

The project topic for Fellowship applications are entirely up to the applicant and each is considered on its merits by the Trustees.

By way of example quite diverse topics along the lines of these listed below might be able to be considered. This range of topics is by no means exhaustive. Applicants are expected to bring original thoughts forward with a suitable topic that they have reason believe is important to advance the industry.

• Market development (especially Asian market opportunities)
• Excellence in manufacturing processes
• Opportunities for engineered wood products in building systems
• Plantation or native forest management or monitoring innovations to achieve multiple objectives
• Forestry and climate change
• Innovations in wood supply
• Forest monitoring or site management technology
• Farm forestry – more trees are needed for Australia’s wood supply
• Bushfire regeneration/mitigation
• Industry safety and workforce issues
• Green building materials
• Forests, wood and bioenergy
• Forecasting consumer preferences
• and so on.

Application

Applicants should provide the following to apply for a Gottstein Fellowship:

1. Complete the online application form including uploading all necessary additional documents
2. Submit their covering letter demonstrating abilities and commitment to the industry. They must provide an outline of the planned project covering;
   • Project title
   • Background
   • Industry need/value to industry (include dollar values where appropriate)
   • Project activities
   • How this project fits in with your current work activities and how it will assist your career development
   • Proposed itinerary
   • Estimated total cost (give as much detail as possible) and what proportion is requested from the Gottstein Trust
   • Communication of project results to broader industry
   • Post Fellowship benefits to yourself and to the Australian industry.
3. Submit their current curriculum vitae.

>>> Apply online

Application open and closing dates

The 2024 application round will commence on Monday 5th August. Applications can be sent in at any point between then and the closing date of Friday 4th October 2024.

The application round will be publicised in industry newsletters and industry media, on this website and on LinkedIn .

Applications are usually open for a two-month period. Late applications will generally NOT be considered. People considering applying are encouraged to make contact to discuss their project before lodging the written application.

To discuss your project concept or for other queries, please email the Gottstein Management Team at: team@gottsteintrust.org

Tel:  +61 (0) 419-991-424.

Selection

Applications for each category are considered by the Trustees and applicants are then shortlisted for interviews. The interviews are expected to be conducted in the week commencing 21st October 2024. Interviews are usually conducted on Zoom. The final selection process usually concludes about one month after the date that applications close.

For further information please contact the Gottstein Management Team.