36 more early career academics will be given the chance to broaden their networks and expand their knowledge as beneficiaries of the second tranche of Early Career Academic Grants, funded by the ACU.

To mark its Centenary, the ACU committed to awarding a total of 100 Early Career Academic Grants of up to GBP 2,000, enabling emerging academics – who have not yet had the opportunity to work or study outside their own region – to attend relevant conferences or academic meetings abroad.

The programme ties in with an ACU focus on assisting member institutions in attracting, retaining and developing their early career academic staff.

‘This distinctive programme has attracted a huge response, confirming the number of high quality staff in early stages of their careers who could benefit from the international exposure that they currently lack,’ Dr John Kirkland, Deputy Secretary General of the ACU, said of the grant programme.

‘We hope that these awards, although small, will have a disproportionate impact on their recipients at this critical stage of their development,' he added. 

The 36 hail from universities across 12 Commonwealth countries, with academics from Nigeria, the United Kingdom and Kenya comprising more than half of this round’s awardees. Destinations include India, Tanzania and Canada.

Mrs Melanie Moen, a lecturer at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, will use her grant to attend a conference in the United Kingdom at the University of West England.

‘I want to contribute to a field in which little research has been done, therefore I am going to talk to experts in England on the subject before I come home and start my research,’ she said. ‘I hope to use some of my new knowledge in designing a practical assignment for my students, as well as refine my PhD research focus’.

These latest 36 awardees join the 20 academics from the previous round of grants announced in July of last year.

Mr Khurram Shahzad of Riphah International University’s Information Services department was one of the first of the 20 awardees. He spent a week in Singapore attending the 2013 World Library and Information Congress.

‘There were many thought-provoking presentations, interesting poster sessions and exciting discussions. I left the conference, inspired to develop more knowledge... I returned [to Pakistan] with new and useful ideas that I am sure I'll be able to use in my day-to-day job.

‘The ACU Early Career Academic Grant is one of my greatest achievements. It has helped me, to a great extent, in improving my knowledge and experience.’

The third round of applications for eligible staff at all ACU member institutions will open shortly.

The press release containing the full list of winners can be found here.