29 Jul 2012
The oil and gas industry relies on cutting-edge technology, sound science and the continual expansion of knowledge. Advanced education and the recruitment and retention of high-calibre professionals are essential to the industry’s continued success.
The industry is committed to encouraging excellence in studies relevant to oil and gas. In July, I had the pleasure of presenting two outstanding students with APPEA undergraduate engineering scholarships, and APPEA is now calling for applications for two generous postgraduate scholarships.
The Tony Noon Memorial Scholarship
APPEA is currently seeking applications from students intending to study for honours, Masters or PhD degrees at an Australian university for the award of a one-off grant to a maximum value of $3000.
The Tony Noon fund is aimed at helping students who are aspiring to, or considering, a career in upstream petroleum in any discipline directly related to the industry. This could include – but is not restricted to – exploration, safety, engineering, environmental management, economic or legal areas.
The KA Richards Scholarship
The KA Richards Scholarship was established in 1989 to encourage professional development to the benefit of the industry. The scholarship is tenable for one year for Masters study, or for three years full time for a doctoral degree, or for an appropriate length of part-time study.
The scholarship is available to Australian residents for study in Australia and is for a maximum of $10,000 per year. Funds can be used for living expenses, travel, materials, laboratory or computer services, or fees.
Applications for The Tony Noon and KA Richards scholarships close on Monday 27 August.
For more information on applying for these awards (and the benefits and conditions associated with them), see this webpage.
APPEA Engineering Scholarships
In addition to the Tony Noon and KA Richards scholarships, APPEA also offers generous scholarships for promising engineering students.
The 2012 APPEA Engineering Scholarships were awarded at APPEA’s Oil and Gas Workforce Development & Productivity Conference in Darwin in July.
The two scholarships available are applicable in any field of engineering for undergraduate degrees and cover the remaining duration of the recipient’s studies for up to five years full-time or the equivalent in part-time study.
One scholarship is specifically for Indigenous Australians, the other is open to all Australian residents who are starting or undertaking an engineering degree in Australia relevant to the oil and gas industry.
The award for each scholarship is for $5000 per year up to a maximum of five years full-time or part-time equivalent. Additional funding of up to $5000 per annum is available for the Indigenous Australian Scholarship recipient for agreed mentoring services. Both awards are sponsored by Brunel Energy.
The scholarships also include the expectation that paid vacation work experience will be provided with an APPEA member oil and gas operating company within Australia, giving the recipients the opportunity to earn more money and – more importantly – to get a head start on their careers.
The winners of the 2012 APPEA engineering scholarships were Venus Tran and Alex Dyball.
Venus is in the second year of her engineering degree at the University of Western Australia, while Alex is a Year 12 student at Toowoomba’s Downlands College who plans to enrol in the University of Southern Queensland’s engineering program next year.
I was very pleased to join Brunel Energy Director, Paul Smith, in presenting these two outstanding students with their scholarships. I expect that Venus and Alex will go on to make their marks in the industry.
APPEA takes a keen interest in education and is pleased to assist students with a strong interest in the oil and gas industry.
APPEA’s management and Board look forward to receiving applications for the Tony Noon and KA Richards scholarships so that we can assist other outstanding students.
David Byers is APPEA’s Chief Executive.