Churchill Fellowship information session: First Nations

​To inspire your application for the 2023 Churchill Fellowship round, the Churchill Trust, in partnership with our Churchill Fellows, will be delivering virtual information sessions throughout February 2023.

​First Nations

​​In this session join host Olympic gold medalist and former Senator Nova Peris, and Churchill Fellows Alphonsus Shields and Donisha Duff as they share their Fellowship experiences, impart insights on their fascinating projects and motivate you with what they have achieved since returning to Australia. You will also be able to engage in a live Q&A and gain helpful advice on how to apply.

​Meet our speakers for this session

​Alphonsus Shields was born and grew up in Darwin Northern Territory (NT) Australia, he is of mixed First Nations heritage, Aboriginal (Nyikina Western Australia) and Torres Strait Islander (Boigu Island) with some European/Malaysian lineages. Currently employed as a Senior Constable with the NT Police in Australia, his passions and focus are advancing First Nations peoples to promote into Senior Government positions, across all forms of Government.

​Alphonsus was awarded The ANZSOG Churchill Fellowship to promote indigenous employees groups in middle management positions within government in 2019. You can learn more about Alphonsus here.

​Donisha Duff has dedicated her life to improving the lives of others, with a strong background in health, education and youth support. Donisha is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman from Thursday Island and her family descend from the Moa and Badu Islands, and the Yadhaigana and Wuthathi people. Donisha has over 20 years of experience in health policy, planning and management and currently works as Chief Operations Officer at the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH).

​Donisha was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2015 to investigate chronic kidney disease programs for Aboriginal First Nations people. You can learn more about Donisha here.

​Applying for a Churchill Fellowship

​​A Churchill Fellowship is a life-changing opportunity to travel overseas to explore a topic or an issue you are passionate about. We encourage applications from all sectors of the community and in any field or topic of interest.

​​To learn more about how you can become a Churchill Fellow, visit our website churchillfellowships.com.au.  Applications open Wednesday 1 March 2023.