Sandy Duncanson Volunteering Scholarship

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Overview

Alexander (Sandy) Duncanson died in June 2010 at the age of 37, after living with cancer for sixteen years. Sandy was a graduate of the Faculty of Law at the University of Tasmania. Strongly influenced by his experience as a law student visiting asylum seekers at Woomera Detention Centre in 2002, Sandy’s professional life was dedicated to advancing social justice. Sandy was widely respected for his work in the community legal and housing sectors, where he acted as an advocate for the vulnerable. The family and friends of Sandy Duncanson have worked with University staff who taught or knew Sandy to raise money to establish an endowed fund in his name, to provide support to students passionate about social justice in perpetuity.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to connect with Anja Hilkemeijer (anja.hilkemeijer@utas.edu.au) This will provide the applicant with support to describe the social justice project / activity or greater social justice impact through increased volunteering.

Eligibility

Please note: This scholarship is part of the Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Fund and offers two distinct opportunities—one for a social justice project or activity and one for expanding on a current volunteering commitment. While applicants may apply for both, only one scholarship will be awarded across the two options.

Please also see the Sandy Duncanson Project Scholarship.

Applicants must explain how receiving the scholarship would allow them to increase the impact of their current volunteer work.

  • The applicant must:
    • Already be volunteering with an established organisation (for a minimum of 1 year).
    • Be contributing to social justice outcomes.
Required Documents for this option:
  • Volunteer Position Description – Outline of the applicant’s current volunteering role.
  • Letter of Support – From the organisation the applicant is volunteering with.
  • Budget Outline – Indicating how many additional hours the scholarship would support.
  • Impact Statement – Description of:
    • How increased volunteering will impact the applicant’s life.
    • How it will enhance broader social justice outcomes.
For further information in relation to achieving greater social justice impact through increased volunteering contact: James Brann (Pro Vice-Chancellor, Student Equity and Success) - james.brann@utas.edu.au

The Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Fund links closely with the annual Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Lecture which invites eminent speakers to address the subject of social justice and related matters.
For previous Lecture speakers click here.

On-going Eligibility

  • The successful applicant for this scholarship will be expected to provide a short written update report halfway through their project and make a short (5 minute) presentation at the Annual Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Lecture.
  • Achieve a minimum Pass result in all units studied each semester

Amount

Up to $6,000

Duration

One year

Opening Date

29 August 2025

Closing Date

31 March 2026

Apply

Apply online prior to closing date. Applications cannot be submitted after closing date.
As applicants will be assessed on the quality of application, all questions should be answered in full. Please ensure care is taken with spelling and grammar.

Application status

Closed


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