26 May 2017: The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ of Canberra has received over $1 million in gifts this week to provide scholarships for rural students and fund cancer and road safety research.
The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ has been gifted $600,000 from an anonymous donor to support young Australians from rural and remote areas access higher education. It is the single biggest gift from a living donor the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ has received in its history.
The Deepwater Undergraduate Scholarship aims to ensure that high potential students from rural and remote areas can attend university regardless of their financial circumstances.
It will be offered to undergraduate students commencing their studies at the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ of Canberra from next year, with the recipient receiving $15,000 a year for the duration of their degree.
“We are committed to student equity in higher education and this gift will ensure that more students with potential can gain access to a ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ of Canberra education,” Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Deep Saini said.
The gift will also fund two research scholarships over the next six years for PhD candidates undertaking cancer research. Recipients of the Deepwater Higher Degree Research Scholarships will receive up to $30,000 per year, with the scholarships helping advance the work by Professor in Molecular and Cellular Biology Sudha Rao and her team.
The second gift received this week will see the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ continue its research on road safety. The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ has received $432,848 from the NRMA-ACT Road Safety Trust to fund two PhD scholarships for road safety related research. The UC Foundation will also establish a Road Safety Research Fund to fund other related research activities at the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ.
Professor Saini said the funds would make a significant contribution to enhancing road safety for ACT road users.
“The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ is grateful for its long standing relationship with the NRMA-ACT Road Safety Trust and for the considerable support it has provided the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ over many years.
“Philanthropy allows a university to do what would not be possible otherwise and it is wonderful to see the growth of philanthropy at the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ with high impact gifts like these.
“I thank these donors for their generosity and belief in our ambitions,” Professor Saini concluded.
Contact the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ of Canberra media team:
Amanda Jones: 0409 140 415
Claudia Doman: 0408 826 362