FLEET’s ‘pandemic and you’ survey confirmed that our students worried about future career prospects, due partly to a potential post-2020 reduction in research positions. They also worried about their individual competitiveness due to lab closures and reduced productivity.

To help bridge the gap and ensure that students are well placed to transition into the next phase of their research training, FLEET created PhD write-up scholarships for students affected by the restrictions in response to Covid-19.

FLEET alum Dr Hareem Khan used FLEET's write-up scholarship to finish off papers under review, compensating for lab closures and home-schooling.

Up to three months’ support allows students to continue writing-up papers and/or finish projects after submitting their PhD and while waiting on examiners. To date, four students have accessed the FLEET write-up scholarships.

“You have no idea what a relief the scholarship is for me!” says FLEET PhD student Hareem Khan. “Due to lab closures, I have not been able to finish off some lab work for some collaborative papers. And Covid-19 restrictions have really drawn out the end part of my PhD. I eventually submitted my thesis in July but it has been very stressful trying to fulfil revisions for a Nature Communications publication while home-schooling a seven-year-old, caring for a 10-month-old baby as well as searching for a postdoctoral position”.

Hareem used her write-up scholarship to finish off two papers that were under review, and is currently in the process of drafting two additional publications. She has recently secured a postdoctoral position within the CSIRO energy division.