Foundation - ŷ��AV

Women's Health Foundation

The ŷ��AV Women’s Health Foundation supports the philanthropic initiatives of ŷ��AV in First Nations and Māori women’s health, global women’s health and women’s health research and study.

Donate to the Foundation Contact Us

What we do

The ŷ��AV Women’s Health Foundation proudly supports fellows, trainees and scientists pursuing high quality, innovative research and training or study in women’s health.

Research scholarships, fellowships and travel grants are awarded annually across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to promising researchers committed to continuous improvement in the fields of obstetrics, gynaecology, and the reproductive sciences.

The foundation strives to:

Recognise researchers at different stages of their careers and in particular young researchers, to assist them as they progress their careers
Support doctors pursuing international research opportunities in the world’s leading hospitals and institutions, as well as low-resource settings in developing countries.
Facilitate ŷ��AV’s global health activities supporting Pacific partners to build the capacity of the O&G and women’s health workforce in Pacific Island countries.

Grants and Scholarships

We award trainees, doctors, researchers and students with funds they can use for research, study, travel and activities worldwide that support ŷ��AV’s work promoting excellence in women’s health.

Learn more

Trainee in Financial Difficulty Bursary

The Foundation acknowledges the financial challenges experienced by trainees supporting Fŷ��AV and subspecialty trainees in genuine financial hardship, providing financial assistance allowing them to complete training.

Learn more

2025/2026 recipients

Congratulations!

ŷ��AV Women’s Health Foundation Grants and Scholarships, for research, study and activities that support excellence in women’s health, 2025/2026 recipients are:

Fotheringham Research Fellowship
Recipient: Dr Lindsay Kindinger
Institution: University of Western Australia Medical School – Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Project: A metagenomic interrogation of the vaginal microbiome in pregnancy and preterm birth.

Glyn White Research Fellowship (supported by William Angliss Charitable Fund)
Recipient: Dr Bianca Fato
Institution: University of Melbourne – Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health
Project: Does placental dysfunction alter placental extracellular vesicle cargo and their effects on the maternal vasculature in gestational diabetes?

Mary Elizabeth Courier Research Scholarship
Recipient: Dr Asmerom Sengal
Institution: University of Queensland – Mater Research Institute
Project: Optimisation of endometrial cancer treatment using Patient-Derived Organoids/tumouroids.

McInerney Medical Project Grant
Recipient: Dr Natasha Pritchard
Institution: University of Melbourne
Project: Implementation and validation of the Fetal Region-Specific Optimised Birthweight Standard (FROGS) – web app and clinical calculator.

ŷ��AV Fellow Research Grant
Recipient: Dr Aparna Ramachandran
Institution: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney
Project: First and second trimester prediction of spontaneous preterm birth – developing tools for identification and prevention.

ŷ��AV Trainee Research Grant
Recipient: Dr Caroline Mathias
Institution: Nepean Hospital
Project: Comparison of misoprostol and conservative approach for managing first trimester retained products of conception and use of ultrasound to predict success– an open labelled RCT.

Robert Wrigley Pain Research Scholarship
Recipient: Dr Marnie Slonim
Institution: Barwon Health, Geelong
Project: Empower: Pelvic Pain Education and Support Program. Pelvic pain education groups for women require the inclusion of a co-facilitator with lived experience of pelvic pain.

UroGynaecological Society of Australasia Research Scholarship
Recipient: Dr Siyan Ma
Institution: Monash Health
Project: Vaginal Uterosacral Suspension Versus Laparoscopic Uterosacral Suspension for Pelvic Organ Prolapse – A Prospective Patient Preference Trial.

UroGynaecological Society of Australasia Research Scholarship
Recipient: Dr Tess Nagy
Institution: St. George Hospital, Sydney
Project: Evaluating Management Preferences for Women Electing Reconstruction for stress urinary incontinence (EMPOWER study).

Brown Craig Travelling Fellowship
Recipient: Dr Inge Putri
Purpose: Study/training (IFEMEndo Academy)

Brown Craig Travelling Fellowship
Recipient: Dr Gemma Lysycia
Purpose: Paper presentation (European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy)

2024/2025 recipients

Congratulations!

The following applicants have been awarded the Women’s Health Foundation Grant and Scholarship Program research and travel awards commencing in 2025.

Mary Elizabeth Courier Research Scholarship
Recipient: Dr Monica McGauran
Institution: Mercy Hospital for Women/University of Melbourne
Project: Surgery IN MetAstatic EndomeTRial CAncer: the SINATRA study

Arthur Wilson Memorial Scholarship
Recipient: Dr Amanda Poprzeczny
Institution: The University of Adelaide
Project: Childhood health, development and educational outcomes after late preterm birth

McInerney Medical Project Grant
Recipient: Dr Lucy Bartho
Institution: University of Melbourne
Project: A new stillbirth prevention test

Glyn White Research Fellowship
Recipient: Dr Natasha Pritchard
Institution: University of Melbourne
Project: Short term outcomes for children conceived via Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) in Victoria.

ŷ��AV NSW State Committee Trainee Research Grant
Recipient: Dr Mandy Wang
Institution: Westmead Hospital
Project: Leave No Woman Behind: Implementing A Comprehensive Cervical Screening in Antenatal Care Quality Improvement Programme

ŷ��AV NSW State Committee Fellow Research Grant
Recipient: Dr Marilyn Boo
Institution: Chris O’Brien Lifehouse
Project: Comparing patient and their clinician’s perceptions of recovery in the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Program following major gynaecological oncology surgery -a quality improvement project

ŷ��AV QLD State Committee Fellow Research Grant
Recipient: Dr Aiat Shamsa
Institution: The Mercy Hospital for Women
Project: TRansvaginal Ultrasound Pre-operative ŷ��AV (TRUPT)

The Miriam O’Connor Travelling Scholarship
Recipient: Dr Siobhan Langford
Institution: National Referral Hospital, Honiara

Mercia Barnes Research Grant
Recipient: Dr Wei Lin Sung
Institution: The University of Auckland
Project: Development and Validation of a Novel 3D-Printed LLETZ Simulator: A Prospective Observational Study

Recipient: Dr Oluwatobi Eboda
Institution: University of Otago
Project: Establishing a zebrafish model for the study of genetic predisposition to polycystic ovary syndrome

Recipient: Dr Minah Ha
Institution: Auckland Hospital
Project: Retrospective cohort study of outcomes for women treated with ovarian, tubal and peritoneal cancer in Auckland 2007-2024

Donate to the Foundation

With your support we can impact the health and wellbeing of women and girls now and into the future, in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and across the Pacific.

Make a donation

Leave a lasting legacy

Consider making a bequest to the ŷ��AV Women’s Health Foundation. Your support will help us share our vision to create excellence and equity in women’s health.

Your gift to the ŷ��AV Women’s Health Foundation, will help ŷ��AV continue to provide:

Advances in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Health and Māori Women’s Health

Global women’s health initiatives, including support for training, education and research

Women’s health research opportunities for promising early-career researchers across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand

Projects supported by the Foundation

Explore some of our articles from O&G Magazine.

Brian Spurrett Oration 2024

Emeritus Professor Peter Stone delivered the Brian Spurrett Oration with support from the ŷ��AV Women’s Health Foundation.

ŷ��AV NSW State Committee Research Grants and Travel Scholarships

Dr Cansu Uzuner was awarded a $10,000 Trainee Research grant for her project ‘Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound with Pulse Inversion Technology in Gynaecology’.

Volunteering in Honiara, the Solomons – a Challenging but Worthwhile ŷ��AV Experience

Dr Siobhan Langford, a senior O&G registrar, writes about their six-month Australian Volunteers assignment.

Governance

The ŷ��AV Women’s Health Foundation is established under ŷ��AV’s Constitution and governed by the Women’s Health Foundation Committee on behalf of the ŷ��AV Board.

ŷ��AV Regulations set out the responsibilities for managing the Foundation and the remit for philanthropic activities. Funds held by the Women’s Health Foundation are held in separate bank accounts and ŷ��AV is itself a significant contributor to the funds available for Foundation philanthropic activities.

Committees

ŷ��AV Women’s Health Foundation Committee includes:

A member of the ŷ��AV Board
Representatives from both the Research, and the Aotearoa New Zealand, Grants Committees, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Health Committee, and the Global Health Committee
Community representation

Our Research Grants Committees provide expertise and assesses, through:

A defined scoring process
Applications for scholarships and grants

The Women’s Health Foundation Committee and Research Grants Committees are subject to ŷ��AV’s policies.

Committee	Terms of reference
Aotearoa New Zealand Grants Committee (AoNZGC)	Download Preview
ŷ��AV Women’s Health Foundation	Download Preview
Research Grants Committee (RGC)	Download Preview