Royal Commonwealth Society

(ACT Branch)

Phyllis Montgomerie Commonwealth Award

Applications for the 2027 Award are now open

Complete every required section of this online form and submit it by 5:00 pm (AEDT) on Friday 23 October 2026.

Background

The Phyllis Montgomerie Commonwealth Award is open to Australian citizens or permanent residents who are undertaking a research or educational project in a Commonwealth country, including Australia, under the auspices of an institution in the Australian Capital Territory.

The Award provides financial assistance for the project, for example for travel, accommodation or data collection. The 2027 Award will be up to $5,000.

The Award has been made possible by a bequest from the estate of the late Mrs Phyllis Montgomerie OAM, a former President and Life Member of the Royal Commonwealth Society ACT Branch who died in 2011. Mrs Montgomerie was a lifelong advocate for social justice. The bequest is administered by the Council of the Royal Commonwealth Society ACT Branch, which appoints the Award Selection Panel. The Panel makes a recommendation to the RCS Council on a preferred recipient.

Members of the Selection Panel share extensive experience in academic, national and international affairs and humanitarian work in Australia and overseas.

Award Guidelines

Prospective applicants should be mindful that the work of the Royal Commonwealth Society, as a civil society organisation and a charity, is directed towards improving the lives and prospects of people throughout the Commonwealth. Projects of interest to the RCS are wide-ranging across many fields, including education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, social justice, development, governance and inter-country relationships.

Applicants should identify how their projects could benefit Commonwealth citizens or countries, in terms of practical outcomes or by adding to existing knowledge, for example about that country’s history.

Applicants are required to answer all questions within the specified word limit. Failure to do so may result in an application being disqualified.

The successful applicant will need to provide a witnessed acquittal statement on how the funds were spent and be prepared to report back to the Society on the outcomes of the project.

The Society’s work is guided by the Commonwealth Charter.

Timetable and Submission

Applications must reach the RCS before 5:00 pm (AEDT) on Friday 23 October 2026.

This page is the online application method. Complete and submit the form below; do not also submit the downloadable PDF. Applicants who prefer the PDF method can return to the Awards page.

We recommend keeping a separate copy of your responses. Squarespace’s online form states the word limits but may not prevent an over-limit response, so please check each answer carefully before submitting.