What is Elevate?
Elevate is funded by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) and aims to address gender inequities in STEM.
Elevate Program Strategy
Our vision for the Elevate: Boosting Women in STEM Program is an inclusive and equitable STEM sector where women can collaborate, lead and excel in academia and industry.
The mission of the Elevate: Boosting Women in STEM Program is to support diverse women to become successful and innovative leaders, decision-makers and role models in STEM, drawing on the networks, resources and supports of academia and industry, who themselves inspire and support girls and women to enter and thrive in STEM.
Elevate is designed to address four strategic goals:
Elevate women into leadership
Scholars will be supported to develop and strengthen their leadership skills, business acumen and networks, and to elevate their profiles and influence; enabling them to effect positive change.
Support women to access and foster industry-academia collaborations
In collaboration with partners and stakeholders, scholars will be offered professional and personal development opportunities to support career development and foster productive industry collaborations targeting priority areas and disciplines.
Equitable and inclusive support for under-represented women to pursue STEM education and careers
Develop a diverse group of scholars to be inclusive, collaborative, and industry-minded. Provide scholarships for women to access STEM study, careers and leadership opportunities who have not traditionally had access to these pathways.
Growth, sustainability and effective delivery
The program will be delivered in an impactful, evidence-based and proactive way to the highest standard. Through co-investment and partnerships, the program can expand to award more scholarships. If you or your organisation is interested in co-investing contact our Partnerships team.
How will Elevate achieve its aims?
The Elevate Program has been co-designed by the STEM ecosystem around three pillars – Education and impact, Skills Building and Leadership.
Pillar 1: Education & Impact
Through cross-sector research and education, with real-world exposure and experience in industry. Elevate scholars will become Australia’s future leaders in STEM research, product development, commercialisation and manufacturing. Pillar 1 provides opportunities to connect and/or study with diverse partner organisations as well as receive an understanding of the broader STEM ecosystem. Elevate scholars will also be introduced to the industry sector and have access to expert commercialisation and IP guidance when relevant to their studies. Connections will be facilitated between Elevate scholars and partner organisations to allow for exchange of knowledge, ideas and expert advice on fostering impactful, transformational collaborations.
Elevate scholars will be supported with regular mentoring and have access to online professional development. Elevate scholars will be supported with tiered professional development, business training, mentoring and networking throughout each year of their degree. These opportunities will be provided in collaboration with our partners. Pillar 2 will provide industry-relevant skills, business acumen and capabilities to engage, collaborate, transition and network throughout the STEM ecosystem. This will include sessions that provide an understanding of the different aspects of innovation pipeline, as well as the startup ecosystem and entrepreneurship. They will also have opportunities to attend national conferences and symposia that aim to bring leaders from industry and academia alongside rising stars within the STEM sector to innovate and collaborate.
Pillar 3: Leadership
Elevate will also increase the influence and profile of women in STEM, accelerating their career trajectory into leadership. and enabling them to develop board and executive leadership skills including governance and strategy. Pillar 3 will allow scholars to establish influential networks by connecting with ATSE’s Fellows, Awardees and IMNIS mentors, as well as leaders from Elevate Partner organisations at networking events and conferences. Elevate is designed to support all scholars to access opportunities to lead and excel in the STEM ecosystem and to stimulate an increased number of women in leadership and decision-making positions in industry, research organisations, government and business.
Co-design and consultation
ATSE and its partners conducted a thorough co-design and consultation phase to ensure a high-quality program spanning industry, academia and government to upskill women with STEM qualifications, research, and business expertise. There was a substantial response from across the STEM sector and the Advisory Group will now consider and implement feedback to enable Elevate to lead and shape a dynamic and impactful Australian STEM sector.If you were not able to provide feedback during the co-design and consultation phase, please get in touch with us at elevate@atse.org.au.
The Elevate consultation briefing was released on 30 June 2022.
Read the Elevate consultation briefing.
The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) appointed 16 STEM champions from across the breadth of industry and academia to lead an Advisory Group for the $41.2 million Elevate: Boosting Women in STEM program.
The Elevate: Boosting Women in STEM program will complement ATSE’s existing three high-profile STEM career pathway initiatives:
— IMNIS: Industry Mentoring Network in STEM, an award-winning industry engagement, mentoring and internships initiative which will be integrated with the Elevate program
— STELR: a long-standing schools-based, hands-on STEM education program for students and teachers
Elevate: Boosting Women in STEM will be administered and delivered by ATSE as the lead organisation working with diverse partner organisations from industry and academia including ATSE’s Industry Mentoring Network in STEM (IMNIS), DMTC Limited, Cooperative Research Australia, Gemaker, Cicada Innovations, FB Rice, Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN), Science & Technology Australia, Women in STEMM Australia, Indigitek, and Women in Leadership Development Program (WILD).
Read the ATSE media release for Elevate: Boosting Women in STEM
To inquire about Elevate, contact the ATSE team.