Image: Burnet Institute Deputy Program Director, Behaviours and Health Risks, Dr Megan Lim

Burnet Institute Deputy Program Director, Behaviours and Health Risks, Dr Megan Lim, is the inaugural recipient of a new Burnet travel award, the Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Travel Fellowship.

Valued at $10,000, the Fellowship was one of 12 Burnet travel awards for 2020 announced by Director and CEO Professor Brendan Crabb.

Recipients are likely to need to wait until international and domestic travel and conferences resume post-COVID-19 to redeem their awards.

Dr Lim had planned to present an evaluation of a prototype app for young people to learn about sexual health and pornography, at the International Union Against STI Conference in Bangkok in December.

The GEDI Fellowship provides for childcare and partner travel.

Harold Mitchell Foundation Postgraduate Travel Fellowship winner, PhD candidate, Caitlin Douglas’ work explores alcohol and other drug use among young people from migrant backgrounds and ethnic minority groups in Melbourne.

“I’ve been travelling to … Werribee Plaza and the McDonald’s at Carnegie doing interviews and focus groups with young people to learn about their experiences and beliefs,” Ms Douglas said.

“Young people often talked about the stigma towards alcohol and other drug use particularly from their parents and older people within their cultural communities … and they will be some of the things I will be exploring in more detail in my thesis.”

Associate Professor Josh Vogel was awarded the Jean Hailes Women’s Health Travel Fellowship for his research into the safe and appropriate use of caesarian section in Victoria.

“My work is predominantly global, but overuse of caesarian section is global issue that affects low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries as well,” Associate Professor Vogel said.

“I’m very grateful to Jean Hailes for their support.”

Senior Research Officer Dr Linda Reiling was awarded the Dora Lush Travel Fellowship for her work to inform and accelerate the design of a malaria vaccine.

The full list of Travel Award winners:

• Crockett-Murphy Travel Award (up to $2,500) – Nomin-Dora Temakanai, Dr Win Lei Yee
• Domestic Travel Award ($1000) – Michelle Wong
• Dora Lush Travel Fellowship ($10,000) – Dr Linda Reiling
• Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Travel Fellowship ($10,000) – Dr Megan Lim
• Geoffrey J Stewardson Fund Travel Fellowship ($2,000) – Michael Traeger
• Harold Mitchell Foundation Postgraduate Travel Fellowship ($7,500) – Caitlin Douglass
• Hon Geoffrey Connard Travel Fellowship ($~2,000) – Dr Jo-Anne Chan
• Jean Hailes for Women’s Health Travel Fellowship ($10,000) – Associate Professor Josh Vogel
• Judith Moore Travel Fellowship ($3,000) – Dr Alyce Wilson
• Miller Foundation Public Health Travel Award ($500) – Dr Michelle Scoullar
• Miller Foundation Biomedical Research Travel Award ($500) – Joey McGregor
• Pauline Speedy Biomedical Research Travel Fellowship ($5000) – Madeline Dans