P.M. 8/1959
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER
COMMONWEALTH POST – GRADUATE AWARDS.
The first 100 Commonwealth post-graduate scholarships had been awarded and the scheme was now successfully launched, the Prime Minister, Mr. Menzies, announced to-day.
The 100 awards made available by the Commonwealth this year were allocated to Universities by the Universities Commission in consultation with the Vice-Chancellors' Committee.
Most Universities had completed selection for their awards, for each of which the Commonwealth will provide £900 annually for living allowance and tuition. The awards would be available for up to four years, but it was expected that they would be held on an average of from two to three years.
Mr. Menzies said: "These post-graduate awards were approved by the Government on the recommendation of the Universities Commission.
"Although we believe that our action on the recommendations of the Murray Committee for increased Commonwealth grants to Universities for current expenditure will provide more adequate staff and equipment for research purposes, we felt that, having regard to the urgent need for highly trained research workers, something more should be done to assist Universities to build up their post-graduate schools.
"The Government, therefore, did not hesitate to adopt the proposal for post-graduate awards.
The students whom the Universities have selected all have outstanding academic records.
"They include many first-class honours graduates and a number of University medallists, and will undoubtedly make notable contributions in their various fields of study in Mathematics and the Natural Sciences, in the Humanities and the Social Scion, and in Technology and Applied Science.
"The Universities have received the scheme most enthusiastically, and it would seem that it has already given
An appreciable stimulus to post-graduate, work.
"This will be of great benefit to the scientific and cultural development of Australia".
CANBERRA, A.C.T.
19th March, 1959.