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Athlete Personal Development

Athlete Accelerate Program

Supporting female athletes who are pursuing career options in sport.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is proud to support women who work across all roles in sport and supports those eager to develop their skills and knowledge.

The AIS Athlete Accelerate Immersion Experience Grant is designed to provide employment-enhancing experiences for current and alumni AIS Athlete Accelerate Program participants in the Australian sport sector. The immersion experience will enhance their development in role-specific expertise, broaden their networks, and enable connection with leaders and potential mentors in the sports system.

Activities and experiences covered under the Grants Program must show a demonstratable connection with personal, career, and skill-building development. Below are two examples of experiences covered by the Program:

  • Kirra has a marketing background and is interested in gaining paid experience in the marketing department of a national sporting organisation (NSO). An opportunity has come up for Kirra to work with a NSO on a time-limited marketing project. This opportunity would allow Kirra to develop her skills and expertise and build relationships with other professionals in the sport industry. The Grant can assist by supplementing Kirra’s income during this project.
  • Naa, a talented coach with a passion for developing young athletes, is keen to explore opportunities to have more dedicated time immersed in coaching roles and exposure to international competition. This Grant could contribute to the travel costs associated with an Australian team coaching role enabling Naa to develop her coaching skills on the international stage. This would allow her to extend her coaching capabilities and high performance experience.

Further examples can be found in the Grant guidelines.

AIS Athlete Accelerate Immersion Experience Grant Guidelines

Important dates

  • Applications open:
    9:00am (AEDT) Wednesday 6 December 2023
  • Applications close:
    5:00pm* (AEST) Wednesday 1 May 2024
  • Outcomes notified to all applicants:
    Applications will be assessed on an ongoing basis
  • Successful grants payments processed:
    February 2024 and monthly thereafter

APPLY HERE

*Applications must be submitted before 5:00pm AEST. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Please note the time differences for each state below.
* NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, QLD: 5:00pm
* SA & NT: 4:30pm
* WA: 3:00pm

Funding

Funding for this program has been provided through the Women Leaders in Sport Program and is jointly funded through the Office for Women. The program funding has been designed to support the applicant to engage in an Immersion Experience with an approved organisation. Funding is available in two forms:

  • funding provided directly to the applicant; or
  • funding provided to the organisation.

A total funding pool of $106,000 (GST exclusive) is available for allocation through the Athlete Accelerate Immersion Experience Program.

The maximum grant amount available to any individual or organisation is $10,000 (GST exclusive).

The final grant amount will be determined by the ASC as part of the assessment process.  The amounts may vary between applicants and may not be the full amount applied for.

Additional information

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