AOA OWL ASM Bursary Program

The AOA Champions of Change Working Group established the AOA OWL ASM Bursary Program in 2023 to encourage and facilitate attendance at AOA's flagship scientific meeting among emerging female orthopaedic surgeons.

The 86th AOA Annual Scientific Meeting, with the theme ‘Celebrating 90 Years of Clinical Excellence and Global Engagement’, will take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 11 to 15 October 2026.

Ten (10) OWL bursaries will provide registration to the ASM and are open to:

three female AOA fellows.
three female AOA trainees.
two female junior doctors (non-members).
two female medical students (non-members).

What's included?

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to attend:

the 86th AOA Annual Scientific Meeting, over four days in October in Cairns.
keynote speaker and paper presentations.
the president's cocktail reception.

What's covered?

Full costs of the conference registration, including the social function. Successful candidates will be required to cover costs of their flights and accommodation (if applicable).

Eligibility criteria

Applications are open to female AOA early-career fellows (in their first ten years of practice), female AOA trainees, female junior doctors, and medical students who:

are in a part-time or full-time employment capacity.
are financial members of AOA (only applicable to AOA fellows and associates).
may be on maternity leave.
have not received any other AOA bursaries or prizes in the last two years.

Applicants are asked to provide brief supporting detail on their interest in the ASM and how their attendance will benefit their practice and/or career.

Members who meet the eligibility criteria are welcome to apply.

Application and selection

Applications open 29 May and should be submitted via the online form below by 30 June 2026.

Blue Button Example

Allocation of bursaries will be undertaken by a conference bursary panel which may include representatives of the Orthopaedic Women’s Link Committee, AOA head office allocated staff representative, state branch chairs, and regional managers. The bursary panel will review:

eligibility criteria.
the aim to support female and early-career members from as many geographical regions as possible.
the aim to support female medical students and junior doctors interested in orthopaedics.

Applicants are advised to discuss their attendance at the conference with their relevant employers and supervisors.

Timing

The proposed timing is set as follows:

Bursary applications open 29 May 2026.
Bursary applications close 30 June 2026.

A decision will be made and the successful applicant will be notified by the 31 July 2026.

It is not possible to provide feedback on applications, and no correspondence regarding decisions on applications will be entered into.

If you have any questions, please contact Membership and Engagament Manager susie.obeid@aoa.org.au.