The Unusual Pet and Avian Veterinarians Group has a variety of scholarships available.
Please find more information about each scholarship, past winners and topics presented as well as how to apply below:
Wildlife Bush Relief Scholarship
The Wildlife Bushfire Relief Scholarship is offered by the Unusual Pet and Avian Veterinarians (UPAV) Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Australian Veterinary Association, and funded by the generous donations of international colleagues. After seeing the effects of the horrific bushfires of 2019/2020, Dr Todd Driggers (US) spearheaded fundraising to provide assistance to Australian veterinarians on the frontline of dealing with burnt and injured wildlife. The amount donated will cover years of wildlife scholarships, as well as workshops.
The Wildlife Bushfire Relief Scholarship aims to encourage veterinarians to share their experience and clinical skills, gained throughout the bushfires of the 2018/2019 summer season, with the UPAV community via their annual conference. The hope is that this will store and archive the lessons learned, leaving the information available for those dealing with subsequent bushfires.
To be considered for this scholarship, applicants are asked to submit a conference manuscript on a wildlife topic relating to bushfire or injury. If successful, the applicant will be asked to present this paper at the next available UPAV Annual Conference. In 2026 the UPAV group will be holding their conference at the Novotel Melbourne on Collins from Monday 23 – Wednesday 25 November 2026.
The successful applicant will gain experience in conference presentation skills and professional development, while adding to their professional and social network. This is particularly useful for more rural colleagues.
The Wildlife Bushfire Relief Scholarship provides:
- One x complimentary registration to the UPAV Conference
- $1,000 stipend for contribution for travel and accommodation.
- Conference paper presentation opportunity.
Applicants for the Wildlife Bushfire Relief Scholarship must:
- Be a currently registered Australian Veterinarian at the time of application.
- If successful, agree to present the submitted conference paper at the UPAV Conference.
- If successful, agree to include the conference paper in the conference proceedings.
Applications close on Friday 4 September 2026, 5pm AEST.
Conference manuscript criteria:
Presentation papers that address a wildlife topic, relating to bushfire or injury will be given preferential consideration. Papers discussing the mental health impacts of the situation will also be highly regarded.
Provide your manuscript with the following requirements:
in Microsoft Word format (.docx)
manuscript does not exceed 2,000 word limit
presentation format to be approximately 15 minutes in duration
Provide your resumé with the following requirements:
in PDF file format (.pdf)
within a two (2) page limit
Anne Martin Memorial Student Scholarship
The Anne Martin Memorial Scholarship is offered by the Unusual Pet and Avian Veterinarians (UPAV) Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Australian Veterinary Association in memory of Dr Anne Martin. Anne was one of the initial members of the UPAV SIG, and was passionate about ongoing education. She was a dedicated wildlife veterinarian, with monotremes and amphibians being her favourite groups of animals.
The Anne Martin Memorial Scholarship aims to encourage veterinary student participation in the UPAV Annual Conference through providing an opportunity to gain experience in conference presentation skills, professional development, and networking opportunities.
To be considered, applicants are asked to submit a conference manuscript, and if successful, this will be presented at the next available UPAV Annual Conference. In 2026 the UPAV group will be holding their conference at the Novotel Melbourne on Collins from Monday 23 – Wednesday 25 November 2026.
Preference will be given to papers on a wildlife topic, preferably on a monotreme, reptile or amphibian topic. Conference manuscripts may be in the form of a case report, case series or literature review. Literature reviews must include appropriate acknowledgement.
- One x complimentary UPAV Conference registration.
- $1,000 stipend for contribution for travel and accommodation expenses.
- Conference paper writing and presentation opportunity.
Applicants for the Anne Martin Memorial Scholarship must:
Be currently enrolled in an Australian Veterinary Science program of study at the time of application.
If successful, agree to present the submitted conference paper at the UPAV Conference.
If successful, agree to include the conference paper in the conference proceedings.
Applications close on Friday 4 September 2026, 5pm AEST.
Conference manuscript criteria:
Presentation papers that address a wildlife topic, preferably relating to monotreme, reptile, or amphibians will be given preferential consideration.
Provide your manuscript with the following requirements:
in Microsoft Word format (.docx)
manuscript does not exceed 2,000 word limit
presentation format to be approximately 15 minutes in duration
Provide your resumé with the following requirements:
in PDF file format (.pdf)
within a two (2) page limit
Stephen Ross Memorial Scholarship
The Stephen Ross Memorial Scholarship is offered by the Unusual Pet and Avian Veterinarians (UPAV) Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Australian Veterinary Association in memory of Dr Stephen Ross. Stephen was our first UPAV (known then as UEP, Unusual and Exotic Pets) newsletter editor. He had a small animal/wildlife practice in Mackay, with diverse interests in practice and conservation.
The Stephen Ross Memorial Scholarship aims to encourage veterinary practitioners to participate in the UPAV Annual Conference through providing an opportunity to gain experience in conference presentation skills, professional development, and networking opportunities. In 2026 the UPAV group will be holding their conference at the Novotel Melbourne on Collins from Monday 23 – Wednesday 25 November 2026.
To be considered for this scholarship, applicants are asked to submit a conference manuscript in the form of a case report or literature review. The successful applicant will be asked to present their paper at the UPAV Conference.
- One x complimentary UPAV Conference registration.
- $1,000 stipend for contribution for travel and accommodation expenses.
- Conference presentation experience.
Applicants for the Stephen Ross Memorial Scholarship must:
- Have graduated from a Veterinary Science program of study within the previous four years (at the time of application) OR be a Veterinary Science student who has not previously presented at the UPAV Conference.
- If successful, agree to present the submitted conference paper at the UPAV Conference.
- If successful, agree to include their conference paper in the conference proceedings.
- Presenting manuscript must not have been published elsewhere.
- Applications close on Friday 4 September 2026, 5pm AEST.
- Conference manuscript criteria:
- Preferential consideration will be given to case reports written from a personal experience. Literature reviews may be accepted, however must include appropriate acknowledgement.
Provide your manuscript with the following requirements:
in Microsoft Word format (.docx)
manuscript does not exceed 2,000 word limit
presentation format to be approximately 15 minutes in duration
Provide your resumé with the following requirements:
in PDF file format (.pdf)
within a two (2) page limit