Another strong year
The 2026 Churchill Fellowship application round has now closed, with 1,132 applications received from across Australia between 27 February and 30 April.
Churchill Trust CEO Christine Dacey said the round reflected both strong demand and national reach.
“2026 was a strong year. We continued to see a great diversity in applicants, from every corner of the country.”
Supporting applicants
We started the year at pace, delivering 19 information sessions across Australia and online ahead of applications opening on 27 February.
The sessions were designed to make the process clear and accessible, connect prospective applicants with past Fellows, and provide practical guidance on shaping a strong proposal.
This approach worked, as 382 of the 1,062 information session attendees this year went on to submit an application. A further 72 had attended an information session in the past five years.
Application trends
The round was open for 62 days, and 2026 showed a similar pattern to the previous years, with a clear late surge of applications being submitted.
- 308 applications (27.2%) were submitted on the final day
- 847 applications (74.8%) were submitted in the final four days
Who applied
Applications reflected a broad cross-section of the Australian community, with participation across all age groups.
Age
- 18–24 — 16 (1.4%)
- 25–35 — 201 (17.8%)
- 36–45 — 374 (33.0%)
- 46–55 — 314 (27.7%)
- 55–70 — 214 (18.9%)
- 70+ — 13 (1.1%)
Gender
- 721 female (63.7%)
- 395 male (34.9%)
- 16 non-binary / other (1.4%)
Diversity indicators
- 38 First Nations applicants (3.4%), broadly in line with the national population (~3.8%)
- 203 applicants (17.9%) speak a language other than English at home, below the national average (~22%)
- 105 applicants (9.3%) identified as having a disability, with 61 (5.4%) preferring not to say; this is below the national average (~21.4%)
Where applicants are based
Applications were received from every state and territory, reflecting strong national reach.
- Major cities — 851 (75.2%)
- Inner regional — 194 (17.1%)
- Outer regional — 71 (6.3%)
- Remote — 12 (1.1%)
- Very remote — 4 (0.4%)
What areas were explored
Applicants proposed projects across a wide range of sectors, with a particularly strong interest in community-focused work.
- Community Service — 248 (21.9%)
- Health & Medicine — 194 (17.1%)
- Public Service — 120 (10.6%)
- Arts — 166 (14.7%)
- Education — 157 (13.9%)
- Professions & Services — 142 (12.5%)
- Land, Commerce & Logistics — 105 (9.3%)
Where applicants want to go
Applicants nominated more than 100 countries, demonstrating the global scope of proposed research.
The most frequently selected destinations were:
- United Kingdom — 750 (66.3%)
- United States — 543 (48.0%)
- Canada — 418 (36.9%)
- Netherlands — 267 (23.6%)
- New Zealand — 185 (16.3%)