Career Transitions Program 2026

Program overview

The Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning Career Transitions Program allows eligible academic and professional staff employed in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning to enhance or re-establish their careers after experiencing an interruption or disruption to their career.

This scheme provides financial support to redress disadvantages of career interruption/s which may be caused by one or more factors such as maternity leave, carer’s responsibilities, living with a disability, bereavement, gender transition or affirmation, domestic violence, long-term mental or physical health, or cultural responsibilities.

Two (2) grants of up to $5000 each are available for career development or enhancement opportunities which may include but are not limited to professional development and training, to support research-related expenses, to provide childcare or to pay for tickets and accommodation for a carer/companion when the staff member is attending a conference. The use of the funds must be for business purposes and must comply with FBT rules.

This program is intended to enhance but not replace the leave and associated support provisions available to staff under the 2024 Enterprise Agreement. Eligible academic staff are encouraged to consider the  Research Impetus Grants.

Eligibility requirements

Staff who wish to be considered for funding under the Careers Transitions Program must meet all the eligibility requirements listed below:

1. Be a continuing academic or professional member of staff with an appointment of 0.5 FTE or above who is employed by the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, OR a fixed-term professional and academic staff with a contract appointment to at least 31 December 2026, and
2. who has not received similar funding from other Faculty and/or University sources, and
3. who can demonstrate a serious career disruption/interruption resulting from any or all of the following in the period 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025:
1. maternity/parental/adoption/reproductive leave
2. living with disability
3. significant caring responsibilities
4. long-term mental health conditions and impacts.
5. medical/gender transition or affirmation.
6. pregnancy loss, bereavement, and/or domestic violence.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees with personal, community, cultural, and ceremonial responsibilities and obligation
exposure to major disasters or force majeure.
4. who has maximised the relevant provisions of leave and associated support available to them under either the 2018 or the 2024 Enterprise Agreement (as relevant), and
5. who can demonstrate how the funds will be used to redress the disadvantage/s of the career interruption, and
6. who has the support of their line manager/supervisor.

How to apply

Applications for the 2026 ABP Career Transitions Program are now open. Follow these steps to apply:

1. Check if you are eligible by reading the eligibility requirements above
2. Review the program funding guidelines
3. Discuss your intention to apply with your supervisor
4. Complete the expression of interest form and submit to
5. Submit the application to ABP-diversity@unimelb.edu.au by Friday 14 March 2026, 5 pm

A selection panel, composed of the Assistant Dean Diversity and Inclusion, the Dean, the HR Business Partner, the Faculty Research Manager, or their delegate, will review the applications within two weeks of receipt of all applications.

Information about application outcomes will be sent via email by 3 November 2025.

Selection criteria

If there are more eligible applications than awards available, selection will be based on:

• length of career disruption
• demonstration of how the fund will support the staff member to redress any disadvantage to following a career disruption and the candidate’s career potential before disruption
• demonstration of the impact of multiple forms of inequality or disadvantage, such as non-binary staff living with disability or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff with carer responsibilities

The Committee reserve the right to not offer any, or the maximum number of available, funds if no or fewer suitable candidates apply.The use of the funds must be for business purposes and must comply with FBT rules.