Agnes Blackie Memorial Fellowship opportunity

‍Agnes Blackie was the first female physicist to lecture in a New Zealand University. Applications for the fellowship in her name are invited from early career researchers until 31 October 2025.

The Fellowship is tenable for two years at any of the Centre's six partner institutions, and suits researchers whose area aligns with the aims and research themes of the Centre. View the advert here

Read what previous fellows had to say about their experience.

"It has been incredibly rewarding to serve as the Agnes-Blackie Memorial Fellow, especially working in the same department that Agnes did more than a century ago. It has facilitated my growth as an independent researcher, from supporting my acquisition of national-level competitive funding to enabling me to mentor, guide, and fund students and their projects in ways I would not have been capable of without the Fellowship. What drew me most to the Agnes-Blackie Fellowship was the chance to share my enthusiasm about optics and physics with young students like Agnes did, and strengthening my own understanding of numerous physics concepts in the process. Through outreach events across the country, I’ve been able to directly engage with children and teach them how exciting physics can be. Every so often, I met highschoolers whose curiosity truly stood out, so I would invite them to visit my lab to see the instruments we work with and the experiments we conduct. Overall, the Fellowship has been an incredibly enriching experience and I’m deeply grateful for the breadth of opportunities it has provided."

Mallika Suresh

"It has been an honour to serve as the Agnes Blackie Memorial Research Fellow for the past few years. I have been able to pursue "passion projects" related to educational outreach, including running workshops in Junior Colleges across Aotearoa New Zealand, starting a student club related to global health, and developing relationships with the high school and hospital in Tonga. I am hopeful that these relationships will continue beyond my tenure as the fellow. I have also gained leadership experience by working with museums, students, and DWC committees. The position has allowed me to develop an independent research track in New Zealand and attract external funding to grow the research programme. I have also used this time to get lecturing experience in physics courses, something that was a passion and gift of Agnes Blackie. I am grateful for the opportunities the fellowship has offered, and it has been an honour to follow after such a trailblazer for women in physics."

Jami Shepherd

‍