The Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society are taking applications for next years Australasian Rolex scholar from October.

For the past 32 years the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society (OWUSS) has offered scholarships in the USA and more recently Europe.

In April 2006 the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society with the support of Rolex expanded its outreach to offer an Australasian Scholarship covering Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

The Rolex Scholarships provides a hands-on introduction to the underwater world and other aquatic-related endeavours for young people with an interest in underwater-related disciplines. This permits career decisions to be based on hands on work experiences. Selected Rolex Scholars are perceived to have the potential to make a significant contribution to the underwater world, even though he or she may not yet have chosen a specific career path.

The goal is to foster development of the future leaders of the marine environment. The Society continues to believe that by investing in special young people, by exposing them to a broad array of activities in the underwater community and by giving them opportunities to work with influential people who are leaders in aquatic disciplines, it is investing in the future of our underwater world.

Scholarship Eligibility Requirements;

• Minimum age of 21 and maximum age of 26 at the time of the application deadline (January 31, 2009)
• Valid citizenship for the relevant Rolex Scholarship (North America, Europe, and Australasia)
• Applicant has not yet earned a postgraduate degree by April 1st of the scholarship year and has not yet chosen a clearly defined career path
• High academic standing
• Fluency in English
• Certification as a Rescue Diver with a minimum of 25 dives logged in the past two years
• Evidence of adequate health insurance for duration of scholarship year
• Submission of a completed diving medical examination form, which is found in the application

Please check out the webpage www.owuscholarship.org for more information on the scholarship, current scholars and sponsors and the application form.

The current scholar Steve Lindfield has a blog which is updated regularly on http://owussaustralasia.org/

Filed under: Ali Perkins, Miscellaneous