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IWC Water Leadership Program Scholarships

IWC offers a range of scholarships which vary year to year depending on the interests of sponsoring organisations who wish to fund leadership development in the water sector.

The IWC has an aim of achieving 50:50 recruitment of female to male participants into the WLP every year as a way of contributing towards gender equity across the water sector. Historically we were around 40:60 female:male participation on average, which improved to 53:47 in the 2024/25 round and 48:52 in the 2025/26 round through our offering of some female only Scholarships as well as open application Scholarships.

In 2026 we are aiming to sustain approximately 50:50 gender balance in recruitment by offering 2 female only and 3 open scholarships:

  • 1 x full Water Leader Scholarship for female only application – The Peta Mullin Inclusive Leadership Scholarship
  • 1 x partial Water Leader Scholarship for female only application
  • 3 x partial Water Leader Scholarships for open application

The IWC very much welcomes applications from aspiring female and male Indigenous water leaders, whether working in community or institutional contexts.

Please note:

  1. The final number and value of scholarships awarded will remain at the discretion of IWC and will depend on the quality of applications received.
  2. Self-educational expenses (e.g. course or program fees) can be claimed as an individual tax deduction – see the ATO for more information here.

Peta Mullin Inclusive Leadership Scholarship

The International WaterCentre is proud to offer a new full scholarship in memory of a Water Leadership Program Fellow, Peta Mullin. Peta was passionate about inclusion and creating environments within which women in the water sector could flourish.

The Peta Mullin Inclusive Leadership Scholarship covers $8,990 of the WLP fees and is for female only applicants who demonstrate a commitment for inclusive leadership, particularly with regards to advancing women in the water sector.

The Scholarship is also part of IWC’s commitment to fostering gender equity in the Water Leadership Program, and beyond.

For the full IWC Water Leader Scholarship (The Peta Mullin Inclusive Leadership Scholarship), the scholarship will cover $8990 (excl GST) of the $10,990 (excl GST) program fees. The recipient or their employer will be required to pay the remaining $2000 (excl GST) fees and contribute towards the expenses associated with participating in the intensives which form part of the program (i.e. travel and accommodation).

For the partial IWC Water Leader Scholarships (female only or open application), the scholarships will cover $5495 of the $10,990 (excl GST) program fees. The recipient or their employer will be required to pay the remaining $5495 (excl GST) of fees and contribute towards the expenses associated with participating in the intensives which form part of the program (i.e. travel and accommodation).

Read the full terms and conditions

Eligibility

All Scholarships for the 2026/27 IWC Water Leadership Program are subject to the following general eligibility criteria:

  • Applicants must have at least 3 years of work experience in the water industry/sector
  • Be able to communicate clearly in English
  • Applicant’s work supervisors must understand the nature of the program and support their application

All Scholarships for the 2026/27 IWC Water Leadership Program are subject to the following general terms and conditions:

  • Full participation in all elements of the program is expected. This includes the ability to travel to Brisbane to physically attend the two face-to-face training sessions from 24th to 26th February and 19th to 20th August 2027.
  • If an applicant is offered a scholarship but fails to formally accept the scholarship (i.e. in writing by email) within 5 calendar days, the scholarship will be offered to another applicant.
  • Scholarship recipients will be guaranteed a place in the program in 2026/27.
  • Scholarships are not transferable to future years or to other people.

Scholarship specific additional eligibility criteria and terms and conditions are detailed in the terms and conditions.

Apply Now for an IWC Water Leadership Program Scholarship!

Scholarships for the 2026/27 round are open from 1st June to 13th September 2026.

Apply today.