Foundation PhD Scholarship
The Mentone Grammar Foundation supports Mentonians with a grant of up to $15,000 to assist them with the pursuit of Doctoral studies. The Mentonians Association and broader Mentone Grammar community proudly supports our students to continue to ‘dream big’ long after they leave school.
Eligibility
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Attended Mentone Grammar for at least 3 years of schooling, including Years 11 & 12.
- Have an unconditional offer or be currently enrolled in a doctoral (PhD) program in an Australian or overseas tertiary institute.
- Have at least six months of PhD candidacy remaining from the time of award (December).
Application Process
- Complete the online application form (opening Monday 2 June 2025).
- Attend an interview in person (Teams calls may be arranged for any overseas/interstate applicants).
- Attend the Mentone Grammar Academic Celebration Evening on 4 December 2025 to accept the award (this may be done by a friend/family member or in absentia if overseas/interstate).
2025 Key Dates
- Applications Open: Monday 2 June 2025
- Applications Close: Friday 11 July 2025
- Interviews: Week commencing 1 September 2025
- Academic Celebration Evening: Thursday 4 December 2025
| Recipient | Alumni Year | Year of Award | Area of Study |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander (Alex) Harris | 2017 | 2024 | Alex's research focuses on identifying the determinants of suboptimal immunity induced by current malaria vaccines. His research aims to better understand the immune response to RTS,S and identify any host or environmental factors that may be limiting the efficacy of this vaccine. |
| Elyssa Osianlis | 2019 | 2024 | Elyssa's research aims to explore relationships between ADHD symptoms and sex hormones in females, throughout life phases like menopause, and across the menstrual cycle. Through her research, Elyssa hopes to improve understandings of ADHD in females. |
| Justin Griggs | 2005 | 2023 | Justin's research focuses on understanding, treating, and preventing sports burnout in youth athletes. His work aims to inform practitioners in designing programs to reduce burnout in the sports field. |
| Lotus Jeffs | 2018 | 2023 | Lotus' research centers around the neural mechanisms involved in weight control, with a specific focus on GPR75. Her work has implications for developing novel therapeutic treatments for obesity. |
| Kenneth Wu | 2018 | 2023 | Kenneth's research focuses on the molecular and cellular calculation of lymphocyte population dynamics. His work contributes to understanding and controlling the immune system, with implications for the development of new drugs and disease therapies. |
| Kelsey Cotton | 2012 | 2022 | Kelsey’s research engages with feminist and care-centric perspectives of human-computer interactive Music Systems and Artificial Intelligence (AI) methodology, exploring how AI technologies are and can be used for making music and art. |
| Lottie Morison | 2013 | 2022 | Lottie is researching communication skills in children with genetic conditions who have severe communication impairments. Her research will also improve our understanding of three rare genetic conditions; Kleefstra Syndrome, Batten Disease and Angelman Syndrome. |
| Adam Nelson | 2013 | 2022 | Adam’s research is focused on understanding the immune response to cancer and is investigating the role that specific T cells recognize antigens derived from altered metabolism via screening with regard to recognition of cancerous cells. |
| Alex Shermon | 2015 | 2022 | Alex's work examines the dynamics of contemporary conspiracy theories in Australia. For example: COVID-19 and ‘Stolen’ elections in the USA. |
| Bihai Sun | 2014 | 2022 | Bihai's research is about more effective methods for reducing drag induced by turbulent flow. His research will be the basis of drag-reduction devices for industry and defence, and ultimately leads to more efficient cars, trucks, planes, ships, and pipelines. |
| Anika Vear | 2014 | 2021 | Development and testing of new drugs for treating cardiac fibrosis – the build-up of scar tissue in the heart causing cardiovascular disease and end-stage heart failure. |
| Adithya (Adi) Balasubramanian | 2006 | 2021 | Targeting tumor-specific recognition signal pathways with novel or repurposed drugs to support immunotherapy in patients with lung cancer who may otherwise have limited treatment options. |
| Daniel Payne | 2006 | 2019 | Utilising a complex two-year dataset to help predict seizures in epileptic patients by developing an insight into the intracranial triggers such as consistent sleep and the timing of seizures, to external factors such as weather. |
NOTE: Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic interrupted the Scholarship program in 2020 and 2021.