Icon Agency and Future Communicators Foundation (FCF) have teamed up to fund two scholarships at Melbourne's RMIT. The annual scholarships, worth AU$10,000 each, will be awarded to undergraduates pursuing Public Relations degrees at RMIT University.

The four-year Icon Agency/ FCF Scholarship programme rewards two students by offering financial and mentoring support to directly help further their education, and revolves around a yearly theme, with the 2023 focus on "Social Responsibility to the Environment in Australia." Under this theme, aspiring professionals are tasked with crafting innovative communication campaigns that not only raise awareness about sustainability, climate, and social justice challenges but also consider how to do so using cost-effective and resource-efficient approaches.

Joanne Painter, Co-Founder of Icon Agency, said: “The importance of bridging the gap between industry and academia cannot be underestimated. I’ve spent many years serving on university advisory boards and witnessed first-hand the significance of strengthening the ties between these two worlds.

“The scholarship will challenge recipients to create inventive and practical communication campaigns addressing the pressing issues of our time, such as the climate crisis and social justice."

Dr. Deborah Wise, Senior Lecturer in the School of Media and Communication and Program Manager of the Bachelor of Communication (Public Relations) at RMIT University, said: "This partnership not only presents students with a great opportunity but underscores the imperative for tomorrow's communications leaders to possess a profound grasp of sustainability, climate, and social justice matters. Their pivotal role in crafting narratives around these global challenges cannot be overstated."

The deadline for scholarship applications is 19^th November, 2023, with the winners set to be announced on 6^th December.

Full submission details are available here.