Stephen Ross Memorial Scholarship

Background to the Scholarhip

The Stephen Ross Memorial Scholarship is offered by the Unusual Pet and Avian Veterinarians (UPAV) Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Australian Veterinary Association in memory of Dr Stephen Ross.  Stephen was our first UPAV (known then as UEP, Unusual and Exotic Pets) newsletter editor.  He had a small animal/wildlife practice in Mackay, with diverse interests in practice and conservation.

The Stephen Ross Memorial Scholarship aims to encourage veterinary practitioners to participate in the UPAV Annual Conference through providing an opportunity to gain experience in conference presentation skills, professional development, and networking opportunities. This year the UPAV group will be combining with ASAV (Small Animals), AVDS (Dental) and AVCB (Conservation Biology) special interest groups for a special conference in Cairns, QLD.

To be considered for this scholarship, applicants are asked to submit a conference manuscript in the form of a case report or literature review. The successful applicant will be asked to present their paper at the UPAV Stream of the ASAV Annual Conference. 

Scholarship inclusions

• One x complimentary 2-Day UPAV Stream registration plus a ticket to the UPAV Dinner at the ASAV Annual Conference.
• $1,000 stipend for contribution to travel and accommodation expenses to attend the UPAV Stream at the ASAV Annual Conference.
• Conference presentation experience.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants for the Stephen Ross Memorial Scholarship must:

• Have graduated from a Veterinary Science program of study within the previous four years (at the time of application) OR be a Veterinary Science student who has not previously presented at the UPAV Stream of the ASAV Annual Conference.
• If successful, agree to present the submitted conference paper at the UPAV Stream of the ASAV Annual Conference.
• If successful, agree to include their conference paper in the conference proceedings.
• Presenting manuscript must not have been published elsewhere.

Application details

• Applications close on Friday 4 July 2025, 12:00am AEST.
• Conference manuscript criteria:
  • Preferential consideration will be given to case reports written from a personal experience.  Literature reviews may be accepted, however must include appropriate acknowledgement.

• Provide your manuscript with the following requirements:

  • in Microsoft Word format (.docx)

  • manuscript does not exceed 2,000 word limit

  • presentation format to be approximately 15 minutes in duration

• Provide your resumé with the following requirements:

  • in PDF file format (.pdf)

  • within a two (2) page limit