Scholarships

The Leah Armstrong Scholarship Program

The Leah Armstrong Scholarship provides scholarships worth up to $20,000 per year for three years to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women studying or looking to study at a tertiary level in a wide range of study areas including economics, finance, business or community governance.

This scholarship is a powerful intiative led by First Nations Economics, with the support of a growing network of purpose partners.  Together, we are dedicated to driving social, cutural and economic prosperity for First Peoples.  

The scholarship was establised in honour of Leah Armstrong, a trailblazing Torres Strait Islander woman to empower First Nations economies by supporting the education of women and girls in industries that will empower intergenerational change.

  • Contact scholarships@firstnationseconomics.com with any questions.

  • Applications are now closed.

  • Leah Armstrong, a proud Torres Strait Islander woman, is a senior professional with over 30 years of experience in business and the not-for-profit sector. Formerly the Chair of First Australians Capital, she remains the driving innovation in how Indigenous enterprises access tailored capital and support, including an ambitious Indigenous-led and managed impact investment fund. Leah also serves on several committees, including a member of the First Nations Trade and Investment Advisory Group, an Australian co-representative of the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Co-operation Arrangement (IPETCA) Partnership Council, Creative Australia Impact Investment Advisory Committee, Philanthropy Australia First Nations Governance Committee and Chair of the First Nation Funders Network and Executive Member of the First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance.

  • Leah has been a pivotal figure in national Indigenous affairs, holding influential roles such as CEO of Reconciliation Australia, Director of Indigenous Business Australia, Director of Indigenous Engagement and Advancement at the University of Newcastle, and a member of the Business Council of Australia’s Indigenous Taskforce. She has also served on the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council, as a Fellow of the University of Sydney Senate, Chairperson of Supply Nation, and Chairperson of the Aboriginal Housing Office NSW. Additionally, Leah co-founded and served as Managing Director of Yarnteen Ltd, an Aboriginal community economic development organisation in Newcastle.

  • Recognised for her leadership, Leah has been celebrated as a "True Leader" by The Australian Financial Review Boss Magazine and was named among the inaugural Australian Financial Review/Westpac 100 Influential Women Awards.

    • Scholarship Guidelines

Partners

Gurminder Saro

Interim Chair

Associate Professor Rick Macourt is a proud, queer Gumbaynggirr man, lawyer, and economic specialist. He leads First Nations Economics as Managing Director of Strategy and Foundation and serves as Associate Dean of First Nations Strategy and Services at the University of Sydney.

With over 15 years of experience spanning government, corporate, and not-for-profit sectors, Rick is deeply committed to advancing the economic development of First Peoples. As the former Director of First Nations Expenditure and Outcomes at NSW Treasury, he spearheaded the state’s inaugural Indigenous expenditure reporting processes and established the groundbreaking First Nations budget process in 2021/22. Previously, Rick held an executive role at the Westpac Group, overseeing First Nations affairs, and has a rich history in government, monitoring, evaluation, and negotiation, with senior positions at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, City of Sydney, and Standards Australia.

Rick is a published author with Oxford University Press, a member of the First Nations Advisory Board of Siemens Australia, and a Non-Executive Director on the board of Barnardos Australia.