Scholarships

Leah Armstrong Scholarship

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

  • The scholarship is provided by First Nations Economics (FNE) and the First Nations Foundation (FNF),  partners in driving social, cultural and economic prosperity for First Peoples. Both organisations are Aboriginal-led, Supply Nation-registered charities that work directly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to provide economic development and capability uplift.

  • Contact scholarships@firstnationseconomics.com with any questions.

  • Applications for 2025 have closed.

  • The Leah Armstrong Scholarship Program is a partnership between First Nations Foundation and First Nations Economics, established in honour of Leah Armstrong, a trailblazing Torres Strait Islander woman. This scholarship aims to empower First Nations economies by supporting the education of First Nations women and girls in fields such as economics, finance, and community governance.

  • Leah Armstrong, a proud Torres Strait Islander woman, is a senior professional with over 25 years of experience in business and the not-for-profit sector. She leads First Australians Capital, 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 boards, including as a Trustee of The Nature Conservancy (Australia), Chairperson of the First Nations Advisory Group at the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), member of the First Nations Governance Committee, Co-Chair of the First Nations Funders Network at Philanthropy Australia, and as an Australian representative on the Partnership Council for the Indigenous Peoples Economic Trade Cooperation Arrangement (IPETCA).

  • 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.

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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.