Melbourne-based researcher Michaela Sheahan has been awarded the 2014 National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) International Women’s Day Scholarship at an event hosted in Sydney last night.

The scholarship, valued at $14,000, provides funding for a research paper that challenges existing industry thinking and outlines practical recommendations to enhance the Australian property and construction industry. Designer furniture, lighting and accessory company, Corporate Culture, funds the scholarship.

The scholarship was judged by a panel including: Richard Munao, managing director of Corporate Culture; Gesa Ruge, associate professor at the University of Canberra and NAWIC’s national vice president; Ruth Medd, executive chair of Women on Boards; and Rana Abboud, architect at Architectus, and the winner of 2013 IWD scholarship.

Sheahan’s research will investigate the topic: ‘Care, Connectivity, Collaboration: Urban design for interaction in hospital precincts – an international perspective’.

“The judges agreed that the research has the potential to identify improvements in the way hospital precincts are designed and constructed in Australia,” says Corporate Culture’s Richard Munao.

“The research undertaken through the NAWIC International Women’s Day scholarship program over the past six years has driven debate and had a measurable impact on women’s leadership opportunities in the construction industry,” Munao adds.

“NAWIC is committed to being a positive instrument for change and building a diverse, dynamic and talented construction workforce,” says Jane Bateson, NAWIC’s national president. “Michaela Sheahan’s contribution will help us to advance this mission.”

www.nawic.com.au