Pridmore Women in STEM Vacation Research Scholarship 2026

The Pridmore Women in STEM Vacation Research Scholarship honors Fannie Pridmore, who left a bequest to Swinburne University. Fannie was the widow of Councillor J Brook Pridmore, who served as President of the Swinburne College Council. This scholarship provides female students with a unique opportunity to obtain hands-on experience in STEM-related research by working alongside Swinburne University researchers. The 2026 scholarship focuses on an interdisciplinary research project combining chemistry and computer science to address a critical industry challenge: asbestos identification. Students will work with a team of researchers to develop an artificial intelligence-powered phone application capable of instantaneous asbestos identification. This addresses a major problem for the building construction industry, firefighting, and home renovators, as asbestos is highly toxic and fast identification is challenging. The research project suits students with strong analytical skills and an interest in signal processing and machine learning algorithm development in an applied, multidisciplinary context. Scholars gain valuable insight into the research process while contributing to meaningful real-world applications. Vacation Research Scholarships typically run for six to eight weeks during the summer vacation period, providing intensive research experience for undergraduate students in their penultimate or final year of study.