Managed by the Australian Sports Commission in partnership with the Australian Government Office for Women, the Sport Leadership Grants and Scholarships for Women program provides development opportunities and training to help women to reach their leadership potential within the sports industry.

The program has been in place since November 2002 and has supported over 16,000 women with a total funding allocation of $3.3 million.

In 2010-11, $400,000 was allocated across five categories: coaching; officiating; governance; management and administration; and communications, media and marketing.

The funding supported 117 projects, representing 68 individual grants, 29 organisational grants and 20 individual scholarships. 

Second year scholarship recipient Diana Taylor has made good use of the training and support provided and it has already paid dividends.

‘I have undertaken Australian Institute of Company Directors leadership and board development seminars and a public relations course and have improved my sport specific leadership skills through an extensive course of executive coaching,’ said Taylor.

The results speak for themselves – in 2010 Diana was appointed to the board of the Geelong Cats AFL team and in January 2011 she was re-appointed for a three-year term.

‘The appointment is a tremendous privilege and has given me the opportunity to directly influence, at a national level, the promotion and continued support for the role of women who wish to participate in sport,’ said Taylor.