Emeritus Professor Amanda Richdale knows from personal experience the difference that top-up funding can make to a PhD project.
“When I completed my PhD as a mature-age student at La Trobe University under the supervision of Professor Margot Prior, I benefited from supports that are less accessible today. I was fortunate in other ways too—I held an applied science degree and could conduct my own laboratory work, sparing me the cost of hiring technical help,” Richdale says.
During her career Amanda worked as a technician, research assistant, and tutor at La Trobe, and post-PhD as an academic at RMIT and a research-only academic at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre.
It was as a supervisor of PhD students that she observed how the core research budget often doesn’t stretch far enough to cover extra studies, tests, or analyses that could significantly elevate the quality and scope of a project.
“Whether it’s the purchase of new equipment, transcription of qualitative data, a paid advisory group, expert statistical advice, a new psychological test or app, or funding for a casual research assistant, these seemingly small additions can make a real difference,” she says. “At least two of my own PhD students would not have completed their research programs without external support.”
So when Amanda found herself in a position to give back, she knew exactly how she wanted to do this. Her donation to La Trobe University will establish The Bill Richdale Senior PhD Research Grant. This grant will support PhD students in the field of autism with modest but meaningful funding—small amounts that can have a big impact. Beginning in 2026, it will be awarded to up to three students each year, up to a total of approximately $5000 per year.
The grant honours the legacy of Amanda’s parents, especially her father, Bill Richdale Senior. Reflecting on their priorities, Amanda says:
“Both of my parents strongly valued education. They encouraged me to finish high school and pursue a degree—something not always expected of women in my generation, when careers for women were often limited to roles like secretary, nurse, or teacher. My father, a well-travelled man with a deep interest in people and cultures, never lost his curiosity. In retirement, he became a keen philosophy student at the University of the Third Age and a regular social bridge player. His youthful spirit and openness to learning remained with him until his passing in 2020 at age 93.
Following his death, I wanted to give back in a way that reflected both his values and my own academic journey. The result is this small grant program to support PhD students researching autism and related conditions—a reflection of more than 30 years of my academic life and a tribute to a man who believed in the power of education.”
