Lee Mills Award

Lee was involved in advocacy and lobbying through AASE, which resulted in significant improvements in service delivery for all students. She was a foundation member of AASE, a State President and an inspiring active Branch, Chapter and National Committee member until her death in 1990. Lee was also instrumental in the establishment and administration of the Australian Disability Achievement Foundation.

The Lee Mills Teacher Training Award is given yearly with the express purpose of encouraging research-based practice by teachers and schools educating students with disability.

The first two categories are available for individuals undertaking study to pursue a career directly related to the education of students with special education needs. It is open to students in ALL states of Australia.

From 2024, a new category of the award will be offered to teachers who are implementing research-based practices in their school or class. It is open to teachers in ALL states of Australia.

The award for each category is $500

Categories 1 and 2 (individuals undertaking study)

Category 1

Papers that report or synthesise research relevant to teachers concerning the education of students with disability and special education needs in inclusive or specialised settings. These may include original research papers on the use of evidence-based practices in classrooms, research reviews, position papers or discussion papers drawing on research.

Category 2

Papers that highlight broader issues relevant to the education of students with disability and special education needs. These may include research reviews, discussion papers drawing on research, or original research that identifies areas for development or consideration. Potential topics could include teacher views about the effectiveness of their initial or post-graduate teacher education, priorities for teacher professional learning, teacher knowledge and use of evidence-based practices, or issues related to effective instruction in inclusive settings.

Category 3 (Teachers)

Papers that describe an evidence-based practice being implemented in a school or class. Practices should be relevant o the education of students with disability and special education needs. The paper should be written in a teacher-friendly format.

The closing date for applications for the 2024 Lee Mills Award is 4th October, 2024.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome by the end of June 2025.

Please see Lee Mills Award 2024 for submission information.

Previous winner Ying Sng:

I entered a paper for the Lee Mills Award titled “Teaching a Student with Autism On-Topic Conversational Responses with an iPad: A Pilot Study” at the suggestion of my supervisors. I had found writing the paper gruelling and quite frankly I was happy to see the end of it but winning the award gave me the encouragement to continue with my research. Part of the prize money I received was donated to a literacy foundation and the rest was used to fund my research. I have recently completed my doctorate and am looking forward to contributing to the Special Education field.