Ruth Daroesman was born in California. At the end of World War II she married an Indonesian and briefly lived in post-war Europe before moving to Sumatra, Indonesia in 1950. She adjusted quickly to life in Indonesia, learning the language and developing enduring relationships with her in-laws. After separating from her husband, and with three young children, she lived in Malaysia and then Singapore from 1957 until 1968 when she joined ANU. She had lifelong interests in formal education, which she saw as professionally and personally transformative, and spent all of her working life from the 1950s engaged with Indonesia and South-East Asia. As Assistant Editor of the Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies at what is now the Research School of Asia and the Pacific, and in her research, she came into regular contact with graduate students from Indonesia as well as other parts of Asia. Her familiarity with the region, its languages and cultures – and her understanding of what it meant to be alone and struggling in a foreign country – made her a sympathetic figure for many students for whom she acted as informal or formal adviser and friend. She knew from personal experience how kindness and generosity could change lives. She had a particular affection for Indonesia and Indonesians and maintained her ties for many years following her formal retirement.
The Ruth Daroesman Endowment was established in 2013 in memory of Ruth Daroesman by Ruth’s family and friends. We thank the Daroesman family for their continued support of the ANU and its students' research endeavours.
Conditions of grant
General
Each year, the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific (‘the College’), in conjunction with the ANU Indonesia Project, may offer an award known as the Ruth Daroesman Graduate Study Grant (‘the Grant’).
The Ruth Daroesman Endowment has provided funding for this Grant. This grant may be used for research expenses (including travel) directly related to the student’s academic interests or future career aspirations. The Ruth Daroesman Endowment was established in 2013 in memory of Ruth Daroesman by Ruth’s family and friends.
The objective of the Grant is to support a graduate or HDR student in their research associated with Indonesia. This grant may be used for research expenses (including travel) directly related to the student’s academic interests or future career aspirations.
Value
$6,000 is available in 2025
The grant provides AUD 6,000, which may be distributed to one or shared between multiple applicants.
The Ruth Daroesman Endowment has provided funding for this Grant.
Travel or research must commence in the year the Award is granted.
Eligibility
The Award is available each year to a current ANU student who:
- is a domestic or international student, and
- is enrolled in a postgraduate coursework or higher degree research program in the College of Asia and the Pacific (or College of Law, Governance and Policy); and
- is undertaking study or research related to Indonesia that is relevant to their degree program.
Women and applicants from minority groups are particularly encouraged to apply.
Conditions of Grant [PDF 397KB]
Selection basis
Selection is based on the answers provided in the travel and research proposal application form.
The Award is offered to a student by a selection committee chaired by the Head of the ANU Indonesia Project (or nominee), which will also include the Associate Dean (Education), ANU College of Asia and the Pacific (or nominee) and one other staff member selected by the Chair.
The selection committee reserves the right to make no award if it considers there is no applicant of sufficient merit. The selection committee may also vary the number of Awards and/or offer the Award at other times in exceptional circumstances or based on the standard of applications or students (where funds allow).
Publicity
The recipient may be requested to participate in publicity for the Award from time to time. This may include publicity in the state or territory of residence or of schooling. Recipients may be contacted for an interview and photograph. The University may also publicise the Award by publishing the recipients' names. Such publicity will be arranged through the ANU Indonesia Project or ANU Communications and Engagement (ACE).
Recipients are expected to present their research (supported by the Award) at the ANU Indonesia Project’s Study Group Seminar and provide a report to the donor. This report should be 1-2 pages long and cover briefly the research, findings where applicable, journal articles published as a consequence of the research, and be provided to the ANU Indonesia Project within 3 months of completion of the Award.
Recipients will also be required to acknowledge funding from the Award should the outcomes lead to publication.
Further information
For further information, contact Indonesia.Project@anu.edu.au
Application Process
Applications are managed through the ANU Global Programs System in one round per year. To apply, please follow this link to the ANU Global Programs applicant portal: Terradotta.
Key dates
Applications have closed and 2025 grantees have been announced. See below.
Details about the 2026 Ruth Daroesman Grant will be available in early 2026.
2025 Recipients
Dyah Ayu Kartika is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political and Social Change at the Coral Bell School of Asia and Pacific Affairs. Her research, titled “Restraint and resistance: The pro and anti-gender movements in Indonesia’s declining democracy,” investigates how democratic backsliding affects gender politics in Indonesia. She focuses on state and civil society dynamics around women’s rights, family, sexual and reproductive health, and the protection of gender minorities.
Sita Winiawati Dewi is also a PhD candidate in the Department of Political and Social Change. Her research, “How independent journalists counterbalance mainstream media power in Indonesia,” explores how emerging, independent media outlets challenge dominant political and economic powers. By focusing on voices outside the capital, Sita aims to shed light on alternative media narratives that contribute to democratic resilience in Indonesia.
Dimas Irham Rabbani is a Master’s candidate in Environmental Management and Development at the Crawford School of Public Policy. His research, titled “The making of the environmental subject among Meto people of West Timor,” examines how the indigenous Meto communities respond to the establishment of Mutis-Timau National Park. Dimas explores how environmental governance intersects with identity and resistance in one of Indonesia’s most culturally and ecologically significant landscapes.
Prior Recipients
A full list of prior recipients can be found on the ANU Indonesia Project online archive.