Finance is proud to celebrate Radmila Gill PSM (also known as Radmila Ristic), Director of Grants Policy, who was awarded a Public Service Medal (PSM) in the King’s Birthday 2026 Honours List for outstanding public service in leadership, excellence and integrity in Australian Government grants.
In her 18 years at Finance, Rad has built an extraordinary legacy of service for both the APS and Australian community – from implementing GrantConnect to supporting the Government deliver critical grant opportunities during bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rad has exemplified the APS value of stewardship through the transformation of Commonwealth grants administration into a robust and transparent process that promotes consistency and accountability.
Some of Rad’s significant achievements while working at Finance include:
- Developing all iterations of the rules governing grants administration, including most recently through the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles 2024, which are recognised domestically and internationally as a benchmark for transparent and accountable grants administration.
- Implementing the GrantConnect platform in 2017, significantly improving transparency of grant opportunities and consistent, timely public access to grants information.
- Creating standardised grants templates reducing legal costs, improving consistency and enhancing the quality of grant opportunities and agreements across government.
- Demonstrating outstanding crisis leadership during the 2019 bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic, managing a team of 30 under pressure to rapidly deliver critical grants programs to Australians in need.
- Building strong and respected relationships with grant applicants and recipients, international counterparts and across all levels of government.
Rad is recognised by her colleagues across the APS for her generous leadership, mentoring and capability building. She has cultivated future leaders within the APS, embedding a legacy of service excellence that will continue to shape grants administration and strengthen trust in the Australian Government.
Congratulations, Radmila!
