Maryam Mirzakhani (1977–2017) was an Iranian mathematician and a professor at Stanford University. In 2014 she became the first female recipient of the prestigious Fields Medal. She passed away much too soon but her achievements live on and continue to inspire many. The Maryam Mirzakhani Award has been established to honour her work as well as her role in breaking the glass ceiling for women in mathematics.

The Maryam Mirzakhani Award is designed to support international female students pursuing a postgraduate degree in mathematics in Australia. Each year the award will be made on a competitive basis by a selection committee of distinguished mathematicians, appointed by the executive committee of WIMSIG.

There is one round of the Maryam Mirzakhani Award per year, with the closing date each year being the 1st of April.