New memorial scholarship to help make roads safer for kids
QUT psychology student Jessica Chadburn has been awarded the inaugural RACQ Guimaraes Memorial Scholarship, which aims to remember a young Gold Coast boy and make roads safer for children.
The new scholarship is named after nine-year-old Aiden Guimaraes, who died in 2024 following a crash involving a car and the e-bike he and his father were riding.
Valued at $10,000 per year, the scholarship has been established by RACQ and the QUT School of Psychology and Counselling to honour Aiden’s legacy and support PhD research into road safety for children and active transport.
Jessica graduated with her Bachelor of Behavioural Science last year and has been completing her Honours year in 2025. Next year she will begin a PhD with the MAIC-QUT Road Safety Research Collaboration in Brisbane.
Her research focuses on improving road safety outcomes for children, and applying behavioural approaches to protect young road users and promote active transport.
“I’m extremely grateful to be awarded this scholarship and I’m excited to collaborate with RACQ to explore ideas that can make a real tangible difference,” she said.
Aiden’s father David Guimaraes, a long-time RACQ employee, said the scholarship was a deeply meaningful step forward for his family.
“There’s nothing that can bring Aiden back, but the research Jessica will undertake, and those after her, thanks to RACQ and QUT, will hopefully prevent other families from experiencing the trauma we’ve endured,” Mr Guimaraes said.
The scholarship will be awarded annually to a PhD student from QUT’s Faculty of Health.
RACQ Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer Glenn Toms said the scholarship was an important milestone in continuing Aiden’s legacy.
“Aiden was tragically taken from his family and our community far too soon in an incident we see far too often,” said Mr Toms.
“This scholarship aims to ensure his death was not in vain – it’s about changing the current, dire trajectory of road safety outcomes and protecting future generations.
“RACQ is proud to support the next generation of researchers working to make our roads safer. Congratulations to Jessica, whose work will no doubt have a profound impact in this space.”
Pictured at top of page (left to right): RACQ Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer Glenn Toms and QUT psychology student Jessica Chadburn, with Aiden's parents, David and Andrea Guimaraes.
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