Grants and scholarships

Royal College of Nursing, Australia (RCNA)

Bringing Nurses Back to Work (BNBW)

As part of health reform, the Australian Government will redirect funding from the Bringing Nurses Back into the Workforce (BNBW) Program to a number of new nursing and aged care initiatives.

Nurses already participating in the the BNBW Program, and who continue to be eligible, will receive incentive payments. However, no new applications will be accepted beyond 11 May 2010.

Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship and Support Scheme

Clinical Placement Scholarships for nursing students undertaking placement in Aboriginal Medical Services

The scheme is an Australian Government initiative seeking to support students enrolled in an approved undergraduate or entry level nursing course. There are at least 50 scholarships available to be awarded. Scholarships are worth up to $11,000.
Applications will be considered from applicants who are/have:

• Australian citizens or permanent residents
  
  Students enrolled in an accredited registered or enrolled nursing program that results in a nationally recognised and accredited qualification either on a part-time or full-time basis
  
  Wishing to participate in a clinical placement within an AMS
  
  Completed/or intending to complete cultural competence training

Professional Development Scholarships

The scheme is an Australian Government initiative seeking to support registered and enrolled nurses working in Aboriginal Medical Services to undertake professional development or as a contribution to further studies at an Australian university or TAFE.

Scholarships are worth up to $10,000 each. This funding is available to be paid either as a one-off payment or split payments over the duration of study depending upon the course being undertaken.

Mental Health Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme

The Mental Health Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme is a long term initiative funded by the Australian Government to encourage and support people interested in undertaking postgraduate study in mental health nursing and clinical psychology disciplines. The aim of the Scheme is to address the current shortage of qualified mental health professionals by increasing the number of students who enter and complete their study in mental health nursing or clinical psychology. Scholarships are provided to assist such students in meeting accommodation, living and travel costs incurred while studying. The Scheme provides financial assistance up to $15,000 for full-time study or up to $7500 for part time study in 2009, up to a maximum of $30,000 per applicant. Funding will be provided up to $30,000 for 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time study. Scholarships will be paid based on the successful applicants study load per semester.

Aged Care Scholarship Scheme – Postgraduate

The Postgraduate Community Aged Care Nursing Scholarship Scheme is an Australian Government initiative to encourage more registered/division 1 nurses to enter (or re-enter) the community aged care sector, and increase the skills of registered/division 1 nurses already working in the sector. Applicants may apply for funding towards more than one activity.

Categories:

• A. Postgraduate Tertiary Study: up to a maximum of $10,000
  Full-time study load = $5000 per six months for one year.
  Part-time study load = $2500 per six months for one year.
• B. Short Course/ Workshop – Applicants can receive up to a maximum of $5000 per course/workshop.
• C. Conference participation – Applicants can receive up to a maximum of $3000 per conference.

National Research and Scholarship Fund (NRSF)

The RCNA National Research and Scholarship Fund (NRSF) is designed to assist registered nurses to undertake both tertiary and/or postgraduate education, training and/or research activities. There are eight separate scholarships that may be available under this scheme, each with their own set of criteria and guidelines as well as different selection processes.
Scholarships:

• Annie M Sage Memorial Scholarship for postgraduate research studies in nursing at an Australian university
  
  Joyce Wickham Memorial Scholarship for doctoral studies in nursing at an Australian university
  
  Florence Nightingale Memorial Scholarship for doctoral or postdoctoral studies in an Australian higher education institution
• New South Wales Nurses Research Grant (NSW only) for postgraduate studies in (clinical) nursing at an Australian university
• Patricia Slater Award – for a registered/division 1 nurse who is a member of RCNA

Applicants must be registered nurses who are also Members/Fellows of RCNA.

Aged Care Scholarship Scheme – Postgraduate

The Aged Care Scholarship is aimed at increasing the skills of registered nurses/division 1 nurses working in aged care facilities. Preference will be given to those applicants currently employed in aged care facilities in regional and rural areas of Australia although applicants living in metropolitan areas who are employed in aged care facilities will be considered. The Scheme provides financial assistance in the form of a scholarship worth up to a total of $10,000 per applicant. The study that the applicant intends undertaking must be directly relevant to nursing employment in aged care.