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Scholarships

  • The first round of the 2023 RCH Travelling Scholarships will open Wednesday, 1st February

    Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons wishing to be considered for selection in the award of the below scholarships.

    The RCH Travelling Scholarships will be advertised twice yearly in February and August of each year.


    Applications will close 5.00pm Tuesday, 28th February


    *For the scholarships offered in both February and August, the funding pool will be distributed equally across the time points. 

     February

    Scholarship name 

    Intent 

    Eligibility 

    Award
    Rosemary Derham Scholarship  

    The Scholarship will be awarded annually to enable members of staff to obtain further post-graduate education, work place experience, or research development in local or overseas centres of excellence.

    Alternatively, this Scholarship may be awarded to a department/unit within the Hospital to sponsor an overseas specialist to assist in the further development and training of staff.

    		 The Scholarship is intended for any member of staff who has completed his/her basic training and wishes to gain further experience, training and knowledge in their area of work. The value of the Scholarship is $10,000 and may be shared.

    The Volunteers' Nursing Scholarship




    		 The Scholarship is intended to enable nurse graduates who have already demonstrated ability in a field of paediatric nursing to:
    • obtain further experience, education or a period of special observation at a centre of excellence in Australia or overseas, or
    • undertake part-time study in nursing or a related discipline in a course leading to a degree or
    • undertake or participate in a research project or some other appropriate activity.

    The Scholarship will normally be offered to Registered Nurses who have worked as qualified staff members at the Royal Children's Hospital for two years or more. Consideration will be given to awarding a scholarship to a member of the nursing staff who has worked at the Royal Children's for less than two years but who has extensive paediatric nursing experience.

    It is unlikely that any staff member will be awarded more than one scholarship; however, consideration may be given to a second scholarship or a continuation of a worthwhile project undertaken which otherwise could not be completed.

         		 The value of the Scholarship is $11,000 and may be shared. 

    The Rosen Family, Lily's Gift Travelling Scholarship for General Registered Nurses



    		The Scholarship is intended to enable nurse graduates who have demonstrated ability in a field of paediatric nursing to travel overseas for further experience, education or a period of special observation.  The Scholarship normally will be offered to Registered Nurses who have worked as qualified staff members at the Royal Children's Hospital for two years or more. Consideration will be given to awarding a scholarship to a member of the nursing staff who has extensive paediatric nursing experience. 

    The value of the Scholarship is $11,000 and may be shared.

    The Rosen Family have endowed these scholarships to ensure that RCH graduate nurses have access to overseas learning opportunities enabling them to extend their experience, education or participate in special observation. They wanted to give thanks for the current and ongoing care their daughter, Lily has received as a cardiology patient at the RCH. This gift too, will give Lily a legacy to hold on to as she grows, teaching her the impact and meaning of philanthropy. 

     August

    Scholarship name 

    Intent 

    Eligibility 

    Award 
    The Pied Pipers' Scholarship The purpose of the scholarship is to enable members of the allied health professional staff to obtain further post- graduate education, work place experience or research in an Australian or overseas centre of excellence.  Applications are invited from any member of the Allied Health Professional Staff of the Royal Children’s Hospital.
    		The value of the Scholarship is $11,000 and may be shared.
    Jeannie H Poolman Scholarship The Scholarship will be awarded for the purposes of travelling to enable further post-graduate paediatric education abroad. This may include attendance at an international meeting or conference. Preference will be given to candidates with a demonstrated interest in medical education.  These Scholarships are intended for a recent medical graduate who has completed his/her basic paediatric training and has a post-graduate qualification.  Only in very exceptiional circumstances will other candidates be considered.  These Scholarships may be held in conjunction with another scholarship although preference will be given to candidates without other support.
    		The scholarship award is $5500
    Kate Campbell Scholarship The Scholarship, named in recognition of Dame Kate Campbell’s contribution to clinical paediatrics, and funded by the Royal Children’s Hospital, is available each year to provide assistance for practicing Paediatricians who wish to undertake a period of sabbatical or study leave at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Applications are invited from practicing Paediatricians who have an association with the Royal Children’s Hospital, and who practice in the States of Victoria, Tasmania, or adjacent areas of New South Wales and South Australia. The Scholarship will provide a sum of up to $10,000 to cover a period of study which will assist the applicant in gaining new skills or expertise to further the practice of paediatrics in the applicant’s local region. 
    The Karmein Chan Memorial Scholarship

    The purpose of the Scholarship is to enable health professionals to obtain further post-graduate education, work place experience or research in an Australian or overseas centre of excellence.

    This scholarship was offered for the first time to health professionals in the child protection field in 2003 and is funded annually through the generous support of Mrs Phyllis Lam in memory of her late daughter Karmein Chan.

    The Scholarship is available to health professionals who are employed by or closely associated with the Hospital who contribute to the broad Child Protection area.

    The candidates will have demonstrated their capacity to advance the knowledge of the child protection field to benefit the children and young people of Victoria.

    The scholarship will be offered to an applicant who has been working in the field for at least 3 years.

    		 The Scholarship will provide a sum of up to $6,000 annually and may be shared. 

    February and August

    Scholarship name 

    Intent 

    Eligibility 

    Award
    Uncle Bobs Travelling Scholarship*

    The Uncle Bobs Travelling Scholarship is awarded annually in the field of Paediatrics. The purpose of the Scholarship is to enable University graduates still training, who are, or who have recently been members of staff of the Royal Children's Hospital or the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, to gain experience and training in overseas centres.

    The Scholarship is intended for graduates of first rate intellectual and personal qualities who have already shown unusual capacity to advance knowledge in one of the fields concerned.

    The Scholarship will be open to graduates of not less than four years standing with at least two years paediatric experience or, in the case of a science graduate, two years experience in the specialty. A post-graduate qualification and/or research experience is desirable but not essential.

    Scholarships will be awarded for the period of twelve months in the first instance with a possibility of extension in exceptional circumstances for a further period.

     

    The Scholarship shall provide for:

    • Travelling direct to and from the place where the work will be undertaken;
    • A reasonable allowance for visiting approved centres.
    • An appropriate living allowance commensurate with the cost of living in the place of work and equivalent to that earned by persons of equivalent status. Any salary earned in addition to the Scholarship may lead to a reduction of this allowance.

    * N.B. The Scholarship does not provide for paid leave. 
    Jeff Crouch Memorial Scholarship* 

    This scholarship has been established by the Board of Directors, Women’s and Children’s Health to acknowledge the wonderful contribution made to the work of the Royal Children’s Hospital by Jeff Crouch during his 21 years as Director of the Good Friday Appeal.

    The Scholarship is provided for the purposes of candidates gaining further experience or education that will be of benefit to the Hospital and its patients or for research having the same purpose.

    Alternatively, the Scholarship may be awarded to a Department or Unit within the Hospital to sponsor an overseas specialist to assist in the further development and training of staff. 

    		 The Scholarship is available to all those who are employed by or closely associated with the Hospital in any Department and to any Department or Unit in the Hospital.   The Scholarship will provide a sum of up to $30,000 annually and may be shared. Scholarships will be awarded for the period of twelve months in the first instance, with the possibility of an extension in exceptional circumstances.
    RCH Paediatric Handbook Travelling Scholarship* The Scholarship will be awarded for the purposes of travelling to enable further post-graduate paediatric education abroad. This may include attendance at an international meeting or conference.  These Scholarships are intended for a recent medical, nursing or allied health graduate who has completed his/her basic paediatric training. Only in very exceptional circumstances will other candidates be considered.  These Scholarships may be held in conjunction with another scholarship although preference will be given to candidates without other support.   Up to two Scholarships of $3,000 each will be awarded.  

    Eligibility and selection criteria

    The RCH travelling scholarships are primarily intended to assist staff members to increase their knowledge and expertise by undertaking travel and further education. Preference will be given to applicants who do not have access to, or have limited access to, other means of financial support.

    The following criteria are specific eligibility criteria set down for each scholarship.

    • span must include definite programs, with written evidence of acceptance at health care services being visited. Changes to the program post submission are not encouraged, unless specifically directed by the selection committee.
    • Applicants must detail exactly, the time predicted to be spent away from the hospital, with support from their head of department as to how this will be managed.
    • Support for conference attendance will favor those with submitted/accepted presentations. The submitted abstract should be included as part of the scholarship application.
    • Applications are for individuals only and joint applications will not be considered (other than in the specific instances outlined in the Rosemary Derham and Jeff Crouch Scholarships where an application may be received from a department to sponsor an overseas visitor). 
    • Staff members who have been the recipient of an RCH Travelling Scholarship in the past 3 years will generally not be considered eligible.
    • Members of staff of less than 2 years standing will also generally not be considered eligible.
    • Preference will be given to applicants that can clearly demonstrate that their proposed program will have wider benefits to the Hospital’s clinical, educational, or research activities.
    • All aspects of submission including referee's report, Head of Department report must be submitted in full by 5.00pm on the closing date for the application to be considered.
    • Staff members who have an ongoing appointment at time of being awarded scholarship are expected to add value to RCH as a result of learning on their return. All recipients must submit a report to their hospital Head of Department and Executive Director on their return. 
    • In general Sabbatical leave will not be supported through these scholarships unless exceptional circumstances exist that are of major strategic value to RCH.  No more than one sabbatical may be supported in any given year, and the value of support may be capped at the discretion of the scholarships committee.

    Finance

    • Budget must be realistic and justified.
    • If annual leave / holiday travel is proposed as part of the itinerary, applicants should be aware that funding for airfares will be reduced according to FBT guidelines.
    • The Selection Committee may consider the ability of applicants to find other sources of funding.
    • Funding requests to pay for university course fees will not be supported.
    • If for any reason awarded amount is not required for the requested itinerary, then any remaining funds should be returned to the Scholarship fund.  Requests to add additional activities with any remaining funds will not be considered.

    Travel and accommodation

    Prior travel

    Applications for prior travel reimbursement will not be considered. Travel should occur within 12 months of successfully being awarded scholarship.

    Application

    Application and referee forms must be completed using Acrobat DC https://acrobat.adobe.com/au/en/acrobat/pdf-reader.html

    Please use links below to download the relevant forms.

    When the form opens in a browser window, please save as a PDF to your computer then close document. Reopen saved PDF and complete.

    Please do not use Print > Save to pdf option as this will invalidate the form.

    Forms

    References

    References from two professional referees should be supplied, including one from the applicant's department head.

    Referees should be instructed to forward their references directly to the scholarship coordinator. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all references are completed and submitted by the due date.

    Head of Department support

    Clear support from head of department, including the strategic value of the application must be included within each application, including whether the department is financially supporting the proposed plan. The head of department must also acknowledge the need for the applicant if successful, to provide a written and/or oral presentation to scholarship committee and appropriate stakeholders on completion of the activity. The head of department must also acknowledge the need for the applicant if successful, to provide a written and/or oral presentation to the scholarship committee and appropriate stakeholders on completion of the activity.

    Head of department will comment on benefits on the report which will be prepared by the recipient before submitting to the scholarship committee.

    Where more than one application is received from a department, that department head will be asked to assist the Selection Committee by assigning an order of merit to their department’s applications.

    Scholarship winners agree to submit a report in writing as to their activities and findings made during the Scholarship period. Many successful applicants will be required to give a formal presentation, especially when the scholarship is sponsored by a support group of RCH foundation. Heads of departments are responsible for ensuring this occurs in a timely fashion. Alternatively, if the Scholarship is awarded to a department sponsoring an overseas visitor, the department must submit a report of the visitor's activities. Reports will be published, as they become available, on the RCH website for all staff to access.

    Application submission

    The applicant is required to complete an application form and email the application by the due date to:

    RCH Scholarship Selection Committee Co-ordinator: pamela.morison@rch.org.au

    Application determination

    All applications will be reviewed by the RCH Scholarships Selection Committee, which will determine the recipients of all scholarships listed above.

    The Committee will require shortlisted applicants to attend an interview in March/April for February applications and September for August applications.  Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the selection process in writing in April/May and September respectively and will be formally acknowledged at The Royal Children's Hospital Annual General Meeting. Successful applicants are expected to attend the RCH Annual General Meeting.