Grants, award and prizes

Are you undertaking post registration/postgraduate study in nursing or midwifery in Victoria?

In 2018 the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Vic Branch) Council introduced new financial grants for members undertaking post registration/postgraduate (certificate/diploma) education. Grants provide up to 80 per cent of the tuition costs incurred by eligible ANMF members.

ANMF distributed almost $412,000 of its 2018-19 education grants to 128 members, who met the criteria and will use the funds to undertake specialist education in areas of great clinical need.  

In 2019-20, preference will be given to applications from members undertaking post registration/postgraduate (cert/diploma) studies in the following specialties/areas of practice:

1. perioperative or perianesthesia nursing
2. postgraduate midwifery
3. mental health nursing
4. palliative care nursing
5. renal nursing
6. critical care nursing (intensive care unit/emergency/neonatal intensive care unit)
7. maternal and child health 
8. addictive behaviours
9. Advanced Diploma in Nursing
10. Diploma of Alcohol and other Drugs for enrolled nurses 

Applications
Applications for the 2019/20 financial year fee grants open on Monday 13 January 2020 and close on 31 March 2020.
Apply online

Use of the grant
The ANMF (Vic Branch) Nursing and Midwifery Fee Grant will be considered on the basis of a shared-cost partnership agreement between the successful recipient and ANMF (Vic Branch). The Fee Grant will ordinarily be by way of a reimbursement of up to eighty per cent of the core course fee costs. The grant allocation will be limited to the cost of tuition/course fees only and will not include costs related to computers, accommodation, late enrolment fees, textbook, student services fees and other incidentals.

Eligibility criteria
Applicants must:

1. Be a financial member of the ANMF (Vic Branch) for at least 24 continuous months at the time of application*

2. Continue to be a financial member of the ANMF (Vic Branch) during the course

3. Fully complete and submit the ANMF (Vic Branch) Course Fee Application Form (including provision of the written outline about how the course will contribute to your practice)

4. Attach to the application form legible copies of:

a) allocation of a place within the course 

b) the Course Enrolment Guide (including name of the course, details of the subjects/units enrolled in during the 19-20 financial year, mode of delivery e.g. face-to-face or online, course provider information)

c) university tuition fees invoice issued from course provided for subjects undertaken between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020

d) cost of course

e) Confirmation of Enrolment for each subject/unit

f) Commonwealth supported place (CSP) statement of account if you have one

g) receipt of payment/proof of payment(s)/or copy of HECS/FEE HELP statement if you have one**

h) declare all grants including the amount/s received from any sources for the study e.g. DHHS, employer or other scholarship

5. Be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)

6. Be working in Victoria.

* Unless extraordinary circumstances can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the ANMF (Vic Branch) Council. Student membership is considered part of the 24 continuous months.

** This provision is not intended to limit applications from ANMF (Vic Branch) members who may be experiencing significant financial hardship. In such circumstances, members are encouraged to seek ‘approval in advance’ ensuring that they provide evidence of the hardship to this application for the consideration of the ANMF (Vic Branch) Council Course Fee Grant Subcommittee (CFGS).

Privacy
The ANMF (Vic Branch) is obliged by law to provide to the Registered Organisations Commission the names of any members to whom a grant is made and to publish the names of grant recipients in our Annual Report.

Taxation
The ANMF (Vic Branch) does not and will not provide advice on the tax implications, if any, on the provision of a grant to a successful recipient.

Reporting
Successful applicants must provide to the ANMF (Vic Branch) Council Course Fee Grant Subcommittee copies of unit results within two weeks of them being available from the education provider at the end of each study semester.

Notification of grants
Where the ANMF (Vic Branch) Council Course Fee Grant Subcommittee approves an application for a grant, the ANMF (Vic Branch) will advise the applicant in writing of that approval. Successful applicants will be provided a letter of approval in principle. These members will be responsible for returning a signed copy of acceptance within the stated time-frame, acknowledging and accepting terms and conditions. The ANMF (Vic Branch) Council Course Fee Grant Subcommittee decision in awarding fee grants is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Payment of grants
Payment of approved fees to successful applicants will be by way of reimbursement on a per subject per semester basis over the financial year from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.  

Payment will be made the week commencing 15 June 2020. 

Validation of the grant
The ANMF (Vic Branch) may terminate a grant, if in the opinion of the ANMF (Vic Branch) this is warranted. The recipient may be required to reimburse the ANMF (Vic Branch) for the grant payment where it is evidenced that:

1. The recipient does not complete and/or has no intention of completing the course for which the grant was awarded; for example the recipient withdraws or defers the course without the approval of the ANMF (Vic Branch) Course Fee Grant Subcommittee.

2. Rescinding ANMF membership or non-payment of ANMF membership fees during the period in which the postgraduate course of the studies or unit/s of study is being undertaken.

Inquiries

Please email grants@anmfvic.asn.au with inquiries with 'ANMF fee grant application' in the subject line.

The ANMF (Vic Branch) awards $1000 to an HSR elected under the OHS Act 2004 who has demonstrated an outstanding achievement and commitment to the ANMF (Vic Branch) and to the members in their workplace, such as

• protection of Nurses and midwives from workplace injuries and illness
• leadership and innovation in workplace OHS
• resolution of workplace OHS issues or disputes
• achievements in representation and consultation.

The nomination period for this award is 1 January to the last Friday in May every year. 

The successful HSR will be selected by a panel comprising the ANMF (Vic Branch) President, Secretary and OHS Unit Co-ordinator.

This award will be presented at the annual ANMF (Vic Branch) HSR conference held in June.

ANMF (Vic Branch) awards an annual prize to an outstanding final year nursing student from every Victorian university and TAFE.

Recipients of this prize display excellence in nursing theory and clinical practice and are nominated by their institution.

These awards are announced at the ANMF (Vic Branch) Annual General Meeting in December or at the individual university or TAFE's award presentation ceremony.

Contact the ANMF (Vic Branch) Graduate and Final Year Officer.

This annual $4000 ANMF (Vic Branch) Humanitarian Grant will assist overseas nurses who enter Australia as refugees to gain their registration with the NMBA (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia).

This grant was established following a request to assist a young Sudanese refugee enrolled in a Victorian undergraduate nursing program.

Further investigation revealed a number of refugees in Australia, who were also nurses, and required assistance to practice. ANMF (Vic Branch) believes it is important to support nurses who are refugees from other countries and to assist them to continue to practice nursing in Victoria and earn a living for themselves and their families.

The $4000 ANMF Humanitarian Grant will be available each year and funds will be allocated to applicants who:

• have a nursing qualification
• have received or are in the process of obtaining Australian refugee status
• undertake a pre-registration or supervised practice program in order to gain registration with the NMBA 
• provide confirmation of acceptance in education programs and details of associated costs.

Contact ANMF (Vic Branch) Professional Officer Lynne West.

ANMF (Vic Branch) invites ANMF members living within 70kms of the Melbourne central business district (CBD) to apply for this grant.

This grant is provided by ANMF (Vic Branch) to assist ANMF (Vic Branch) members to obtain education in/or relevant to their areas of practice. Please note, this is not a scholarship, which by definition pays for the full cost of the course of study.

The judging panel will determine the number of successful applicants with the total value of the ANMF (Vic Branch) Metropolitan Education Grant being $7,500. In previous years the successful candidates have received between $100 and $500. Please note, this is not a scholarship, which by definition pays for the full cost of the course of study. 

To apply applicants must:

• have been an ANMF (Vic Branch) financial member for at least the past 24 months
• provide confirmation of enrolment in the relevant higher education
• provide proof of payment in the relevant higher education
• complete the course within two years
• not have been in receipt of the ANMF Grant in the previous 12 months
• provide a written application of no more than 250 words detailing the ways in which the education will be beneficial
• live within 70kms of the CBD.

Applications closed Friday 26 July 2019 and will reopen in 2020. Yearly dates are published in On The Record when applications open.

Contact ANMF (Vic Branch) Professional Officer Lynne West.

ANMF (Vic Branch) invites ANMF members living more than 70kms from the Melbourne central business district to apply for this grant.

This grant is provided by ANMF (Vic Branch) to assist ANMF (Vic Branch) members to obtain education in / or relevant to their areas of practice.

Please note, this is not a scholarship, which by definition pays for the full cost of the course of study.

The judging panel will determine the number of successful applicants with the total value of the ANMF (Vic Branch) Regional Education Grant being $7,500.  In previous years the successful candidates have received between $100 and $500. Please note, this is not a scholarship, which by definition pays for the full cost of the course of study. 

To apply applicants must:

• have been an ANMF financial member for at least the past 24 months
• provide confirmation of enrolment in the relevant higher education
• provide proof of payment in the relevant higher education
• complete the course within two years
• not have been in receipt of this ANMF Grant in the previous 12 months
• provide a written application of no more than 250 words detailing the ways in which the education will be beneficial
• live more than 70kms from the CBD.

Applications closed Friday 26 July 2019 and will reopen in 2020. Yearly dates are published in On The Record when applications open.

Contact ANMF (Vic Branch) Professional Officer Lynne West .

This grant is available for Masters and PhD students.

The research proposal must be of clinical nursing significance and completed within two years of the application closing date. The proposal must already have approval by your university ethics committee and your research supervisor.

Applications closed Friday 27 September. Yearly dates are published in On The Record when applications open.

Contact ANMF (Vic Branch) Professional Officer Lynne West.

ANMF (Vic Branch) conference, study and grants project

ANMF (Vic Branch) is strongly committed to nurses attending and participating in conferences relevant to their professional practice.

Full-time and part-time ANMF members, who have been a financial member for at least 12 months, are eligible to apply for financial assistance to attend a Victorian, interstate or international conference. Criteria apply.

Contact Vanessa Standfield.

This annual grant supports an ANMF (Vic Branch) Special Interest Group or member undertaking clinical nursing research or higher education study.

The clinical project or higher education study must:

1. have the endorsement of your ANMF (Victorian Branch) Special Interest Group
2. be relevant to clinical nursing practice be transferable across workplace settings.

Applications closed Friday 27 September. Yearly dates are published in On The Record when applications open.

Contact ANMF (Vic Branch) Professional Officer Lynne West.

Every year, the ANMF (Vic Branch) awards $1000 to a Hannah Sellers Job Rep of the Year.

This award is for Job Reps in Victoria who demonstrate outstanding commitment to the ANMF and to ANMF members in their workplace.

Achievements may comprise recruitment, dispute resolution or any other exceptional initiative that improves their colleagues' wages, employment conditions or ability to provide high quality care.

The successful Job Rep will be selected by a panel comprising the ANMF (Vic Branch) President, Secretary and Assistant Secretary. The award will be presented at the Annual Delegates Conference every year.
 
Nominations open on 1 January and close the last Friday of May each year.

Contact your ANMF (Vic Branch) Organiser.

The Vi Elliott Occupational Health Nurses Trust makes up to $3000 available annually for:

1. Victorian nurses involved in or moving into the field of Occupational Health Nursing or Occupational Health and Safety to undertake professional development.
2. Victorian education institutions involved in the education of nurses in the fields of Occupational Health Nursing or Occupational Health and Safety

The grant is available for use to attend conferences, seminars, workshops, to undertake an education course or a research project in this field.

Applications closed Friday 23 August. Yearly dates are published in On The Record when applications open.

Contact ANMF (Vic Branch) Professional Officer Lynne West.