Studies ssistance Grant Scheme 2015 - FQ Semester 2 / Round 2 - Opens 18 July 2015 & Closes 15 September 2015 Q1 Who can apply for a DoH N & M Studies ssistance Grant for undergraduate / entry to practice study? ny person Who is an ustralian Citizen or permanent resident and has resided in the NT for longer than 5 years who is enrolled in a course leading to registration as an enrolled or registered nurse or direct entry midwife (apply under priority category 1a or 2b) pplicants must provide: Proof of ustralian Citizenship or permanent residency status Proof of NT residency of > 5 years with referee declaration within pplicant Support section of the application form. Proof of payment Fee ssessment Notice (includes evidence of enrolment and fees paid) plus tax invoices and receipts relating directly to the application claim. Q2 Who can apply for a DoH N & M Studies ssistance Grant for postgraduate study? ny person Who is enrolled in a course listed under priority categories 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b, 4 and Who is an ustralian Citizen or permanent resident and has resided in the NT for longer than 1 year and is employed within a NT health service operating in the NT pplicants must provide: Proof of ustralian Citizenship or permanent residency status Proof of payment Fee ssessment Notice (includes evidence of enrolment and fees paid) plus tax invoices and receipts relating directly to the application claim. Proof of manager support for DoH applicants OR Proof of NT health service employment for non-doh applicants. Q3 What kind of course do I need to be enrolled in to apply for N & M Studies ssistance? Postgraduate courses identified under Priority Categories 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b, 4, including Bachelor of Midwifery (if you are already a Registered Nurse) Graduate Certificate Graduate Diploma Master PhD Undergraduate or Entry to practice courses under Priority Categories 1a and 2b, including: Bachelor of Nursing Bachelor of Midwifery Double degrees including nursing and / or direct entry midwifery Diploma in Nursing (Enrolled Nursing)
Q4 What are Priority Categories? In order to make the most strategic use of limited funds, the Nursing and Midwifery Office has prioritised the allocation of the Studies ssistance Grants according to the following priority workforce goals in descending order: Category 1a Category 1b Category 2a Category 2b Category 3a Category 3b Category 4 Nursing students identifying as boriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons who are enrolled in a course leading to registration as an enrolled or registered nurse or direct entry midwife who have lived in the NT for > 5 years. Nurses and midwives identifying as boriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons who are enrolled in postgraduate studies relevant to nursing and/or midwifery practice who have lived in the NT for > 1 year. dvanced Practice Nurses employed as approved Nurse Practitioner Candidates studying the CDU/CRH Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) NT residents for > 5 years who are enrolled in a course leading to registration as an enrolled or registered nurse or direct entry midwife Nurses and Midwives employed to provide primary health care services to urban and remote Indigenous Communities in the NT (either resident or outreach services) and studying to gain a postgraduate qualification in: Remote Health Practice Child and Family Health or Maternal and Child Health Women s Health or Midwifery Chronic Disease (including diabetes and renal disease) Public Health Nurses and Midwives employed in acute and primary health care settings in the NT and studying to gain postgraduate qualifications in: lcohol and Other Drugs/ddiction studies Mental Health Nurses employed in DoH regional and district hospitals and studying to gain postgraduate qualifications in a range of priority specialty areas including: Chronic Conditions (including diabetes and renal disease) Emergency and/or Intensive Care Paediatrics/Child health Oncology/Palliative Care Perioperative Trauma and Disaster Nursing
Q5 What does approved Nurse Practitioner Candidate mean under Category 2a? n approved Nurse Practitioner Candidate occupies a position that the health service determines is in alignment with the strategic plan for NP implementation in the NT, addressing priority health outcomes, role capabilities and service requirements. Evidence of this should be provided on the pplicant Support Section on the application form. Q6 Q7 Q8 Q9 Q10 Q11 Q12 What if my health service does not approve my Nurse Practitioner Candidature? Without the support of the health service you will not be eligible for the grant. re the Ministerial Nurse Practitioner Scholarships the same as Studies ssistance Grants? No, please refer to the Ministerial Nurse Practitioner information pack and FQ. Can I apply for short courses and assistance to attend a conference? No, the 2015 Studies ssistance Grants have been prioritised for nurses and midwives studying award courses. Nurses and midwives seeking financial support for continuing professional development activities are advised to seek other funding opportunities targeted to this purpose. Does it matter how long I have lived in the NT? Yes. In line with the grow your own workforce strategy: You must have lived in the NT for a minimum of 1 year to be eligible to apply for the grant under priority categories 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b, 4. You must have lived in the NT for a minimum of 5 years to be eligible to apply for the grant under priority category 1a and 2b. Preference will be given to NT residents of more than 5 years under all priority categories. Can I apply for courses outside the NT? Studies must be completed at Charles Darwin University (CDU) or affiliated organizations (e.g. Centre for Remote Health) except where the course of study is not provided at CDU. What is funding granted for? Studies ssistance Grants may be awarded to assist with: Course fees irfares / transportation to and from compulsory residential course attendance. ccommodation for compulsory residential / intensive practicum / clinical placement blocks. Some text / reference books What items are excluded from funding? Funding is not granted to cover loss of income such as salary / wages, computer hardware and software, accommodation for family members, NT Working with Children Clearance fees, First id courses, internet access, child care and / or fuel while attending on campus classes.
Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 How much financial assistance do I apply for? You may only apply for reimbursement of the expenditure directly related to the named course of study for the current semester. budget template is included in the application form and you are expected to itemise costs and attach proof of payment to the application form. m I expected to contribute towards the cost of my study? It is an expectation of the DoH that nurses and midwives will also contribute to the costs of their professional development endeavours. Many staff received up to $1500 annual professional development allowance. Staff eligible for this allowance will be expected to note this under the personal contribution section of the budget template. m I eligible if I also receive any other grant, scholarship or bursary? If you are receiving some form of assistance from the DoH or other sources, you must declare so in your application. Other assistance includes but is not limited to scholarships from other organisations such as the Office of the Commissioner of Public Employment (OCPE) Department of Education and Children s Services, ustralian College of Nursing, previous Studies ssistance Grants, Northern Territory Public Sector (NTPS) By-Law 41. Receipt of other assistance will be taken into account when evaluating your application. Other funding sources available for N & M studies include: Charles Darwin University Scholarships www.cdu.edu.au/scholarships Remote Workforce Development Scholarships Program through OCPE at www.nt.gov.au/ocpe/rwd/scholarships.shtml ustralian College of Nursing at http://www.acn.edu.au/scholarships dditional sources of scholarship funds may be sourced through a general web search. What do I have to do to apply for N & M Studies ssistance Grant? To be considered you need to: Complete the pplication Form ensuring the declaration is signed to confirm NT residency (this must be > 1 year for postgraduate level or for > 5 years for entry / undergraduate level) ND ensure the pplicant Support form section, B or C is completed and signed. ttach proof of citizenship or permanent residency status such as birth certificate or passport ttach proof of payments including fee assessment notice / tax invoices / receipts all relating directly to the application. Round 2 of the grant scheme will close on 15 September 2015. Incomplete applications will not be considered. How will my application be assessed? n ssessment Panel will review applications on the merit of the material provided. Priority will be given progressively through Categories 1 4. Under the N & M Studies ssistance Grants Scheme there is an expectation that applicants will contribute towards the costs of their studies. Funds will be allocated based on a range of issues, including merit and the available funding. Total amounts requested may not necessarily be supported in full.
The Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer will consider the ssessment Panel s recommendations for Studies ssistance and make the final decision regarding approval. Q18 Q19 How will I find out about the result of my application for Studies ssistance? When the assessment process is finalised applicants will be advised via email of the outcome of their respective application. Executive Directors of Nursing, Nursing Directors or Branch Heads, as appropriate will also be advised of the outcome of the application. What if I don t agree with the ssessment Panel s decision? If you don t agree with the result of your application, you must lodge a Letter of ppeal with the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, DoH, PO Box 40596, Casuarina NT 0811 within 14 days of receipt of the email advising you of the application outcome. The Letter of ppeal should outline the nature and basis of the appeal. copy of any other documentary evidence beyond the original application should accompany the letter. The Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer will communicate the outcome of the appeal to the applicant in writing. Q20 Q21 Q22 How often can I apply? You can apply for studies assistance for each round / semester over the duration of your course. Preference will be given to assist recipients of previous rounds complete their studies.if you are successful you may apply for further assistance for the next semester by lodging a new application. Round 1 / semester 1 will be open in March 2016. Can I apply again if I am unsuccessful? This depends on the reason your application was unsuccessful. If you did not meet the eligibility criteria, you should not reapply. However, if you have not received the grant because of the highly competitive nature of funding you can lodge a new application next semester providing that it complies with the requirements of the grant scheme for that particular round. How will I receive my N & M Studies ssistance Grant? Successful applicants: Will receive email advice of the amount of grant being offered in respect of their 2015 Round 2 pplication. Payment is only available through direct credit to your nominated bank account (via your GS number). If you are a non-doh employee a vendor application will need to be completed and returned before the due date to facilitate payment of the grant. Will receive advice of payment being processed via email. Please be advised that payment may take up to 30 days. pplicants must advise the Nursing Studies ssistance dministration ssistant in writing of any changes to their circumstances, address and/or contact details.
Q23 How much will I receive if I am successful? llocation of funds following receipt of applications will be based on a range of considerations, including available budget, contribution by the applicant, and the number and quality of applications received. It is important to note that the total amount requested may not necessarily be funded. Successful applicants may receive a contribution towards the costs of study, rather than the full amount requested on the application form. Q24 Q25 Q26 Is the N & M Studies ssistance Grant considered part of my income? Yes. pplicants are advised that for the purposes of determining eligibility for Centrelink Benefits and tax liability, Studies ssistance Grants are deemed as income and should be declared in your tax return. Please consult with your accountant for tax advice. What happens if I do not accept the grant funding? If you do not accept the grant offered please notify the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office immediately via email stating the reasons for not accepting the grant, as it may provide the opportunity to reallocate funding. Who can I contact if I have a query about my N & M Studies ssistance Grant application? Nursing and Midwifery dministration ssistant Nursing and Midwifery Office Phone: 892 27539 Email: NursingStudies.ssistance@nt.gov.au