Scholarships

Professional development and training is essential for allied health professionals to maintain their skills and knowledge throughout their careers. The Chief Allied Health Office works in partnership with higher education institutions, ACT government Directorates and other stakeholders to enable subsidised access to quality education and training opportunities for the allied health community.

Study Leave, Study Assistance and Professional Development Leave

Allied health professionals working in the public sector may be eligible for study leave and assistance. Please contact your manager for more information.

Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme

This scheme supports eligible allied health professionals with scholarships in various fields of postgraduate study, particularly in areas of allied health that have known shortages.

Scholarship recipients will have access to funding to support tuition fees. The level of funding given will depend on the total number of applicants, the total cost of requested tuition support and the available budget. Scholarships are paid through reimbursement at the end of each satisfactorily completed semester(s) of study.

Important Information for prospective applicants

Applications for scholarships to study in 2023 are now closed. Applications for scholarships to study in 2024 will open in November 2023.

Anyone considering applying to this scheme should read the Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme Applicant Guidelines.

Please view the Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme presentation.

Staff Eligibility

To be eligible for this scheme, you must have permanent employment with Canberra Health Services or ACT Health or have a continuous temporary contract for at least 12 months before the application closing date.

You must be employed in one of the eligible allied health professions and have a minimum of two years full-time post-qualification work experience in the related field of practice, or equivalent for part-time staff.

There is a three-year exclusion period in place for staff who have previously received an allied health postgraduate scholarship leading to an award level program of study.

Course Eligibility

In addition to meeting the staff eligibility criteria, applicants must also prove their intended study meets the scheme’s course eligibility criteria. Course eligibility is set out in the Applicant Guidelines, noting that eligible postgraduate courses have a minimum of 6 months full-time equivalent duration.

Eligible courses are required to have a clinical practice, health professional education, health service management and leadership, research, or data science* related focus and you must be able to demonstrate how your proposed course of study is relevant to, or will contribute to your organisations core values and key strategic priorities.

*The Health Analytics Research Collaborative (HARC) provides advice and connects students with potential mentors, projects and courses. HARC is a collaboration between ACT Health Directorate and its academic partners focused on health data science, and research methods and analytics in both qualitative and quantitative areas. Locally, HARC is associated with the Biologic Data Science Institute and Population Health at the Australian National University, and the University of Canberra.

For more details on HARC please contact, Emily Beltrami on +61 2 6244 4288 or emily.beltrami@act.gov.au

Referees

Applicants must have two referee reports from senior professionals, completed using the Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Referee form. Referees will be automatically sent a copy of the scholarship application and a link to complete their referee report when the scholarship application is submitted. Referees must submit referee reports by the scheme closing date. One referee report must be from your current line manager, and you are expected to discuss with and gain support for your application from your line manager. Referees must be at HP3 classification, or equivalent, and above.

Need more information?

For more information, please contact AlliedHealthScholarShips@act.gov.au or 5124 9451.

University of Canberra Graduate Certificate Scholarship Program

Graduate Certificate in Health Research

Graduate Certificate in Health Leadership and Management

Graduate Certificate in Mental Health

Staff employed in Allied Health or Nursing and Midwifery positions in the ACT Health Directorate or Canberra Health Services have a wonderful opportunity made possible by the University of Canberra. This program is facilitated by the ACT Health Directorate, Office of Professional Leadership and Education in partnership with University of Canberra.

The University of Canberra scholarship offers a generous contribution towards the Graduate Certificate in Health Research, Graduate Certificate in Health Leadership and Management or Graduate Certificate in Mental Health. (Eligibility and selection criteria apply).

The University of Canberra Graduate Certificate in Health Research supports clinician’s transition to health science research. The course explores subjects including epidemiology, how to perform statistical analyses, and the qualitative and quantitative practices of the research process.

The University of Canberra Graduate Certificate in Health Leadership and Management explores leadership and management with specific respect to health. The course explores subjects including growing as a leader, resource allocation and priority setting, workforce management, and strategy, innovation, and change.

The University of Canberra Graduate Certificate in Mental Health prepares nursing, midwifery, allied health, and other front-line professionals with the skills to improve and promote the mental health of individuals and the community.

The University of Canberra scholarship provides 50% of course fees for the program of study. Additional costs incurred (e.g. remainder of course fees, amenities fees etc) are payable by the student. ACT Health Directorate and Canberra Health Services applicants must complete the ACT Public Service Studies Assistance Application Form for approval as a student and may be eligible for work area supported Study Leave. 

Availability of this scheme is not guaranteed each year. When offered, a limited number of places are available and successful recipients are selected by a panel.

Course information

Application information

Applications for scholarships to study in 2023 are now closed. Applications for scholarships to study in 2024 will open in November 2023.

Contact details

Page last updated on: 13 Jul 2023