2012 Scholarship Program applications are NOW CLOSED

Applications for the 2013 round will open in July 2012

Looking to kickstart your career in health promotion? Then a fully funded six month scholarship to work in an agency and on a project that you develop may be for you!

The Australian Health Promotion Association (WA Branch) in conjunction with Healthway is offering scholarships to:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people interested in a career in health promotion; and
• undergraduates or postgraduates with a health promotion or a relevant degree (health science, preventive health) from a Western Australian University to work in the field of health promotion.

Health agencies and organisations are encouraged to consider the prospect of placing a new graduate and/or an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person in a health promotion position that is fully funded by the scholarship.

Graduates must be supervised by a health professional with health promotion experience and skills within the organisation and undertake tasks of mutual benefit to the professional career of the graduate and the selected organisation.

The project can form part of an existing program within an organisation or may be a new initiative where planning has been undertaken. It is essential that the project already has funding. The applicant should not be expected to source further funding in order to complete the project. Additional funds will not be available from Healthway beyond the scholarship period.

Applicants are encouraged to give special consideration to health promotion projects based in rural or remote areas.

Find out more about the eligibility criteria and the selection process for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarships and the Graduate Scholarships.

GETTING STARTED

Scholarships may be initiated via the following methods:

The applicant may initiate the process by:

• approaching an organisation and negotiating a specific work plan; or
• contacting the AHPA (WA Branch) Scholarships Officer to access a list of potential organisations that may have expressed an interest in having a scholarship placement

An organisation may initiate the process by:

• approaching an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person or health promotion graduate directly and negotiating a specific work plan; or
• contacting the AHPA (WA Branch) Scholarships Officer with a specific project in mind. Such projects will be discussed with potentially suitable applicants who will in turn initiate contact with the relevant organisation.

APPLICATION PROCESS

1.  It is the applicant and organisation’s joint responsibility to negotiate a health promotion scholarship placement with a precise job role, project and timeline. Please note, the organisation must have funding and appropriate resources to complete the project before the application is submitted.

2.  The applicant and the organisation must both be familiar with the aim, conditions and processes of the scholarship.

3.  The applicant and the organisation need to complete an application form jointly.

4.  If there are any ethical requirements for the project, these must be considered by the organisation before the application is submitted.

5.  The applicant should submit the application form by the due date (Tuesday 1 November 2011).  It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure all forms and attachments are received by the due date.

6.  Interviews will be conducted with short listed applicants on Monday 5 December 2011. (NB: These interviews can be conducted via phone link for remote and rural areas).

7.  All applicants will be notified of the results by Monday 19 December 2011, and successful scholarship recipients should commence their placement by the end of February 2012.

8.  The formal announcement of the successful recipients will take place at the AHPA (WA Branch) AGM in early February 2012.

APPLICANT AND ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Successful scholarship recipients will be required to submit the following documents and information to the Australian Health Promotion Association (WA Branch) during the course of the scholarship:

• Planning Document - This will outline a timeline and breakdown of activities to be undertaken during the scholarship and is to be completed within two (2) weeks of commencement of placement.

• Competencies – Recipients will be required to rate their confidence against each of the National Core Competencies for Health Promotion Practitioners on commencement and completion of the scholarship to track increase in skills, confidence and knowledge for evaluation purposes.

• Progress Report - Standard form to be completed by the recipient no later than three (3) months after commencement of placement (or at the half-way point of their scholarship).

• Performance Review – Review of recipient’s progress and performance to be completed no later than three (3) months after commencement of placement (or at the half-way point of their scholarship).

• Final Report - Report and evaluation to be completed by the recipient and supervisor by the end of the placement.

• Contact Details - Provide details to allow follow up of the recipient.

• AHPA (WA Branch) Newsletter Article - Provide a minimum of one (1) article for publication in the AHPA (WA Branch) newsletter.

• Conference/Workshop/Seminar Presentations – Opportunities will be available to make presentations on scholarship projects to raise the program’s profile and will be completed in consultation with scholarships officer. This includes at a minimum attendance and presentation at: the Career’s Night; the Scholarship Information Event; and the AHPA Annual General Meetings prior to commencing the scholarship and after completion.

• Meetings – Recipients are also expected to be available for monthly meetings with the Scholarships Officer to monitor the progress of their placement and with other recipients to network and share experiences.

• Post-Evaluation – Recipients are required to complete evaluation surveys three and twelve months after completion of the scholarship.

In addition, the recipient is required to generate local publicity or media coverage for their project, promoting both AHPA and Healthway wherever possible.

The scholarships will be managed by the AHPA (WA Branch) Scholarships Officer. A professional mentor will be provided for the duration of the placement.

To obtain a copy of the application form and guidelines contact the AHPA (WA) Scholarships Officer: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it