CCReW Scholarships
Scholarship Rounds
Latest Application Round - Open 27Sep-18Oct2024
Recognising the large number of research-related events happening in the last quarter of 2024, many of which are not providing consumer registration rates, we are decided at short notice to offer a small round of CCReW scholarships. Unlike previous rounds, the choice of conference the funds can be used for is up to you (see further information in the eligibility criteria).
The total pool of scholarship funding available is $3000. There will be a minimum of 3 recipients awarded funding, however the amount awarded per recipient may vary pending needs. In this round, AccessCR will be looking to balance increasing CCReW capacity, access needs, minimising financial burden, and maximising number of beneficiaries.
We anticipate getting many more requests for funding than we can support, which is why the application form is a little detailed (so we can try to assess best fit for this round of funding). We anticipate the form may take 10-20mins depending on the level of detail provided, and if this completeing the form online is likely to be a challenge for any reason, we are also happy to arrange a phone call instead.
For this round, the eligibility criteria are as follows:
1. You have experience as a health consumer representative working with researhers or the therapeutics industry (not as a research or industry professional/or someone interested in a career in research/industry).
2. You will have sought funding elsehere to support your attendance at this conference, but have either been unsuccessful and/or need top-up funding to cover all your costs.
3. You will complete the CCReW application form (or email appropriate information per the application form instructions) honestly, by 9am, Fri 18 October 2024 outlining your interest in the conference, eligibility and travel support requested. Late applications will not be accepted.
4. Be willing to provide feedback on your conference experience, learnings and sharing of knowledge to AccessCR.
5. Have not received a CCReW scholarship in the past 3 calendar years, and are a subscriber to the CCReW Newsletter.
6. Will accept the decision of AccessCR with respect to scholarship awardees and amounts offered.
7. The conference will be completed before 31 Dec 2024 and the conference website is transparent and welcoming of health consumer participation (e.g. through provision of a consumer registration rate or scholarship, consumer speakers, consumer sessions, etc)
Recognising the need to increase the diversity of consumer voices attending such conferences, while any consumers are welcome to apply, we aim to prioritise applications of those from populations that might be considered 'scarce' at such events, for example First Nations peoples, refugee and migrant groups, or socially/financially disadvantaged groups .
About the Scholarship Program
The CCReW Conference/Event Scholarship Program was launched in April 2022 as a result of a fundraising campaign by AccessCR's founder on LinkedIn. With donations from the 2022 CCReW supporters listed below, conference/event support scholarships have been awarded to support consumer attendance at a number of conferences.
AccessCR plans to fundraise on an ongoing basis to sustain and grow the CCReW Support Scholarship Program. The number of conferences supported and funding available each year will by dependant on what is raised. Please reach out if you want to help be a CCReW Supporter and contribute to this Scholarship Support Program.
2024 CCReW Conference/Event Support Scholarship Supporters
2022-23FY CCReW Conference/Event Support Scholarship Supporters
Why is this Program needed?
There is a need to build capacity in the consumer sector for involvement in research. This includes a need for investment in training, mentoring, networking and building relationships between the consumer sector and research sectors. Health, medical, scientific and industry conferences provide a key opportunity for consumers to learn more about scientific advances and ongoing research, upskilling their knowledge and building their connections with those undertaking research and commercialising that research. However, consumers often don't have the financial resources to cover registration and travel costs to attend, especially as they are often volunteering their time.
This scholarship program aims to help fill the gap in supporting some consumers to cover some of the expenses they have to attend these conferences that they might not other attend or get funded, thereby increasing equity in access to these development opportunities.
Program Specifics
Which conferences will be supported, and how is that decided?
At the end of each funding round, and as other opportunities arise, AccessCR will review the funds remaining and decide on future conferences to support in collaboration with at least one external CCReW supporter. To be considered an eligible conference, the following must meet the following criteria:
a. must be in a health/research-related area and include
the discussion of research, research methods, consumer engagement in research
and/or innovations in research and development of therapeutic products and
services, preferably cross-multidisciplinary or cross-therapeutic area to
maximise the learning and networking opportunities for CCReW members.
b. the conference is being held in Australia
c. must publicly offer a substantial discount on registration cost
or a number of free registration passes for consumers (with transparent information on how such passes can be applied for).
d. should have at least one of following (the more the better):
i. consumer speakers
ii. consumer on the organising committee
iii. evidence of consumer support/engagement activity or ‘consumers welcome’ on their conference website.
AccessCR may also take into account conference content, and significant interest from the CCReW members in attending an event in deciding which events to support.
Who is eligible to apply?
The key eligibility criteria are:
- * The applicant is a health consumer living in Australia with ideally a demonstrated interest in/involvement in health and medical research, clinical trials or other aspects of therapeutic development. (For example, part of a research consumer advisory group, trial steering committee, governance committee, etc)
- * The applicant can describe how this conference will benefit them, their community and support their consumer involvement in research.
- * Has not received funding support for conference attendance from AccessCR/CCReW in the past 3 calendar years.
- * Individual rounds may also prioritise specific population groups, as set out when the scholarship round is announced.
Consumers that also work professionally in a health/research/industry related role are not excluded from applying, but are not our first preference as they have other avenues to upskill about research and network with clinicians/researchers. To be considered eligible, these individuals will need to satisfy us through their application form on how their conference attendance is designed to further their own involvement in research as a consumer, not as a health/research/industry professional.
How much will be awarded?
AccessCR will list the available pool of funds for a scholarship round, and how that funding round will be structured when it announces the scholarship round is open at the top of this page.
AccessCR reserves the right not to award the total pool of funds, if the number and quality of eligible applications or expenses does not match the total pool available. The number of people supported and total amount awarded in any scholarship round will be listed below under past scholarship rounds.
How to apply for funding?
Applicants should either complete the online application form or request the Microsoft Word application for and submit it by email, by the due date listed with the announcement of the scholarship round. Extensions to the deadline will not be granted on an individual basis, out of a spirit of fairness to all and transparency around our Scholarship Process.
What are eligible costs?
Eligible costs may include:
1. Conference registration fees (For noting, AccessCR will
only select conferences to support that offer at least some minimal/free
consumer registrations, to reward their commitment to consumer engagement.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for the low/no-cost registration passes).
2. Accomodation (twin single or double) for a maximum of the
number of days of the conference +1 day if timing of conference doesn’t
work with early/late flights/own capacity). Unless otherwise specified for the specific round, applicants are encouraged to look
for safe, low-cost accommodation available as soon as possible, ideally with
COVID-safe policies and flexibility for refund in the event of inattendance.
3. Transport costs (for example: flights, taxis, petrol, public
transport costs, parking fees).
Flights should include carbon offset costs (to minimise the climate impacts) and be part-flexible (ie. possibility of part refund/ cost for changed flights in
event of inability to attend).
Petrol costs can be estimated using the ATO
rates.
4. Food and Drink (for those meals not available at the
conference).
5. Costs associated with an accompanying carer needed to
support participation in the event (e.g. to push a wheelchair, to provide hearing/sight/writing support, etc)
For noting, we don't have the resources to cover requests from single parents to support travel for children plus another carer to the city of a conference/event. Equally, the cost of partners travel (for work or pleasure) are not eligible for cover under the scholarship.
Applicants are asked to list expenses as individual line items in the application form.
What happens once applications close?
AccessCR will collate all applications and review their elibility and suitability for conference support, in partnership with an external CCReW supporter. We will use our discretion in deciding how much to award and to whom, balancing access to funding for multiple individuals against relieving the financial burden to individuals of attending the event.
In evaluating the applications for funding, we will take into consideration;
1. how many people have applied, the amounts requested and for what (in order to help as many as possible, whilst providing financial support that will make a difference to individual applicants);
2. how far applicants might need to travel, and the diversity of those applicants;
3. the benefits individual applicants outline in their application for attendance;
4. the level of research involvement/experience of the applicant (balancing a need to support both less and more experienced consumers)
5. Information from the 'Research Reference' (if requested on the form) if there is difficulty deciding between individuals or confirming a person's eligibility
Applicants will be notified within a week of any offer of Scholarship funding (or not), and will have 4 days to either accept or decline the offer. In the event an offer is declined, AccessCR may revisit if there are other suitable candidates they are able to support.
Once a funding offer has been accepted, AccessCR will work to distribute funding in consideration of the applicant's preferences.
Applicants will be asked to return any significant scholarship funding unspent (>$25), so that it can be applied to future rounds of Scholarship funding.
AccessCR will invite applicants to provide feedback on the outcomes of their participants in a conference, to help AccessCR promote and measure the impact of this support initiative, and demonstrate the value of supporting this program to current and future CCReW supporters.
Final tips!
Please do not rely on this funding to support attendance at a conference. We can get more requests that we have funds, and AccessCR and its external evaluator typically have to make some difficult decisions. We wish we could support everyone, but for now, that is unlikely. That should not discourage you from applying however.
We encourage you to investigate all potential sources of funding, including the researchers you work with, consumer organisations, community grants, the conference organisations or your own fundraising.
Past Scholarship Rounds
The details of previous scholarship rounds are summarised below
1. ARCS Annual Conference May 2022: Two consumers supported. A total of $1200 awarded.
2. ACTA Annual Scientific Meeting Nov 2022: Four consumers supported. A total of $3410 awarded.
3. COSA Cancer Survivorship Conference, Mar 2023: Four consumers supported. Approximately $3500 was awarded.
4. ARCS Annual Conference Jun 2023: Four consumers supported. Approximately $2700 was awarded.