Funding Opportunities

Current Western Alliance Funding Opportunities

Mental Health research grant round 2022

We are pleased to announce that expressions of interest for our mental health research grant round, which was proposed for late last year but postponed due to the recent COVID-19 wave, will now open on Thursday 17 March 2022.

With the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation strategies (including lockdowns) on the mental health of our communities, as well as the release of the findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System last year, it is an opportune time to support translation focussed mental health research in our region.

This grant round will see the total funding amount of $50,000, split across up to two projects, allocated towards solving a key problem, based on mental health priorities from our health sector member organisations and communities across rural and regional western Victoria.

To download an Expression of Interest form, please click Western Alliance Mental Health Research Grant round – March 2022 EOI FINAL. 

Grant Program Timeline

Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Scholarships

Western Alliance is pleased to announce that we will soon be opening expressions of interest for our new HDR (Higher Degree by Research) scholarship program. This program will be available to existing employees of our member health services and PHN, for study to be completed at our member universities (Deakin and Federation). Two scholarships, with stipends of up to $15,000 per year of the degree will be awarded (depending on full time/part time completion), with up to $45,000 per candidate in total for the duration of the degree. Stay tuned for more information regarding timelines and application guidelines.

Background:

Health practitioners face practical barriers to combining higher degree by research (HDR) study with their practice, including difficulty juggling work, study and family commitments in addition to financial disincentives associated with reduced paid work hours. As part of the approach to building research culture and capacity among health service and PHN members, Western Alliance is proposing an initiative that minimises barriers to health professionals undertaking health sector embedded HDR studies whilst enabling candidates to continue to progress their professional practice.  

Objectives:

• Improve research career development opportunities for health practitioners in regional and rural western Victoria
• Increase research capacity and capability within Western Alliance health sector partner organisations
• Improve collaboration between Western Alliance academic and health sector partners
• Support the development of regional/rural, translation-focussed health sector led research

Emerging Researcher Grants

With many of our proposed activities for late 2021 delayed due to the pandemic, we are very excited to roll these out over the coming months. This will include the next round of Emerging Researcher Grants, which will be available to previous participants of our STaRR program. Stay tuned for more information regarding timelines and application guidelines.

Funding support to major external grant applications

Western Alliance is formally offering support to applicants for major external grant opportunities, for example NHMRC partnership grants or similar, where the objectives of the proposed project align with those of the Western Alliance and its member organisations. Projects must involve at least one Western Alliance health sector member organisation (Barwon Health, Ballarat Health Service, St John of God, South West Healthcare, Colac Area Health, East Grampians Health Service, Western District Health Service and the Western Victoria Primary Health Network).

Financial support of up to $20k (in total), as well as in-kind support, will be offered to prospective bids who meet the criteria as indicated below:

• Collaboration of Western Alliance member organisations
• Alignment with Western Alliance principles and themes/platforms
• Focus on translational research which will improve health outcomes for regional/rural communities across Western Victoria

Please click on the link to be directed to the expression of interest form: Western Alliance support for major external research grants EOI

Stay tuned for more Western Alliance Funding Opportunities coming soon