2026 CARPA Remote Health Professionals Upskilling Scholarship
This scholarship offers financial support to rural and remote health professionals to undertake CRANAplus clinical education courses, helping to reduce cost barriers and support a stronger, more sustainable rural and remote health workforce.
About the scholarship
The 2026 CARPA Remote Health Professionals Upskilling Scholarship aims to support health professionals working in MMM 6–7 locations to access CRANAplus clinical education courses. This will support access to professional development for health professionals working in remote and isolated Australia, including nurses, midwives, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners, and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers.
Our clinical courses are tailored to the unique circumstances of isolated health, including limited resources, distance from support, and working with retrieval services and across cultures. For new and experienced professionals alike, these professional development opportunities increase participant capability and confidence to respond to emergencies and deliver safe and quality care in remote settings, within scope of practice.
Successful applicants will receive up to $1,000 to assist with CRANAplus course fees. The scholarship aims to reduce the financial barriers to course registration fees.
We are proud to offer this opportunity with the support of CARPA.
Applications are now open and will close on 30 September 2026.
Eligibility period: Applicants must have completed, or have booked and paid for, a CRANAplus course between 1 January and 31 December 2026.
Terms and conditions
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the 2026 CARPA Remote Health Professionals Upskilling Scholarship, the applicant must:
- be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- be a current CRANAplus Member (click here to go to Membership page)
- be a Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife, Dual Registered Nurse/Midwife, Enrolled Nurse, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner registered with AHPRA; or an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker
- be currently employed in an MMM 6–7 location, providing primary health care services in a clinical role within a primary health care setting
- have completed, or have booked and paid for, a CRANAplus course between 1 January and 31 December 2026.
* Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clinicians are strongly encouraged to apply.
* Funding for the same purpose must not have been received from any other source.
Only complete applications that meet the eligibility criteria will be considered.
Inclusions
Total funding
The scholarship provides up to $1,000 in funding towards registration fees of a CRANAplus course.
Expectations and conditions
Professional development activity
Applicants must have registered and paid for eligible courses scheduled to be completed before 31 December 2026.
Health professionals who have not commenced work in an eligible location and have a contract or employment agreement can apply prior to starting work if the activity commences after the employment start date. Evidence of the arrangement will be requested by CRANAplus.
Activity summary report
If you are a successful recipient, you must submit a 200–500 word reflection describing how attending the CRANAplus course enhanced their professional knowledge, skills and practice, and how this will benefit the communities they serve.
This may be included in the CRANAplus Magazine, website and/or social media channels. Your report should be forwarded to the Scholarship Administrator within 30 days of completing your course.
Suitable photos are requested as part of this report, but if they include images of individual people, their written permission for publication must be included.
In some cases, other opportunities may be offered, such as invitations to participate in webinars, mentoring or roundtables.
Evidence requirements
Successful applicants must provide supporting documentation at the time of application to confirm eligibility. This includes:
1. evidence of enrolment and payment, or evidence of course completion if applying for reimbursement
2. evidence of employment or contract demonstrating work in an MMM 6 –7 location.
All documentation must be submitted to the CRANAplus Scholarship Administrator within 30 days of completing the activity.
Scholarship exclusions
This scholarship does not cover:
- travel, including fuel reimbursements and air, bus or train fares
- accommodation, including incidentals such as food and beverages
- salary or loss of wages
- equipment purchases
Application advice
Applicants are strongly advised to consider Cultural Safety in their application responses. For style guidance, please refer to the following link.
Style Manual
Announcement of successful applications
The CRANAplus Scholarship Committee will assess individual applications after the closing date. The committee’s decision is final. The CRANAplus Scholarship Administrator will notify the successful applicants via email.
Contact details for the CRANAplus Grant/Scholarship Administrator
Email: scholarship@crana.org.au
Application form
Application instructions
Please complete the form below to apply for the grant/scholarship. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory and must be completed for your application to be submitted.
Before applying, we strongly recommend reviewing the eligibility criteria, inclusions, expectations, and key considerations to ensure you meet all requirements. Please note that if you do not meet the eligibility criteria, you may not be able to submit your application.
You may save your progress and return to complete your application at any time within 30 days.
Sponsor a Scholarship
CRANAplus invites organisations or individuals to sponsor CRANAplus scholarships. Sponsorship represents an investment in the remote health workforce and offers unique branding opportunities, including exposure at key events and inclusion in publications.