2026 CWA Professional Development Grant
This grant offers financial support to rural and remote nurses and midwives to undertake professional development, helping to reduce cost barriers and support a stronger, more sustainable rural and remote health workforce.
About the grant
The Country Women’s Association Rural and Remote Nursing and Midwifery Professional Development Grant (CWA PD Grant), in collaboration with CWA NSW, is designed to support the development of rural and remote nurses and midwives.
Successful applicants can receive up to $1,000 to assist with course fees, travel, accommodation, and related costs. The grant aims to reduce financial barriers and strengthen the rural and remote health workforce.
We are proud to offer this opportunity with the support of the Country Women’s Association of Australia.
Applications are now open and will close on 30 September 2026.
Eligibility period: Professional Development activities (course, intensive or placement) must occur between 1 January and 31 December 2026.
Terms and conditions
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the CWA PD Grant, the applicant must be:
- a current CRANAplus Member (Click here to learn more)
- a Registered Nurse and/or Registered Midwife or an Enrolled Nurse registered with AHPRA
- an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- currently living in a rural or remote setting (classified from MMM 4-7) and working in a clinical role
- enrolled in an eligible professional development activity (course, intensive or placement)
* 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
Up to $1,000 in funding in an eligible professional development activity.
The grant will help to fund course, intensive or placement costs, fuel reimbursement and/or cost of air, bus, train fares, or accommodation costs. Recipients will need to provide documentation to prove their expenditure.
Expectations and conditions
Professional development activity
Enrolled Nurse progressing to Registered Nurse:
Support for travel and/or accommodation to attend required activities (e.g. placements or intensives) as part of a Bachelor of Nursing or equivalent.
Registered Nurse transitioning to Midwifery:
Support for travel and accommodation to attend required activities, including placements or intensives.
Upskilling Registered Nurse and/or Midwife or Enrolled Nurse:
Support for a course or activity linked to an identified community health need (e.g. chronic disease, mental health, child and youth health).
Activity summary report
If you are a successful recipient, you must submit a 500-word story about your experiences on your PD activity upon its completion. This may be included in the CRANAplus Magazine, website and/or social media channels. Your report should be forwarded to the Grant/Scholarship Administrator no more than 30 days after completing your activity.
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 proof of enrolment or activity, such as a confirmation letter or placement verification. This must be on an organisational letterhead and include contact details and the activity date.
- Retain receipts for funded expenses.
All documentation must be submitted to the CRANAplus Grant/Scholarship Administrator within 30 days of completing the activity.
Grant exclusions
This grant does not cover salary or loss of wages, or 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 Grant/Scholarship Committee will assess individual applications after the closing date. The committee’s decision is final. The CRANAplus Grant/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.