2025 ROUND 1 – Applications close Midnight 11 May
The Kimberley Health Professionals Conference Grants, funded by Majarlin Kimberley Centre for Remote Health (Majarlin) are specifically for allied health professionals, nurses and midwives who are currently residing and practising in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The grants provide financial support towards travel, accommodation and registration to attend a self-nominated conference. Examples include but are not limited to the Remote Nursing and Midwifery Conference 2025, National Allied Health Conference 2025, Australian Physiotherapy Association Conference 2025, Occupational Therapy Australia Conference 2025, WA Rural Health Conference 2025 and Aboriginal Health Conference 2025. These grants are an initiative between Majarlin and the Kimberley Health Professional Network (KHPN).
By supporting these health professionals in the Kimberley region through the Conference Grants Initiative, health professionals will have the opportunity to develop their professional competence, knowledge and skills through participation in conferences and other approved educational activities.
Applications are assessed by a selection panel, with successful applicants notified within two weeks of the closing date.
Application process
Application rounds will occur twice during 2025.
Applications must be received during round opening and closing dates. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
How to apply
You must apply online through the KHPN website during round opening and closing dates. An online application form will become active when the round is open and can be found on the KHPN website. The Conference Grant assessment panel (consisting of representatives from Majarlin and KHPN) will review all submitted applications equitably, prior to making offers of funding. Meeting eligibility criteria and submitting an application does not guarantee you will receive funding.
Applications will be assessed based on:
- the location of your employment and service provided;
- applicant eligibility;
- proposed conference; and
- impact of conference attendance on the applicant, their organisation and community
Application requirements
In order to complete the online application, the following information is required:
- Conference name, cost, learning outcomes, website link and start and finish dates;
- Travel and accommodation budget for anticipated travel to conference destination;
- Résumé outlining your current employment and work history; and
A statement addressing the following:
- Describe how you anticipate your attendance at the event will positively benefit you as a clinician, your organisation and the community (max 250 words).
Funding cannot be used for:
- upskilling specifically undertaken to gain new employment and not related to your current role;
- retrospective costs (this means courses that are held prior to the round opening date relevant to the round in which you are applying);
- international conferences;
- textbooks, equipment, software, memberships, subscriptions, exam fees or similar; and
- study funded by other sources (e.g. your employer, other grants/funding providers).
This is not an exhaustive list and the assessment panel reserves the right to reject any other expense that is deemed unreasonable. It is recommended your application thoroughly outlines your anticipated expenses or that you contact the KHPN to determine eligibility prior to incurring expenses that may not be covered.
Submitting your application does not mean you will be offered a Grant. If the conference you have applied for is due to start during the review process you must be prepared to register, pay and commence the course prior to receiving the outcome of your application. You should not rely on receiving a grant to participate in the conference. If you wait to receive the outcome of your application before registering for the course/activity and registrations are then full or the conference is no longer taking place on the dates specified in your application, the panel reserves the right to withdraw any offer of funding.
Application review process
All applications will receive written confirmation to advise that your request has been successfully submitted.
All applicants will receive the outcome of their application once the round has closed and all applications have been reviewed. This may take up to four weeks after the application round has closed in order to assess all applications fairly.
The assessment panel will not be able to discuss the outcome of your application during the review process. If the conference you have applied for is due to start during the review process and you choose not to attend as outlined in your application, the panel reserves the right to withdraw any offer of funding.
Offer of funding
Successful applicants will be sent an email outlining the offer of a grant, along with a grant agreement outlining:
- the amount offered (this is not necessarily the amount requested);
- the conference attendance supported by the funding; and
- Return of Service Obligation (RoSO) (if applicable).
Grant agreements must be signed and returned. The panel reserves the right to withdraw an offer of funding if not returned by the nominated date.
If you are unable to complete the course/activity as outlined in your grant agreement, the KHPN reserves the right to withdraw its offer of funding.
Payment process
Funding of the Conference Grants is via reimbursement. Grantees are required to pay for registration and travel costs upfront and only as outlined in the grant agreement. You must then apply through this grant via KHPN for reimbursement, providing evidence of reasonable expenses incurred related to the training. It is strongly recommended you check your potential claim with the KHPN prior to making payment to ensure it will be covered. You will not be able to claim reimbursement until your course has been completed and all your grant agreement requirements have been met. In situations where the grantee is experiencing financial hardship, alternative funding arrangements can be discussed with the KHPN case manager. Claims not made within 30 days of the end date outlined in your grant agreement will be forfeited.
Return of Service Obligation
RoSO will be applied on all applications and successful grants. A RoSO means you will continue to provide primary care services in the Kimberley region. The RoSO will be outlined in the grant agreement and grantees with a RoSO will be case managed and supported during their period of service to ensure they successfully complete their obligation. The maximum period of a RoSO will be six months and will commence immediately following successful completion of the funded activity, with the start date outlined in the grant agreement. Any alterations are to be discussed with the KHPN case manager.
Case management
Case management framework
Successful applicants will be appropriately case managed by the KHPN throughout their funding agreement. The case management framework includes the following:
- Assignment of a case manager and reinforcement of the grantee’s understanding of their obligations (having been agreed at the time of acceptance of funds).
- Ensuring all elements of the agreement have been fulfilled at completion of course (ie receiving a completion certificate and collecting evaluation information).
Changes to conference grant agreement
Approval from the assessment panel is required to change the conference outlined in your grant agreement. The panel will review any new activity against the identified health/workforce need, the original application and the reason for the change.
Changes to a proposed course/activity is at the discretion of the panel and is usually only permitted where the training provider cancels the training or under exceptional circumstances. The assessment panel reserves the right to cancel the grant agreement if the original activity cannot be completed.
Termination of grant agreements
The grant agreement may be terminated if it is reasonably believed that the grantee has:
- transferred to a different activity without consent from the assessment panel;
- breached the grant agreement;
- provided false or misleading information in their application;
- failed to complete the activity as outlined in the grant agreement; and
- failed to complete the RoSO.
Debt recovery
Where a participant does not fulfil their grant agreement, the KHPN will seek to recover the relevant monies on behalf of Majarlin.
The debt recovery process will be as follows:
Each grantee will be asked to sign the grant agreement, confirming that they have understood the terms and conditions of the agreement including the process for debt recovery should the grantee be unable to meet their obligations. Each grant agreement will clearly state the grantee’s requirements, including the:
- funded conference attendance
- amount of funding available
- RoSO (if applicable); and
- process for debt recovery if the above is not met.
The KHPN case manager will support the participant during the grant agreement period to address issues as/before they arise. This will minimise the need for debt recovery in most cases. Where this fails and the grantee is unable to meet their obligations, the case manager will contact the grantee to inform them that the debit recovery process will begin.
Click HERE for on line application form
Further Information
Any questions relating to the Kimberley Health Professional Conference Grants should be directed to:
Kimberley Health Professionals Network
Sara Hennessy, KHPN Coordinator
E sara.hennessy@ruralhw.com.au
T 0408 914 873
All information relating to the round opening and closing dates can be found on the KHPN website.
