2016 ACEN Student scholarships

2016 Scholarship winners announced

The ACEN Board is delighted to announce eight scholarships of $1,500 have been awarded to students in the following courses and universities

Master of Social Work, Queensland University of Technology
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOccThy), Southern Cross University
Bachelor of Medical Imaging, Central Queensland University
Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours), University of Newcastle
Master of Social Work (MC150), RMIT University
Bachelor of Health Sciences in Dentistry/Master of Dentistry, La Trobe University
Masters of Social Work (Qualifying) (MSW), University of Tasmania
Bachelor of Education, Primary, RMIT University

Four hundred and fifty applications were received.

The 2016 requirements and process is below and is provide as a guide for 2017. The ACEN Board review the critria, amount and process each year.

2016 – Eight scholarships of $1,500 for remote and regional Australia

Eight scholarships to the value of $1,500 each were available to provide financial support for students undertaking a work integrated learning (WIL) placement in a regional or remote area of Australia as part of their 2016/2017 university studies.

In 2015 the eight scholarships of $1,500 were awarded to students in the following degrees

Remote WIL scholarships create opportunities
Doctor of Medicine
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Social Work
Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology
Bachelor of Education (Primary)
Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
Bachelor of Paramedic Science
Bachelor of Social Work
Bachelor of Veterinary Science

See student reflections on their 2015 WIL experience.

2016 applications closed on April 11, 2016

(Read carefully as the criteria has changed slightly from previous years)

Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) is the professional association for practitioners and researchers from the tertiary education sector, industry, community and government who are involved in WIL in Australia.

The 2016 ACEN Scholarship applicants:

Must be from institutions that are financial members of ACEN. (See https://acen.edu.au/member-institutions/ for a list of current financial institutions. The institution must renew before an application can proceed beyond Stage 1.)
Must be studying a postgraduate or undergraduate degree program which requires a WIL placement as a part of their studies
Both domestic and international students are eligible to apply.

The WIL placement must be:

Undertaken and completed between 1st June 2016 and 30th May 2017
Undertaken in an inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote location which requires relocation. Regional and Remote locations (RA2- RA5) are noted on the map:http://doctorconnect.gov.au/internet/otd/publishing.nsf/Content/locator
Fulltime (4-5 days per week, for a minimum of three weeks duration)
Within Australia
A requirement for completion of the degree.

Applications are submitted in a two-stage process

Stage 1: Students complete an online application form.

Stage 2: Short-listed applicants will be invited to submit a 1,000 word account which addresses specific criteria:

Evidence of reflection
How the WIL placement will support and enhance development of employability
Highlight the focus of personal skill development during placement
Evidence of clear and concise communication skills.

Applicants will also be required to submit

A copy of their most recent academic transcript.
A written statement from an institutional representative supporting the application.

Date	Activity
10 March 2016	Stage 1: Call for applications (see Stage 1 marking rubric below)
11 April 2016	Applications close for Stage 1
22 April 2016	Stage 2: Short-listed applicants notified and invited to provide a 1,000 word account that addresses specific criteria and send a supporting statement from their institution and a copy of their most recent academic transcript.
06 May 2016	Applications close for Stage 2
30 May 2016	Successful applicants notified

Stage 1 Marking rubric

	Levels of Attainment
Assessment Attributes	Poor (0)	Good (1)	Excellent (2)	Exceptional (3)
Address personal aspirations	Not addressed or personal aspirations not addressed clearly just reiterating background information or expecting marker to make the link.	Ok, personal aspirations mentioned	Personal aspirations addressed with links to the other areas – professional skills or placement	Personal aspirations addressed with clear links to the professional skills developed and reason for rural placement – inspirational.
How the placement will help to develop your professional skills	Not addressed at all or very poor connection.	Ok, mention of professional skills that may be developed.	Excellent outlining certain professional skills that will be developed and how, or why it benefits them.	Clear links between the regional / rural placement and development of employability skills – showing deep level of reflection and forethought.
Why you have elected to undertake a regional and remote placement	No reason cited or poor, eg to travel.	Brief mention of reason to undertake placement, not built on or marker expected to make the connection.	Excellent outlining why they have elected to undertake placement with clear links to one of the attributes above at least.	Showing greater level of reflection, career planning with inspirational story and clear links between all assessment criteria, inspirational.

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