Edith Cavell Trust Scholarship
From 2025, the scholarship application process is fully online! Applications must be made through the official online application form of the Edith Cavell Trust.
Applications for the Edith Cavell Trust Scholarship open on 1 May and close 5pm, 31 July annually.
Only Members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) are eligible to apply.
Applications made between 1 May 2025 and 31 July 2025 will be for studies being undertaken in the academic year 2026.
The scholarship is open to Australian citizens and permanent residents only.
All grants, awards or loans shall be made to financially assist nurses, midwives, (including students of those disciplines), assistants in nursing / midwifery, and accredited nursing and midwifery organisations, schools and faculties in the furtherance of:
- Accredited nursing or midwifery studies leading to initial registration as a nurse or midwife;
- Such academic research programs as are approved by the Trustees in the theory or practice of nursing or midwifery work; or
- Clinical nursing / midwifery education programs at graduate, post-graduate and continuing professional development level; in accordance with a number of categories.
Scholarship information and how to apply
Members and Associate (Student) Members of the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (NSW Branch) can apply.
The scholarship is open to Australian Citizens/Permanent Residents.
All grants, awards or loans shall be made to financially assist nurses, midwives, assistants in nursing, assistants in midwifery (including students of those disciplines), and accredited nursing or midwifery organisations, schools and faculties in the furtherance of:
- accredited nursing or midwifery studies;
- such academic research programs as are approved by the Trustees in the theory or practice of nursing or midwifery work; or
- clinical nursing or midwifery education programs at graduate, post-graduate and continuing educational professional development level; in accordance with the following categories:
Category 1
Shall be available to students of nursing or midwifery undertaking full-time, part-time or distance education studies leading to initial registration as a nurse or midwife.
Studies applicable in category 1: Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor or Diploma of Midwifery, Enrolled Nursing studies.
Category 2 (2.i or 2.ii)
Shall be available to:
- Registered Nurses or Enrolled Nurses;
- Midwives;
- Assistants in Nursing who have completed, or are undertaking a course to obtain, an Australian Qualifications Framework Certificate III in either Aged Care or Assistants in Nursing, or who have completed or are undertaking a course to obtain a qualification which, in the opinion of the Trustees, is an equivalent qualification in a nursing or midwifery related field; or
- Assistants in Midwifery;
… wishing to undertake or attend:
(2.i) Accredited clinical nursing or midwifery education programs not in excess of 6 months’ duration on a full time or part-time basis, or by distance education; or
(2.ii) A nursing or midwifery conference or seminar relevant to the Applicant’s area of clinical practice;
in each case awarded on a needs or merit basis.
Category 3 (3.i or 3.ii):
Shall be available to a Registered Nurse, Enrolled Nurse or Midwife wishing to:
- (3.i) undertake post-graduate studies (including honors programs) relevant to the applicants area of clinical practice, at an accredited education institution for a period or periods in excess of six months’ duration, either by full-time, part-time or distance education study; or
- (3.ii) undertake academically approved research programs at an accredited education institution in the theory or practice of nursing or midwifery work.
Applicants must hold current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Research grants will only be given where appropriate ethics committee approval has been obtained and research must be overseen by a qualified researcher.
Progress reports must be provided at the end of each academic semester for the duration of the scholarship or on an agreed basis for research projects.
Category 4:
Shall be available to accredited nursing or midwifery organisations, faculties and schools to conduct or fund a relevant professional or clinical nursing education project.
Progress reports must be provided on an agreed basis for education projects.
For enquiries regarding scholarship categories please contact the scholarship administrator, edithcavell@nswnma.asn.au.
The value of each scholarship is at the determination of the Selection Committee. Scholarships will be awarded as a contribution toward the cost of courses or conferences up to a maximum value of $5,000 per applicant and amounts awarded may vary between categories.
The awarding of scholarships is at the absolute discretion of the Trustees of the Edith Cavell Trust. Trustees may co-opt appropriate persons to sit on the Selection Committee.
Preference in the awarding of scholarships will be given to applicants who have not previously received a scholarship from this or any other source in the last three (3) years.
The scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance for costs associated with one (1) academic year only.
The decisions of the scholarship Selection Committee are final. Feedback on unsuccessful applications will not be provided.
If for any reason you do not proceed with, defer, or in any other way postpone your course / conference etc or do not complete your scholarship request you must notify the Trust immediately. The Trust will then review your situation and notify you of their decision with regards to the funds that have been provided to you.
Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email no later than 31 October in the year of application.
For more information on how scholarships are awarded and the obligations of successful applicants, please refer to the Edith Cavell Trust Scholarship Information and Terms.
Applications must be made through the official online application form of the Edith Cavell Trust.
Applications to the scholarship are for the following academic year, ie, if your application is made in 2025, the scholarship is for studies in the academic year 2026.
When completing your online application, it will assist you to have supporting information and documentation prepared and at hand. If you do not have all this your application may be considered incomplete.
For more information about questions asked in the online application and information regarding both compulsory and optional supporting documentation please refer to the Edith Cavell Trust Scholarship Information and Terms.
The applicant must be a financial Member or Associate (Student) Member of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association.
Proof of enrolment/registration is only required if you are successful in obtaining a scholarship and monies are not issued until such evidence is provided.
Confirmation of receipt of your application will be sent within 5 working days. If this confirmation is not received, please contact the Scholarship Coordinator, details below.
The completed online application and all associated documents must be in the hands of the Association by 5pm, 31 July each year. Requests for extension will not be granted in any circumstance.
For further enquiries, please contact: Scholarship Coordinator – The Edith Cavell Trust.
Metro: (02) 8595 1234
Rural: 1300 367 962
Email: edithcavell@nswnma.asn.au
Edith Cavell Trust Scholarship Online Application Form
Applications for the Edith Cavell Trust Scholarship open on 1 May and close 5pm, 31 July annually. Only members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) are eligible to apply.
Please ensure you read the Edith Cavell Trust Scholarship Information and Terms prior to commencing an application.
Edith Cavell Trust
The Edith Cavell Trust is a memorial to Edith Cavell, a British army nurse who was executed in Belgium in 1915 during the First World War. She remains an inspiration to nurses everywhere.
Born in England in 1865, Edith was an accomplished linguist, musician and artist. After a distinguished nursing career in England, she was invited by a surgeon to establish a nursing school in Brussels.
When World War 1 started, Edith stayed to nurse wounded soldiers, some of them German. Tragically, she was executed by the German authorities because of her efforts to help Belgian and other Allied refugees escape.
Australians raised money to perpetuate her memory by providing a rest home for nurses returning from World Wars I and II. When it became clear in the 1990s that retired nurses were no longer in need of a home, the NSW Nurses’ Association decided to find another enduring way to commemorate Edith Cavell.
In 1992 the Edith Cavell Trust became a reality, established to support nursing research and nurse education, today and for future generations of nurses, with a Committee of Trustees diligently managing all aspects of the Trust.
