One of the aims of the Service User Academia Symposium is to develop service users’ knowledge, capacity and leadership within the arenas of academic scholarship, research and teaching. One of the ways it does this is through the provision of scholarship funds to support the attendance of service users who otherwise might not be able to attend.

We are pleased to announce the availability of the following scholarships in 2018.

Applications are open until Tuesday 10th July 2018.

Service User Academia Scholarships

In 2018, a total of four Service User Academia Scholarships have been sponsored by the Symposium's co-host partners: The Centre for Psychiatric Nursing at The University of Melbourne and The University of Otago. To be eligible for these scholarships applicants must:

• be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
• identify as a service user/survivor/consumer
• submit an abstract to present at this year's Symposium
• be currently involved (in some capacity) in mental health research and/or teaching
• have an interest in developing themselves as a service user academic
• be unable to attend without the support of a scholarship due to significant financial hardship.

VMIAC Scholarships

The Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC) has sponsored two scholarship places. To be eligible for a VMIAC scholarship applicants must:

• be a current resident of Victoria, Australia
• identify as a service user/survivor/consumer
• be currently involved (in some capacity) in mental health research and/or teaching
• have an interest in developing themselves as a service user academic
• be unable to attend without the support of a scholarship due to significant financial hardship.

How to apply

Applications can be made online and require a written response to the eligibility criteria.

You are welcome to apply for all scholarships you meet the eligibility criteria for, ie: residents of Victoria can apply for both a VMIAC and a Service User Academia scholarship. Only one application per person is required.

You'll be advised of the outcome of your application during the first half of August 2018.

Need advice or support about your scholarship application? Email us at cpn-info@unimelb.edu.au and we'll be in touch.