Dame Quentin Bryce Research Fund
Launching the Dame Quentin Bryce Palliative Care Nursing Research Fund On the eve of International Nurses Day, the Department of Nursing in conjunction with the Centre for Palliative Care at St Vincent’s Hospital was delighted to announce the launch of a new research fund targeted to support research in palliative care nursing that will be live as of 11 May.
The Dame Quentin Bryce Palliative Care Research Fund will offer Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students the opportunity to apply for up to 30k per annum in funding.
Palliative care nursing adopts a ‘whole of person’ approach to the care of people diagnosed with serious illness, focusing on pain management, spiritual, emotional and social needs. Palliative care nursing also supports family members, coordinating care alongside other members of the interdisciplinary team. This important annual allocation of funds aims to provide palliative care nurses with the support to further their research and encourage more nurses to explore career pathways in this field.
“The Dame Quentin Bryce Research Fund will support nurses undertaking research to generate robust evidence to inform the delivery of high-quality palliative and end of life care," says Professor Marie Gerdtz, Head of the Department of Nursing at the University of Melbourne.
Pictured right, Dame Quentin Bryce is a pioneer who has had a diverse and distinguished career spanning over 40 years. As well as being a strong advocate for community and human rights, she was also the first woman to take up office as Australia’s 25th Governor-General.
She has a passion for the betterment of aged and palliative care in Australia.
"Access to inclusive, accessible high-quality palliative care across our nation has long been of importance to me,” she says.
“I have seen first-hand the way it gives gentle support with personal and professional skill to each and every patient during a very vulnerable time, as well as kindness to their families and dear ones around them – an inspiration to our community.”.
The Centre of Palliative Care has a state, national and international focus, established with the aim to improve access to quality palliative healthcare through research, education, and training. The Centre was established as a department of St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne as well as a Collaborative Centre of the University of Melbourne. An integral part of the St Vincent’s Health Australia network, this collaboration aims to increase the quality of palliative care provided to the community via extensive psychological research, clinical trials, and education for health professionals.
The Dame Quentin Bryce Research Fund is open for applications until 25 June 2022.
