Scholarships and awards for members

Here you will find brief details on the awards and scholarships for nurses, midwives and health visitors for study, research, travel, conferences etc. that we administer.

We regret we are unable to deal with individual enquiries about those funds where a closing date has passed. However, we will advertise again when these re-open on this website and in the RCN Bulletin or Nursing Standard. Any such correspondence will be held until then.

Alun Islwyn Giles Memorial Nursing Scholarship

For RCN members in Wales for a project or course of study to promote the advancement of the art and science of nursing.

  • Contact: RCN Welsh Board, Ty Maeth, King George V Drive, Cardiff, CF4 4XZ. Tel: 029 2075 1373 or email lee.anderson@rcn.org.uk.  Closing date 31 March 2008.

Hettie C Hopkins Care of the Elderly Nursing Scholarship

Open to nurses in Wales who hold statutory qualifications in nursing and wish to pursue a project associated with the care of the elderly.

  • Closing date: 31 March every year.
  • Contact: RCN Welsh Board, Ty Maeth, King George V Drive East, Cardiff, CF4 4XZ. Telephone: 029 2075 1373 or email lee.anderson@rcn.org.uk

HSA Charitable Trust Health Care Assistant awards

For Health Care Assistants working towards S/NVQs at levels 2, 3 or 4. Awards of up to £250 are available for funding study days, short courses, or awarding body registration fees.

(For the purpose of this award a Health Care Assistant is taken to mean 'individuals employed by the NHS who assist nurses in their practice.)

  • Closing date: any time during the year. However please apply well ahead of your proposed study/activity, as it may take up to eight weeks to process an application.  There is a limit to the amount of funding available and not all applications will be successful.
  • Contact: for further details and an application form please send an SAE to the HSA Charitable Trust Health Care Assistant Awards, c/o Moira Lambert, RCN, 20 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0RN.
  • Download the  HCA award application form (Word 65KB).

The Ethicon Nurse Educational Trust Fund

For members of RCN, AfPP or IPS to further their professional development and enhance the standard of expertise in their field.  Funding can be used to support a wide range of activities from postgraduate education to conference attendance.

  • Closing date annually 03 April.  
  • The application form will be available to download from here 6-8 weeks before the closing date, or  
  • Contact Lynne at Fitwise. Email: Lynne@fitwise.co.uk or telephone: 01506 811077.

Mair scholarship

Funding for occupational health nurses in Scotland for projects, courses, study tours, research into occupational health nursing.

Margaret Parkinson bursaries

To enable post-registration nurses in the UK to undertake instruction in communicating with profoundly deaf patients and / or to obtain experience in relation to such patients. The bursaries are available annually.

  • Closing date: annually 01 February.
  • Contact: the Royal School for Deaf Children Margate, Victoria Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 1NB. Telephone: 01843 227561.

Margaret Parkinson scholarship awards for pre-registration graduates

Scholarships offering up to £1,000 per annum for graduates with a non-nursing degree who wish to commence nurse training in 2009. Graduates domiciled outside the UK are not eligible for these awards. The scholarships are available annually.

  • Closing date: 01 February 2009.
  • Application forms will be available to download from this area of the website 8 to 10 weeks before the closing date.  
  • Or join the mailing list by sending a stamped addressed envelope to: Margaret Parkinson scholarship awards for pre-registration graduates, Room 204, RCN, 20 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0RN.

Mary Seacole leadership and development awards

Leadership awards of up to £12,500 and development awards of up to £6,250 are funded jointly by the Department of Health and NHS Employers to honour Mary Seacole's name and acknowledge her achievements. 

  • Closing date: Applications are received annually in May. Details of the availability of awards in 2009 will be posted on this area of the RCN website as soon as possible. 
  • Application forms will be available to download from this area of the website 8 to 10 weeks before the closing date.
  • Or join the mailing list by sending a stamp addressed envelope :to Mary Seacole Awards, Room 204, RCN, 20 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0RN. 

North west practice nurses education fund

Open to practice nurses in the North West region. Applications considered twice a year in May and September. 

  • Contact: RCN, Chesham House, St Georges Square, Bolton BL12HB. Telephone: 01204 531531. Fax: 01204 531607.

RCN Dementia scholarships

RCN Dementia scholarships up to £3,000 each for members working with people with dementia to fund or part-fund a project, study visit, or an appropriate recognised course focusing on developing practice with people who have dementia living in the community (including care homes).  Awarded annually.

  • Closing date: Applications are received annually in May. Details of the availability of awards in 2009 will be available on this area of the website as soon as possible. 
  • Application forms will be available to download from this area of the website 6 to 8 weeks before the closing date.
  • Or join the mailing list by sending a stamp addressed envelope to: RCN scholarships, Room 204, RCN, 20 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0RN.  

RCN grants

Grants of up to £500 to assist RCN members to enhance their professional skills, knowledge and competence. Pre-registration nursing students in RCN membership are also eligible for these awards.  Awarded annually.

RCN scholarships

A number of scholarships, including the Trevor Clay Scholarship, of up to £3,000 each for RCN members for professional development to improve patient care. The focus for applications for 2008 was on the RCN priorities of patient safety, dignity, nutrition, or public health. The focus may change annually. 

  • Closing date: Applications are received annually in May. Details of the availability of awards in 2009 will be available on this area of the website as soon as possible. 
  • Application forms will be available to download from this area of the website  6 to 8 weeks before the closing date.
  • Of join the mailing list by sending a self addressed envelope to: RCN Scholarships, Room 204, RCN, 20 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0RN.

RCN TB nurses travel and research awards sponsored by the Department of Health (England)

Awards up to £10,000 each for RCN members currently working in the field of TB in the UK to help improve the prevention, control, and management of TB in line with the Chief Medical Officer's action plan.  Applicants will be expected to identify areas of proven good practice in other countries and demonstrate how this can be transferred to the UK.

Rea Bequest Fund

For RCN members working in Northern Ireland undertaking further education. Not available for higher education awards (other than conversion courses through a University).

  • Contact: RCN, Northern Ireland Board, 17 Windsor Avenue, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT9 6EE. Telephone: 028 9066 8236.

The Barbers company clinical nursing scholarship

To enable nurses in clinical nursing to undertake further education, research or a clinical project. The scholarship of up to £5,000 is offered for the fees or subsistence of a nurse normally undertaking a taught Masters’ programme relevant to nursing or research, in an academic department in the United Kingdom or at an approved academic department of nursing overseas.

Applicants should submit a 500 word outline on the course / research / project and its intended application together with their CV to:

The Barbers’ Company Scholarship
RCN Research Institute
School of Health and Social Studies
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 28 February every year.  For more information contact PA to the Director RCN RI, telephone: +44 (0)24 761 50618, email: p.d.kent@warwick.ac.uk.

The Nuffield Trust Joint International Study Award

Exceptional opportunity to gain funding for individual professional development. These awards of up to £5,000 each offer the chance for RCN members and health care managers to undertake joint study tours within the UK or overseas with the aim of jointly improving the patient experience.

  • Closing date: Applications are received annually in the Spring.  Details of the availability of awards in 2009 will be posted here as soon as possible. 
  • Contact: to join the mailing list for an application form and full details, send a self addressed envelope to Awards Officer - Nuffield Trust Joint Award, RCN, 20 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0RN or email scholarships@rcn.org.uk. 

Westfield nurses travel scholarships

Westfield Nurses travel scholarships give qualified nurses, midwives and health visitors from south Yorkshire, Trent, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland,  the chance to witness best practice throughout the world and implement ideas and innovations that are of benefit to the NHS.  

For further information please telephone Westfield: 0114 250 2058 or email: scholarship@westfieldhealth.com.  

Guy's hospital scholarships

This is educational funding. If you trained or worked at Guy's Hospital you may be eligible for two sources of funding to support or supplement your studies. 

  • Contact: The Scholarship Secretary, Guy's Hospital Nurses' League, West Wing, Guy's Hospital, St Thomas' Street, London SE1 9RT.

Aesthetic Medicine Scholarship

Awards of £500 to help RCN members to undertake the new Graduate Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine at Greenwich University by eLearning will be available again at the end of 2008. 

To join the list for an application form when available please email: scholarships@rcn.org.uk. 

Further information on the Graduate Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine is available from Greenwich University. Freephone: 0800 005 006.