Scholarships and awards for members

Here you will find brief details on the educational awards and scholarship schemes that the RCN administers to assist with funding courses, projects, research, study tours, conference presentations, etc. The schemes are listed alphabetically. There are 17 schemes in this list

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

Aesthetic Medicine Diploma scholarships

Awards of £500 to help RCN members to undertake the Graduate Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine at Greenwich University by eLearning. 

Applicants must be eligible to undertake the course. Further information on the course itself is available from Greenwich University website or you may telephone: 0800 005 006.

  • Closing date: 12 November 2008. 
  • Details of future availability will be announced here.

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.

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

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.

There is no application form. 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.

Ethicon Nurse and Practitioner 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 presentations.

  • Closing date: 2 April 2010. 
  • Application:  Forms and full details will be available to download from here 8-10 weeks before the closing date, or can be requested from Lynne at Fitwise email: Lynne@fitwise.co.uk or telephone: 01506 811077. 

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 two, three or four. 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 stamped addressed envelope to: The HSA Charitable Trust Health Care Assistant Awards, C/O Moira Lambert, RCN, 20 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0RN; or download the  HCA award application form (Word 65KB).

Mair scholarship

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

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 2010. Graduates domiciled outside the UK are not eligible for these awards. The scholarships are available annually.

  • Closing date: 01 February 2010.
  • Application:Forms and full details will be available to download from here 8-10 weeks before the closing date, or can be requested by emailing: scholarships@rcn.org.uk quoting reference 001-343. 

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 dates: 01 February 2009, 01 March 2010.
  • Contact: the Royal School for Deaf Children Margate, Victoria Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 1NB. Telephone: 01843 227561.

Mary Seacole leadership and development awards

Jointly funded by the Department of Health and NHS Employers, the Mary Seacole Leadership Awards are worth £12,500 each and the Mary Seacole Development Awards are worth £6,250 each. Open to nurses, midwives and health visitors in England. Although the closing date has now passed for this year, for more information about this awards programme please download frequently asked questions (Word 42KB).

  • Closing date: 20 May 2009

Details of future availability will be announced on this website. 

North West practice nurses education fund

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

Nuffield Trust Joint International Study Award

It is with much regret that the Nuffield Trust advise that there will be no further funds available to support this award for 2009 onwards. The RCN would like to take this opportunity of thanking the Nuffield Trust for its generous support over the last eight years. 

Members who are interested in applying for an award for international study may wish to consider applying for an RCN grant as detailed below.

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: Details of the 2009 closing date will be announced here. 
  • Application forms will be available to download from this area of the website six to eight weeks before the closing date.
  • Or join the mailing list by sending a stamp addressed envelope to: RCN scholarships, Room 403, 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 to apply. Awards will be made at the end of October 2009 for activity commencing, or continuing, beyond November 2009.

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 will be awarded in July 2009. The focus for applications for 2009 was the RCN priorities of (i) developing nursing practice or (ii) education. 

The closing date for applications for 2009 has now passed and the RCN Scholarship scheme is now closed.  A new awards and educational funding programme will be announced for 2010. 

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.

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.

  • Closing date: Applications can be made at any time.