Submit Entries for Nursing + Allied Health Scholarship (New Zealand)

The Nursing + Allied Health Scholarship supports nurses and allied health professionals in New Zealand to undertake doctoral-level research in any field related to cancer. The scholarship typically provides one year of salary support over one to three years, with exceptional applicants potentially receiving up to two years of salary support spread over six years.

What Is the Nursing + Allied Health Scholarship?

The Nursing + Allied Health Scholarship is designed for clinically active nurses and allied health professionals who want to undertake doctoral research in cancer-related fields.

The scholarship recognises that healthcare professionals may need to balance clinical responsibilities with advanced research training. It therefore provides flexible salary support while enabling recipients to remain connected to clinical practice.

The research can address any area of cancer research, provided it has relevance to cancer care and the potential to contribute to improved patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Scholarship

The scholarship aims to strengthen cancer research capacity among nursing and allied health professionals while ensuring that research remains connected to real-world healthcare needs.

Supported research may contribute to improvements in areas such as:

• Cancer prevention and early detection
• Diagnosis and treatment
• Patient and family care
• Rehabilitation
• Palliative care
• Cancer education
• Primary healthcare
• Secondary healthcare
• Clinical practice
• Patient outcomes and quality of life

A key requirement is that the proposed doctoral research demonstrates a meaningful connection between research and clinical practice.

Scholarship Funding

The scholarship generally provides salary support rather than direct funding for research equipment or institutional costs.

Funding arrangements include:

• Typical support: One year of salary
• Standard duration: 1 to 3 years
• Exceptional support: Up to two years’ salary
• Exceptional timeframe: Salary support may be spread over up to 6 years
• Research equipment: Responsibility of the host institution and employer
• Research working expenses: Responsibility of the host institution and employer
• Institutional overheads: Not covered by the Trust

Applicants should therefore discuss how their university and employer will support research-related costs that are not covered by the scholarship.

Who Is Eligible?

Applicants must meet the scholarship’s professional, academic, residency, employment, and research requirements.

Eligible applicants are generally:

• New Zealand citizens or permanent residents
• Nurses or allied health professionals
• Clinically active in cancer care
• Holders of a relevant Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
• Applicants undertaking doctoral-level study
• Applicants enrolled or intending to undertake doctoral research at a New Zealand university
• Professionals with appropriate doctoral supervision
• Applicants able to demonstrate a clinical partnership connected to their research

Applicants should be working across the cancer care continuum, including areas such as education, detection, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation.

Clinical Partnership Requirement

A strong connection between the proposed research and clinical practice is an important part of the scholarship.

Applicants must demonstrate that their research will be informed by clinical experience and have practical relevance to patient care.

This means the application should clearly explain:

• The clinical problem being investigated
• Why the research matters to cancer patients
• How clinical knowledge will inform the research
• How the research could influence healthcare practice
• How the applicant’s clinical employer will support the research
• How findings could contribute to better patient outcomes

Doctoral Research Requirements

Applicants must undertake their doctoral research at a New Zealand university and have appropriate academic supervision.

The proposed research must relate to cancer, but the scholarship is not restricted to one specific cancer type or research discipline.

Potential areas can include:

• Nursing research
• Allied health research
• Cancer treatment and rehabilitation
• Patient experience
• Cancer survivorship
• Palliative care
• Health services research
• Cancer prevention
• Early diagnosis
• Clinical education
• Supportive care
• Quality-of-life research

The strongest proposals will clearly connect the research question with an identifiable need in cancer care.

Support From the University and Employer

Applicants must obtain formal support from both:

• Their host university, and
• Their clinical employer

The application should demonstrate that both organisations understand and support the proposed doctoral study.

Evidence of clinical partnership is also required. This helps demonstrate that the research will remain relevant to clinical practice rather than being disconnected from patient-care needs.

Can Applicants Continue Clinical Work?

Applicants may receive additional salary for clinical duties while holding the scholarship.

If this applies, the additional clinical salary must be clearly detailed in the application.

Applicants should explain how they will balance:

• Doctoral research
• Clinical responsibilities
• Research supervision
• Professional commitments
• The expected scholarship timeframe

A realistic study and employment plan can help demonstrate that the doctoral research is achievable.

How to Apply

Applicants should prepare their application around the academic, clinical, and practical requirements of the scholarship.

Step 1: Confirm Your Eligibility

Check that you:

• Are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
• Are a nurse or allied health professional.
• Hold a relevant Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.
• Work clinically in cancer care.
• Meet the doctoral study requirements.
• Can undertake research at a New Zealand university.

Step 2: Develop a Cancer Research Proposal

Define a clear doctoral research question related to cancer.

Explain:

• The problem being addressed
• The research objectives
• The proposed methodology
• The expected outcomes
• The potential contribution to cancer care

Step 3: Arrange University Supervision

Identify appropriate doctoral supervisors at a New Zealand university and secure the university’s formal support for your application.

Step 4: Obtain Clinical Employer Support

Discuss the research with your clinical employer and obtain formal confirmation of support.

The employer’s role in enabling clinical partnership should be clearly described.

Step 5: Demonstrate Clinical Impact

Explain how the proposed research could improve clinical practice, healthcare delivery, or patient outcomes.

This is particularly important because the scholarship is intended to bridge clinical expertise and cancer research.

Step 6: Explain Your Salary and Work Arrangements

Provide details of the proposed scholarship period and explain any concurrent clinical employment or salary arrangements.

Step 7: Submit a Complete Application

Review all supporting documentation and ensure that university support, employer support, clinical partnership evidence, and research information are included before submission.

What Makes a Strong Application?

Applicants can strengthen their proposals by demonstrating:

• A clearly defined cancer-related research problem
• Strong academic preparation
• Appropriate doctoral supervision
• Relevant clinical experience
• Meaningful clinical partnership
• Potential benefits for patients
• A realistic research timeline
• Strong institutional and employer support
• A clear plan for balancing clinical work and doctoral study

The application should make the connection between research, clinical practice, and patient outcomes easy to understand.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid several potential weaknesses:

• Weak connection to cancer care: The research should clearly relate to cancer.
• Limited clinical relevance: Explain how findings could benefit patients or healthcare practice.
• No formal institutional support: Both the university and clinical employer must support the application.
• Unclear supervision arrangements: Identify appropriate doctoral supervision.
• Ignoring research costs: Equipment and working expenses are not covered by the Trust.
• Unclear employment arrangements: Detail any additional salary received for clinical duties.
• Unrealistic timelines: Make sure the proposed doctoral and clinical commitments can be managed together.

Key Details at a Glance

• Scholarship: Nursing + Allied Health Scholarship
• Research field: Cancer-related research
• Study level: Doctoral
• Eligible professionals: Nurses and allied health professionals
• Eligible location: New Zealand
• Residency: New Zealand citizens or permanent residents
• Host institution: New Zealand university
• Typical funding: One year of salary
• Standard support period: 1–3 years
• Exceptional funding: Up to two years’ salary over up to six years
• Clinical partnership: Required
• University support: Required
• Employer support: Required
• Research equipment: Not covered
• Institutional overheads: Not covered
• Typical awards: One scholarship per year
• Award discretion: The Trust may choose not to award the scholarship in a particular year

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Nursing + Allied Health Scholarship?

The scholarship supports nurses and allied health professionals to undertake doctoral research in cancer-related fields while maintaining a connection with clinical practice.

How much funding does the scholarship provide?

The scholarship typically provides one year of salary, distributed over a period of one to three years. In exceptional circumstances, up to two years of salary may be provided and spread over as long as six years.

Who can apply for the scholarship?

New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who are nurses or allied health professionals, hold a relevant Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, work clinically in cancer care, and meet the doctoral research requirements can apply.

Can the research focus on any area of cancer?

Yes. The scholarship supports doctoral research across cancer-related fields, provided the research has a meaningful connection to cancer care and potential relevance to patient outcomes.

Does the scholarship pay for research equipment?

No. Equipment and research working expenses are the responsibility of the host institution and employer. Institutional overheads are also not covered by the Trust.

Is clinical employer support required?

Yes. Applicants must obtain formal support from their clinical employer and demonstrate a clinical partnership that connects the doctoral research with patient care.

Can I receive a clinical salary while holding the scholarship?

Additional salary for clinical duties may be received concurrently. Applicants must clearly disclose and explain these arrangements in their application.

Conclusion

The Nursing + Allied Health Scholarship provides an important opportunity for New Zealand-based nurses and allied health professionals to develop advanced research expertise while remaining connected to cancer care. Its flexible salary support, combined with the requirement for university supervision and clinical partnership, is designed to ensure that doctoral research can produce meaningful benefits for patients and healthcare practice. Applicants should focus on developing a strong cancer research proposal, securing formal university and employer support, and clearly demonstrating how their work can translate clinical experience into improved cancer outcomes.