PSANZ David Henderson-Smart Scholarship

 

Background

Emeritus Professor David Henderson-Smart had a long history of association with the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ). He was a founding member of the Australian Perinatal Society and championed the development of new researchers in all disciplines. In 2007, he retired from active academic and clinical work and was honoured with a ‘festschrift’ to celebrate his work. The proceeds resulting from this day were generously donated by the organising committee (at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney) to PSANZ .

Professor Henderson-Smart died on 7 February 2013. PSANZ has maintained the PSANZ David Henderson-Smart Scholarship to enable his vision of perinatal research and evidence-based practice to be realised. This Scholarship is focused on assisting our brightest early career researchers in developing a research career in perinatal medicine.

Purpose

The PSANZ DHS Scholarship will be used to fund first-time researchers who have not previously been a Senior Chief Investigator on a grant from a major national or international granting body (e.g. NHMRC, ARC, NHF, NIH, and MRC).

The applicant must be a lead researcher on the project and primary beneficiary of the funds for one of the following purposes:

  • To undertake an extended study tour or laboratory visit resulting in the publication of a report, preferably a peer-reviewed manuscript.
  • To attend an international conference to present a paper and visit the laboratory or clinical centre of an internationally renowned researcher.
  • To provide seed funding to assist the development of an independent research project which leads to the publication of a peer-reviewed manuscript or to submission of a grant application. (Note that the scholarship is not designed to fund the entire project and so the applicant will need to identify other sources of confirmed funding).
  • To assist in paying a stipend or course fee leading to a higher degree in perinatology. How the degree relates to perinatology should be clearly specified for the understanding of a multidisciplinary committee. The applicant must indicate whether they have applied for any other scholarships or bursaries to cover these fees. 

The Scholarship will not be used for the purpose of ‘top-up funding’ for large multicentre studies supported by existing grants

Scholarship

The scholarship will be awarded annually. Selections will be made by the second week in January each year and the successful applicant notified by the end of January each year.

Announcement and presentation of the award/s will be made to recipient/s at the PSANZ annual congress dinner. Recipient/s is/are expected to attend the congress dinner to be presented with the award.

It is anticipated that winners will be invited to present at a subsequent PSANZ annual congress, following completion of the award, although this may depend on program availability and is not guaranteed.

Eligibility

  • A current financial member of PSANZ in any discipline
  • Preference will be given to active members who regularly participate in PSANZ activities (e.g. presentations at the PSANZ Congress)
  • A demonstrated commitment to perinatology
  • Beginning a research career (in keeping with the Eligibility Criteria for a PSANZ Early Career Researcher Career (ECR).
  • Has not received this award previously
  • Has not been awarded another PSANZ Scholarship in the current year. 

Eligibility by category

ECR Discovery Science - Enrolled (full or part-time) in a post-graduate research degree (Masters or PhD) or within 5 years award of a Bachelor/Honours degree or 2 years of a postgraduate degree (e.g. Masters or PhD);

ECR Nursing/Midwifery - Enrolled (full or part-time) in a post-graduate research degree (Masters or PhD) or within 5 years of a postgraduate degree; OR Actively involved in research (1st author for the presentation of research findings at scientific meetings) for less than 5 years;

ECR Medicine - Enrolled in a higher degree (Masters or PhD) and within 5 years of completion of a clinical training programme.

ECR Allied Health and Other Disciplines (e.g. ethics, pathology, epidemiology, public health, social work, counselling, biomedical engineering) - Enrolled (full or part-time) in a post-graduate degree (Masters or PhD) or within 5 years of a postgraduate research degree;

OR

Actively involved in research (1st author for the presentation of research findings at scientific meetings) for less than 5 years;

Amount

The PSANZ DHS Scholarship is a single award that has a value of $5,000 over one year. Applicants must justify their request.

Selection Criteria and Committee

The selection criteria used for judging these scholarships will include the following three components:

  1. the merit of the proposal (40%),
  2. the merit/track record of the applicant and their perceived potential for ongoing perinatal research (40%) and
  3. the relevance of the research to PSANZ and its objectives (20%) 

A committee will be selected by the PSANZ Board with one representative from each discipline and will be chaired by a Board member. The committee reserves the right to not award a DHS Scholarship in any one year if it considers that it has not received an application of sufficient merit.

Reporting

The successful recipient will:

  • Submit a report to the Board of Directors stating how the money was spent and highlight achievements from the award - this will be at the end of the year
  • Prepare a short article for inclusion in a PSANZ newsletter.

Applications

A full application will be comprised of the following documents:

1. A formal application of no more than 3 pages which:

  • demonstrates applicant eligibility (as per the above criteria);
  • details the proposed use of the scholarship, in a manner suitable for assessment by a multidisciplinary selection panel (this section not to exceed two typed A4 pages, including references); and
  • presents and justifies a detailed budget (including detail of financial support from other sources, if relevant)
  • includes a lay (plain language) summary of the proposed study (100 words)   

2. A current curriculum vitae, with names and contact details of two referees   

3. Referee reports. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that each referee uses the appropriate report form which can be downloaded here.

4. Applications, in full, must be submitted and this online form completed by 19th November 2024. Late applications will not be accepted.

5. Applicants must only submit one project to be considered for the DHS Scholarship. 

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