Gwen Scott Grant Application

Eligibility criteria

The Gwen Scott grant program provides financial grants to health professionals to enable them to undertake professional development activities to increase their diabetes knowledge and/or skills and to address important issues in diabetes care and education within their community.

This annual program is named in honour of Gwen Scott who was Australia’s first nurse employed as a specialist in diabetes education, and the first employee of the Victorian Diabetics Association, known today as Diabetes Victoria. Gwen Scott is best known for her contribution to diabetes education and for establishing the role of diabetes educators in Australia.

Applicants will be eligible to apply if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Must be a current Diabetes Victoria health professional staff member as at 5 June 2026.
• Must be registered as a qualified health professional with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or possess an Association membership number;
• Must commence their professional development activity in the 2026/27 financial year;
• submit their application form no later than 5pm on the due date: 5 June 2026.

Applicants will be ineligible if any of the following criteria apply:

• is a full-time researcher/academic (with no time currently working in direct clinical practice);
• is enrolled full-time in a higher degree by research, e.g. doctorate or PhD (with no time currently working indirect clinical practice); or
• was successful and received funding in the 2025 Gwen Scott grant round.

Preference will be given to applications that:

• demonstrate the value of the activity to your professional development, with priority given to small research, evaluation and quality improvement projects; and
• demonstrate the value of the activity to improving the health and quality of life of people affected by diabetes in Victoria, or in your local community.
• Identify an activity or project that demonstrates a clear, direct impact on improving community access to healthcare, education, treatment, or diabetes-related technologies. Projects that support people to better self-manage their diabetes, prevent or treat complications, or contribute to diabetes prevention efforts may be prioritised and considered for a higher level of funding.

Professional development applications could include one of the following activities:

• Attendance at a conference or seminar
• Cultural or diverse community training
• Upskilling or training in technology advancements
• Health leadership programs
• Grant writing or funding strategy workshops
• Design thinking or innovation in healthcare workshops
• Social impact or social enterprise training

Funding Guidelines and Grant Value

The total value of the Gwen Scott grant program may vary from year to year. Individual grant amounts are awarded on merit.

Please note: 

• For professional development activities costing $2,000 or less, Diabetes Victoria may fund the full cost.
• For activities costing more than $2,000, co-funding will generally be expected. Applicants should be prepared to contribute, or to secure support from a third party.
• Diabetes Victoria will contribute a maximum of $5,000 to any single grant. Any costs above this amount must be covered by the applicant or a third party.

Program Terms and Recipient Expectations

The decisions of the Gwen Scott grant selection panel are final, though feedback may be available upon request.

Within three months of completing their professional development activity, recipients are required to provide a short written report to Diabetes Victoria (via email), outlining their key learnings and the value of the activity. This piece may be used in future promotions, including articles in Diabetes Matters magazine and posts across Diabetes Victoria’s social media channels.

We also encourage recipients to share the news of their grant and what they have gained more broadly. For example, through their own organisation’s internal channels (staff articles, team presentations, internal social platforms) or their professional networks.

This is not a requirement however it helps us celebrate our recipients, honour the Gwen Scott legacy, and inspire others to pursue professional development in diabetes care.