Bill Reed Memorial Student Grant Information and Guidelines for Applicants PO Box 1219 Greythorn Vic 3104 Ph: 03 9816 4620 Fax: 03 9816 4305 TF (Aus only): 1300 668 194 Email: admin@aopa.org.au Web: www.aopa.org.au ACN 161 735 584 ABN 30-174-229-615 Background: Bill Reed, OAM, Prosthetist/Orthotist and Director of Reed Prosthetics and Orthotics in Nowra NSW, was a member of the Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association Inc. (AOPA) since 1978. He was a colourful and prominent character in the NSW prosthetic and orthotic community. Bill originated from a rural and low socio-economic background and was a trans-femoral amputee. He entered the orthotic and prosthetic profession at age 17, working with AST Orthopaedics Pty Ltd in Sydney. Completing DVA qualifications, coupled with his experience, patient empathy and jovial demeanor, Bill joined colleague Barry Smithers to open Southern Prosthetics and Orthotics, based in Wollongong. This was the first private business catering for clients in the South of NSW. After 10 years in partnership Bill proceeded further South to Nowra to establish Reed Prosthetics and Orthotics in 1991. Bill was awarded an OAM in 1999 for his service and contribution to the amputee community. Bill will be fondly remembered after he lost a long battle with cancer in December 2007. Memorial Grant: Colleagues and friends from Appliance and Limb Centre Intl (ALC), and Reis Orthopedic and Surgical Services (REIS), in conjunction with AOPA have established the Bill Reed Memorial (BRM) Grant to honour Bill s memory. The overarching goal of the grant is to assist students of prosthetics and orthotics who experience disadvantage or hardship, to be successful in their studies and their careers. Each year the BRM Grant will be awarded to one deserving prosthetic and orthotic student. BRM Grant Assessment criteria: The BRM Grant applications will be considered from students who experience hardship due to the following circumstances: Students who are required to relocate from their home state in order to attend university, (for example, rural/remote areas); Students with disabilities or who experience personal hardship. Students are encouraged to apply for the Bill Reed Memorial grant if they fall into one or more of the descriptive categories listed above. Grants will be awarded by AOPA once all aspects of student
hardship are considered. A student may apply for the Bill Reed Memorial grant in any year level of their course but may only be awarded the grant once. Grant Funding Allocation: Students who are successful in their BRM grant application will be awarded student membership to AOPA and one of the below grant allocation options: Travel bursary A. Up to $1,000 bursary to be used for travel expenses incurred in order to attend university scheduled classes from a regional or remote location. This may also include costs incurred as a result of relocating from interstate in order to complete the Prosthetics and Orthotics degree. Travel bursary B. Up to $1,000 bursary to be used for travel expenses and accommodation costs incurred as a result of attending a university arranged, interstate clinical placement. Professional development: This option allows for up to $1,000 towards the cost of attending the AOPA congress or ISPO ANMS conference. The grant money may be used to pay for registration, accommodation costs and travel expenses incurred in order to attend these events. This grant cannot be used for retrospective expenses. Applications must be made and the grant awarded for future / planned expenses. The successful applicant will be asked to provide evidence of appropriate use of grant monies. For example: receipts for airfares, accommodation and event registration or a log book of fuel expenses. Grant monies must be used within the twelve month period following the grant being awarded. You may be requested to return the remaining balance of the grant money if you cannot provide appropriate evidence of use. BRM Grant eligibility: Students must meet the below eligibility requirements: 1. Must be enrolled in an Australian orthotic/prosthetic education program run by an AOPA Accredited tertiary institution. Generally, a student undertaking or intending to undertake less than a full-time load, is not eligible for a BRM Grant unless there are exceptional circumstances which prevent the student from studying full-time. 2. Can demonstrate a degree of hardship, such as one of the following:
Personal hardship, i.e. Student has a disability or impairment which may contribute to disadvantage or family circumstances, such as illness or bereavement, which may affect their level of financial support available. Geographic hardship, i.e. Student is from/has lived in a regional or remote part of Australia or who is required to attend an interstate clinical placement. Termination of a BRM Grant: Termination of the BRM Grant may proceed if the AOPA determines that the student: 1. has failed to maintain satisfactory academic progress and there are no extenuating circumstances for such failure; or 2. has, after investigation by AOPA, committed serious misconduct during the students course of study, 3. Provision of false or misleading information in their application for BRM Grant. If a BRM Grant has been already allocated and then termination is decided, the student will return all monies provided to AOPA, and the awarded student membership to AOPA will be ceased. BRM Grant Application and assessment process: The AOPA Continuing Professional Development (CPD) committee will be responsible for reviewing applications and awarding the BRM Grant. Administration of grant application and funding distribution will be co-ordinated via National Office. All enquiries and applications should be directed to admin@aopa.org.au or (03) 9816 4620. The AOPA CPD committee will decide on the recipient of the grant each year. No process of appeal will be available. Applications: Students must apply directly for the grant to the National Office, either by fax, e-mail or post. To be considered for the award, students must submit the completed application form and provide a copy of their enrollment as evidence of enrollment in an Australian orthotic/prosthetic education program that is run by an AOPA Accredited tertiary institution. The application form has a tick box section to indicate which grant allocation option is being applied for and provides an area where the student must outline how much grant money is being applied for (up to $1,000) and for what purpose the money is to be used.
Deadline: Applications must be received by the AOPA National Office by the advertised deadline. Successful applicant requirements: Once the BRM Grant has been used under the Travel bursary B or the Professional development allocation categories, the successful applicant is required to provide a summary outlining their experiences as a result of receiving the BRM Grant. This summary should outline the student experience of attendance at a conference or on an interstate placement. This summary will be provided to the benefactors of the BRM Grant and published in a future edition of the AOPA Review.
PO Box 1219 Greythorn Vic 3104 Ph: 03 9816 4620 Fax: 03 9816 4305 TF (Aus only): 1300 668 194 Email: admin@aopa.org.au Web: www.aopa.org.au ACN 161 735 584 ABN 30-174-229-615 BRM Grant Application Form Applicant information Name: Ph: E-mail: Address: City: State: Post Code: Eligibility Requirements Tertiary Institution: Student Number: Current year enrolled: Full-time: Part-time: (Please tick relevant study load) A printed copy of your enrollment must be attached to this application or it cannot be accepted. Grant Funding Allocation Travel bursary A Travel Bursary B Professional Development (please tick grant category you are applying for) Please outline why you would like to be considered for this grant (Refer to grant eligibility section): Requested grant amount (up to $1,000) $ Please outline how you plan to use the grant money: I authorise AOPA to verify my enrolment status and confirm my eligibility for receipt of Bill Reed Memorial Grant. I confirm the information on this form to be true and correct. Student name (print): Signature: Date: