Richard Hays Bursary

If the following statement describes you and your current situation, you can apply for this bursary:

• I am enrolled in Year 5 or 6 of the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery at JCU
• I am prepared to attend and present at an approved conference.

If you are a successful applicant of this bursary you will receive up to $2,500 to be used as funding to attend an approved medical conference.

Prior to completing an application, you should carefully read the Scholarship Rules below, you must then attach the following documents to your application:

• A written statement of no more than 1500 words (please include a word count) and should address the following:
  • Conference details: conference name, site, date, auspicing body etc. Please attach supporting documentation e.g. conference programme or flier, website etc:
  • Address the following selection criteria using the headings provided:
    • Discuss how the theme of this conference is relevant to the aims of the JCU College of Medicine and Dentistry.
    • How you believe you would benefit from attendance at this conference, both personally and professionally.
    • How would the College of Medicine and Dentistry and/or the University benefit from your attendance at this conference.

• An abstract for the medical conference you wish to attend. The abstract should conform to the conference application specifications, (attached details if available). The following guidelines should be adhered to:
  • Length should be no more than 400 words
  • The following headings should be used:
    • Title, Author/s and affiliations
    • Introduction
    • Method
    • Results
    • Discussion
• The abstract will be judged against the following criteria:
  • Content
  • Clarity
  • Originality
  • Presentation
• The abstract should be suitable for a brief oral presentation, approximately 10-15 minutes presentation time followed by clarifications, comments, questions and discussion.

When applying for a scholarship it is very important that you answer all the questions and include all relevant documents.  Your application and relevant documents must be submitted before the closing date. If an application is incomplete, it will not be considered.

Your application is checked for completeness and eligibility, and you will receive an email confirmation it has been received. After the closing date it will be individually assessed and put forward to a selection committee who will rank your application against others who have applied. Applicants may be required to attend an interview as part of the selection process.

Founded in 2006 with donations received from the medical community of North Queensland in recognition of Professor Richard Hays, Foundation Dean, School of Medicine. The bursary will be maintained with annual donations from the College of Medicine.

Nature of the Scholarship

The value of the scholarship shall be $2,500 (or such amount as the Selection Committee determine from time to time) which shall be used as funding to attend an approved medical conference.

The successful applicant will be required to provide a written and verbal report on the conference on their return.

Eligibility Criteria

The Richard Hays Bursary shall be open to competition among candidates who:

• Are enrolled in their 5th or 6th year in Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery at James Cook University; and
• Are  prepared to attend and present at an approved conference.

Selection Criteria

The Selection Committee will, in the exercise of their absolute discretion, afford consideration to the following criteria:

• the content of the abstract, will be judged against the following criteria:
  • Content
  • Clarity
  • Originality
  • Presentation
• any other criteria that the Selection Committee deems appropriate, including whether the candidate has, or will receive any other scholarship assistance during their studies.

Application Procedures

Applications must be submitted on the official form no later than the date set by the Selection Committee for the year in which the award is to be made, and should include the following documentation.

• A written statement of no more than 1500 words (please include a word count) and should address the following:
  • Conference details: conference name, site, date, auspicing body etc. Please attach supporting documentation e.g. conference programme or flier, website etc:
  • Address the following selection criteria using the headings provided:
    • Discuss how the theme of this conference is relevant to the aims of the JCU College of Medicine and Dentistry.
    • How you believe you would benefit from attendance at this conference, both personally and professionally?
    • How would the School of Medicine and Dentistry and/or the University benefit from your attendance at this conference?

• An abstract for the medical conference they wish to attend.  The abstract should conform to the conference application specifications, (attached details if available), the following guidelines should be followed:
  • Length should be no more than 400 words
  • The following headings should be used:
    • Title, Author/s and affiliations
    • Introduction
    • Method
    • Results
    • Discussion
• The abstracts will be judged against the following criteria:
  • Content
  • Clarity
  • Originality
  • Presentation
• The abstract should be suitable for a brief oral presentation, approximately 10-15 minutes presentation time followed by clarifications, comments, questions and discussion.

Selection Process

The award of the scholarship shall be made in the absolute discretion of the Selection Committee, which shall comprise:

• Dean, College of Medicine & Dentistry (Chair), or nominee
• 3-4 staff members appointed by the Head of College of Medicine, or nominee
• other members deemed appropriate, as determined by the Chair

The Selection Committee reserves the right:

• not to award a Scholarship in any year if, in the opinion of the Selection Committee, there is no candidate of sufficient merit to warrant an award;
• to award a Scholarship for a period of one or more years; and
• to extend a Scholarship for the existing recipient.

The Selection Committee may require applicants to undertake an interview as part of their application.

The Selection Committee will determine all matters relating to the Scholarship.

Conditions of the Scholarship

If the holder of an award fails to comply with any of these provisions or any provision relating to a particular award or with any conditions imposed under these provisions or the provisions relating to a particular award, the Council may terminate the award or withhold any further emoluments or take such action as it may deem necessary to enforce compliance with the provision or performance of the condition by the holder.

The recipient of the scholarship shall continue to receive the award on condition that in the opinion of the Selection Committee, and on advice from the head of the school in which the recipient is undertaking a course of study, that the recipient maintains a satisfactory level of performance. Where it is determined that the level of academic performance is unsatisfactory the Selection Committee may in its absolute discretion cancel the award or suspend the award for such time as it may determine and/or until academic performance is considered satisfactory. Where an award is cancelled pursuant to the provisions to this clause it may, for the remainder of the term for which the original holder would have entitled to it, be awarded to another suitable candidate.

In the event the Selection Committee cancels or suspends the student's scholarship, a student may lodge a request for review of decision in accordance with the provisions of the Student Appeals Policy.

The scholarship shall not be awarded to another suitable candidate before the Appeal Panel makes a final decision on the review. The Appeal Panel shall comprise the Deputy Vice-Chancellor or nominee (Chair); two staff members of the appropriate Faculty appointed by the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor; and either the Student Association Academic Support Services Coordinator or the Student Association Welfare Coordinator. The staff members appointed by the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor shall have no association with the teaching of the subject(s) in which the unsatisfactory academic performance is alleged. Unless the circumstances are exceptional, the Appeal Panel shall consider only: the student's grounds for requesting the review; any documents relevant to the findings of unsatisfactory academic performance; and the reasons for the decision by the Selection Committee.

The requirements of the Scholarship shall not make the awarding of the Scholarship conditional upon the recipient providing unremunerated services or products to the donor.

In the event that the recipient suspends their study, the scholarship shall be suspended.

Administration of the Scholarship

The scholarship shall be administered by the Director of Medical Education, School of Medicine, on behalf of the Selection Committee.

The funds of the Scholarship shall be held in an account in the name of the University and shall be administered by the officer of the University charged with administering the scholarship.

Where there is a fund maintaining the award, the annual value of the award shall be approximately equal to the annual income from the fund.

Income from a fund not expended on the award which it maintains, shall be added to and become part of the fund.

Moneys payable in any year to the holder of an award shall be paid at such times and in such amounts as the Registrar deems appropriate to the circumstance of each case.

Where a special provision relating to an award provides for the award to be paid in cash, the Vice-Chancellor may direct that in lieu of cash the award to be made in whole or in part in the form of books, instruments or equipment necessary to the awardee's course to a value approximately equal to the stated amount of the award, unless the terms of any trust or the conditions laid down by the donor of the award expressly provide otherwise.

Where an award provides some benefit to the recipient from a body external to the University, or an obligation upon a body external to the University, the University, its servants and agents, shall not be liable for that benefit or obligation.

Please refer to Glossary of Terms