BWT RITCHIE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS PROCESS

PURPOSE OF THE SCHOLARSHIP

The scholarship is intended to facilitate fellowships or projects that will significantly benefit anaesthesia in New Zealand, at either a local or national scale.

The scholarship was initially intended to support successful applicants to undertake fellowships overseas. However, the terms of the scholarship have been widened so that proposals for fellowships or other academic endeavours relevant to anaesthesia within New Zealand may be considered if the application is deemed exceptional.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who have completed more than 50% of their training in New Zealand hospitals, and passed the final examination for the Diploma of Fellowship in the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.

Applicants must have completed all of the requirements of advanced training and be eligible to proceed to Provisional Fellowship training (PFT) at the time the scholarship is awarded.

The fellowship or project must be commenced in the period between the start of PFT and the end of the first year after FANZCA.

Those commencing their fellowship or project in their second year following the award of FANZCA may be eligible to apply if the scholarship would allow the continuation of a fellowship or project. It is not for the purposes of undertaking an additional fellowship or project.

The successful applicant intends to return to New Zealand for a minimum of three years to work in anaesthesia following the completion of the fellowship or period of study that the scholarship was awarded for.

APPLICATIONS

The application should detail how their fellowship or project will benefit NZ anaesthesia and should include a detailed plan of their proposed use of the scholarship.

Applications for fellowships within the following areas are eligible for consideration: clinical anaesthesia; pain medicine; perioperative medicine; research; and, higher post graduate study. Paid employment does not exclude application for the grant.

A scholarship will only be awarded if, in the opinion of the committee, there is an application of sufficient merit. The award of the scholarship may deviate from the above criteria in exceptional circumstances if deemed appropriate by the selection committee.

Applications should be accompanied by contact details of two referees. 

THE PROCESS

Candidates for the scholarship must be nominated and supported by their training department.

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Nominations are required from the Department as a letter;​​
setting out (briefly) the reasons for the nomination,

• showing evidence that the nominee is likely to be an above average contributor to anaesthesia and/or intensive care and/or pain medicine in New Zealand.

Nominees are required to submit a proposal;

• as a letter not exceeding two A4 sheets in length, outlining how they would use the scholarship

• a curriculum vitae, (presented in a way appropriate to the prestige of the scholarship)

• The amount of salary that the institution is offering must be included in the proposal details.

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Nominations and proposals may be submitted before all the details of an overseas experience have been completely organised.  However, no award under the scholarship will be made until satisfactory evidence of acceptance of the scholar and their planned programme by the overseas institution has been received by the ANZAEC, who are the selection committee.

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Scholars are expected to return to New Zealand for a period of at least three years to work in anaesthesia and/or intensive care and/or pain medicine after completion of the work for which the scholarship was awarded.  A scholar will be expected to maintain contact with the Trust through the ANZAEC during the tenure of the award and to report appropriately on their experience after returning to New Zealand.

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While the scholarship is normally awarded for one year, an award for two years would be considered if the value of the proposed training would be enhanced by this extension.  It is unlikely that a two-year scholarship would be awarded without prospective advice of this in the initial nomination and application.

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• An award will be made only if, in the opinion of the ANZAEC, at least one nominee reaches the required standard.  The ANZAEC may require nominees to attend for a personal interview before making its decision.  Travel expenses incurred in this interview will be the responsibility of the nominee.  The ANZAEC may, at its discretion, ask for external referee reports on a nominee’s proposal.

• Payment to the scholar will be by arrangement with the Trust and will be paid in two instalments.  50% of the scholarship will be released at the time of the commencement of work either locally or an overseas institution.  The second 50% will be released on receipt of the six-monthly interim report (halfway point in the fellowship or period of study).

TIMETABLE