MIDIRS Essence > November 2008 > Midwifery News
Applying for funding for professional development
Originally posted on Nov 2008
As a former Trustee of the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust and grateful recipient of a grant in the past, I was delighted to read Elizabeth Duff’s account of the Iolanthe Trust’s recent activities and to reflect on the amount of support the Trust has been able to offer students and qualified midwives towards their existing education or professional development over the past 25 years.
The financial support made available by such charities has always been immensely important and, probably, in view of the current financial situation, will be even more so in the future. This short piece is about making the most of any application for such funding and how paying attention to the detail in the small print is so important.
Focus
(no, not the DIY store but a clear idea of several aspects that are so important before you start.)
Who are you and why are you worth investing in?
Why do you want the grant?
What information can you give the funders about the course or project?
What difference will getting this funding make to you professionally and, where appropriate, personally?
How will you make use of the opportunity in your future development?
How much do you actually need and have you obtained funds from anywhere else?
Who are you and why are you worth investing in?
To those reading the application form, you are a stranger, so it is up to you to make the most of yourself in order to form a relationship with them and become an individual. This does not mean overstating your assets but it does mean telling the truth with regard to professional qualifications and other supportive information as requested. While it is fairly simple to list your qualifications and work experiences, it is quite difficult for most people to promote themselves, or to put themselves positively in the ‘spot light’. Therefore, it is important to think carefully about the wider aspects of your life and if or how they might apply to these circumstances.
Why do you want the grant and what information can you give the funders about the course or project?
Funds are usually needed to undertake courses, research projects and, for student midwives, to cover the costs of elective placements. Unlike many commercial enterprises, staff development on a personal basis as opposed to mandatory and corporate needs, has arguably dropped off the agenda of most NHS Trusts and very few people get any funding for these activities. Therefore, you will be one fish in a very large ocean. Clarity about the nature of the course, its duration, purpose, cost and any evidence of work already successfully completed is essential information. For student elective placements it will help if you can supply written confirmation of the placement from those you are visiting and be focussed on the midwifery experience you will obtain, rather than promoting the merits of an attractive overseas location. Where you have personal contacts in the place you intend to visit, this can also be useful. If several of you are all applying to the same funding body for the same reason, it might be helpful to talk to the administrator of the funding body about this as the various charities differ in their approach to joint funding. It is also vital to discuss amongst yourselves how you will deal with it in the event that not everyone gets funding.
What difference will getting this funding make to you professionally/personally, and how will you make use of the opportunity in your future development?
This information may be sought overtly or couched in more obtuse terms as part of a personal statement or questions about your future goals. This is the most difficult part of an application and it requires time, thought, reflection, refining and repeated proof reading. This process also applies to the application form guidance notes. If you are asked to give this information in a set number of words, or only on a single side of the form, do not exceed these however essential you feel the information to be. Where this is the case, and as a general overall rule, think carefully about how you are setting down this information, about the real value encompassed in what you are applying for, but do not be dissuaded from introducing a personal commitment where this appears to be appropriate. A good example of this is where you might be applying to undertake a course in alternative therapies. If your current role as a community midwife has demonstrated a gap in the services available for women in your Trust and you think you could provide this, your personal commitment, alongside even a vague interest from the Trust by way of a supporting letter from your manager, will add considerable weight to such an application.
How much do you actually need and have you obtained funds from anywhere else?
It is important to keep a balance between the understanding that there is a limited funding pot and ensuring that you ask for sufficient funds for your own needs. Therefore, applications that are appropriately costed, are made within the stated amount on offer and show initiative and efforts to obtain additional costs where these might be needed, will all score more highly.
Further help
From the material I receive for inclusion in the Digest, and the wealth of information published in the midwifery literature, it is clear that many midwives in the UK are undertaking courses for their professional development and it is likely that this is at considerable personal cost to them. As noted earlier, the funding pot is not vast, but funds are available if you take the time to find out about them, and then give the detailed and specific attention the process needs for each one – just like individual midwifery care.
MIDIRS is currently unable to support funding on an individual basis; however funding for student midwives’ elective placements is something that MIDIRS is looking in to for the future.
In the mean time, think outside the box – there is a whole world out there you might never have thought of…
Just to get you started here are a couple of sites to explore:
The Royal College of Midwives: search on grants, awards and scholarships
The Leverhulme Trust: this Trust offers specific scholarship for travel
The Iolanthe Trust: their aim is to promote and improve the care of mothers, babies and families through awarding grants and fellowships in support of midwifery education, practice and research
Sally Marchant | Editor | MIDIRS Midwifery Digest
Your Comments
Have your say! Register now and post your comments on this article here.
Sorry, there are currently no comments for this article.