The Giz A Break I can & I will scholarships and grants are formally known as the Goulburn Valley Medical Workforce Fund, which was established in 2015 with legacy funds from a primary health care organisation based in Shepparton. Giz A Break's manager Sönke Tremper is the primary fund holder. Structurally, the GVMF is set up as a sub-fund of the Australian Communities Foundation (ACF) and Giz A Break supports the fund with promotion, administration, and community engagement. 

There are three types of ways try to help develop our access to high quality primary care in the Goulburn Valley. We offer scholarships for Goulburn Valley residents who want to study a degree that leads them to practice as a community-based medical doctor, nurse, or allied health practitioner in the Goulburn Valley. We also offer educational grants for individuals who already work in general practice (whether that's as a receptionist, GP, practice manager or nurse) and want to extend their skill set. And finally, we also provide grants to primary care education providers to deliver courses to general practitioners in the Goulburn Valley.

Primary Care: No matter which stream you are applying under, our intent is to boost our communities' access to high quality primary care.

First People: In case of demand exceeding scholarship and grant fund availability, we prioritise applications from First People.

Mental Health: From 2021, we will prioritise applications that enhance primary care-based prevention and management of mental health conditions.

If you live or work in the Goulburn Valley and have enrolled in a tertiary degree that allows you to become a primary health care provider, you are invited to apply for a scholarship of up to $10,000 (paid out over 2 years).

Guidance

Medical degrees: The scholarships cannot be used to pay for prerequisites for admission to a medical degree (e.g. Bachelor of Biology / biosciences).

Nursing & allied health: If your degree leads to primary care-based practice (nursing, dietetics, podiatry, psychology, etc), you are likely eligible. If you are applying to study diagnostic/technical health degrees (e.g. radiography) or if you plan to practice in a hospital setting, you are not eligible.

If you live in the Goulburn Valley and work in a primary health care and would like to enhance your skills, you are likely eligible to apply for up to $2,000. This stream is open for GPs, practice nurses, GP registrars, receptionists and practice managers. Grants can only be used to access education that results in improved or extended skills, for example a receptionist who would like to participate in a course preparing them to become a practice manager, a practice nurse who would like to become a primary care-based nurse practitioner, or a social worker who would like to become a mental health social worker.

Education providers who specialise in general practice education can apply for a grant of maximum $50,000 to deliver education to general practitioners (including GP registrars) in the Goulburn Valley. This grant opportunity is continuously open. Once the $50,000 are allocated, we will close applications and reopen on 1 January the following year. We are prioritising applications that aim to extend primary care practitioners' mental health skills.