Bursary Fund Guidance and Process 2023/2024

 

APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED. 

 

 

Before completing an application form, applicants wishing to apply for a PG Cert course at Exeter or Plymouth University or the Medics Academy (in collaboration with the University of Lancashire) must contact the Deanery office via the email address; Bursary.SW@hee.nhs.uk

Contents

Introduction
Eligibility
The Application Process
The Award
Review of the Award
Review of the Process

Introduction

Postgraduate Doctors in Training (PGDiTs) in a recognised training programme with the Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery (Peninsula & Severn) who wish to pursue a programme of study on a course that leads to a postgraduate certificate or diploma are invited, on an annual basis, to submit an application for a small bursary.

The bursary awarded can fund up to 50% of the cost of one year’s fees (excluding residential components).

Only one application per person will be considered for any Bursary award offered by the Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery (Peninsula & Severn), at any time, in any financial year of funding.

Applications are considered and awarded in accordance with the guidance.

  

Eligibility

When allocating bursaries, the emphasis is on enhancing professional development and, as such, more importance will be placed on how the course contributes to your development rather than the qualification attained on completion.

Applicants must not have received outcome 2 or 3 at most recent ARCP in your last clinical attachment/placement. The TPD/HoS must provide additional comments on the application form for all PGDiTs with an outcome other than 1 for their most recent (or last) clinical attachment.

The course should lead to a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma granted by an HEFCE recognised UK provider.

Preference will be given to applicants who wish to complete courses in Medical Education, Medical Leadership, and Coaching. However, do not be deterred from applying if the course you wish to study does not fall into one of these categories as the scheme is not exclusively for PGDiTs applying for these courses.

The applicant must hold a recognised training post with Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery (Peninsula & Severn) and a substantive contract of employment for at least 6 months from the start date of the year of the course for which you have applied for a Bursary.

Foundation PGDiTs are not eligible and must discuss with their Head of School any requests for such funding.

Where an applicant is unsure of their place of employment at the beginning of the course, evidence must be provided that they will still be registered on a training programme with Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery (Peninsula & Severn). Postgraduate Doctors in Training who are considered out of programme (except OOPT), such as on a career break, during the year of study for which they are applying will not be eligible.

Postgraduate Doctors in Training on an OOPT will need to be employed in an NHS organisation in the Southwest region to be eligible for funding.

Where the course to be studied is requested outside the footprint of the Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery, the applicant must be able to demonstrate that the course is not provided locally or indicate why they have not applied for a course within the Deanery geographical boundaries.

If the course to be studied is an online or a distance learning course, then the applicant must be able to demonstrate that the course is not supplied by a local provider or is 10% (or more) less expensive than current local providers at the point of application.

It should be noted that the bursary will not be awarded for short courses that should be covered by study leave allowance/entitlement as the overall purpose is to contribute more substantially to prolonged periods of study.

Applicants must secure a place with the appropriate University/course provider and complete the University/course providers application form separate to the Deanery application form. Your acceptance letter or official email must be attached to your application, or a copy of your email / acceptance letter must be received by our office (Bursary.SW@hee.nhs.uk) by Sunday 27th August 2023 in order for funding to be approved.

Bursaries will not be awarded for professional membership examinations such as MRCP/MRCS or to pay for application fees for CESR.

Funding will not be awarded to applicants who have already started the course in the academic year for which they are applying for the bursary. Retrospective payment will not be made.


IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

Applicants must notify the Deanery via Bursary.SW@hee.nhs.uk if they defer or fail to take up the course for which they have applied. Failure to inform NHS England Southwest may result in the applicant having to the pay the full amount of the course.

The applicant must obtain signatures of support from the following people when submitting their application:

Core Training

  • Educational Supervisor (ES) OR
  • Director of Medical Education (DME)

Specialty Training (including GP)

  • Educational Supervisor (ES) OR
  • Training Programme Director (TPD)

An email from the DME, TPD or ES in support of this application will be accepted in place of a wet signature.


The applicant must ensure that those supporting the application (as listed above) agree that the course represents an integral part of the PGDiTs personal development plan (PDP) as identified through the NHS appraisal process.

The applicant must meet the required level of fluency in the English language.

Applicants must sign the GDPR authorisation form to enable the Deanery to request information from the relevant University / course provider relating to the course they are funding. This must be submitted with the application form.

Unsigned or late applications are unable to be considered.

 

The Application Process

Applications will be dated upon receipt.

An application is not an automatic guarantee to receive funding.

The application process for the bursary fund is consistent across all applicants and each application is considered on its own merit. The process for the application is listed below.

Notification of the bursary window opening will be supported through:

  • Websites
  • Heads of Schools
  • Postgraduate Medical Education Centre Managers
  • Directors of Medical Education

Applications for the 2023/24 bursary can be submitted from Wednesday 3rd May 2023.

 

Bursary Fund application form will be available here from the opening date.

 

The closing date for bursary applications is Sunday 11th June 2023.

Each application must be submitted on the standard application form and will be assessed against the scoring framework found at the end of the application form.

Completed applications must be submitted via email to the following address:

Scan & email to:                                    Bursary.SW@hee.nhs.uk

With a Subject heading:                       Bursary Application

All applications will be acknowledged by an email stating confirmation of submission within 3-5 working days of receipt.

Any queries regarding the application process or an individual application should be emailed to Bursary.SW@hee.nhs.uk.

 

The Award

The Senior Business and Education Manager is responsible for the Bursary Fund and is supported by an administrative team.

Each application will be assigned its own unique reference number.

Funds will only be awarded if successful with the bursary application.

Each application will be scored on its own merit and scored against the scoring framework.

Applicants must ensure they have completed the relevant university/provider application process and form.

The panel scoring the applications will be constituted from members of the Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery (Peninsula & Severn) Senior Education Teams.

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by email by no later than Friday 14th July 2023.

Any funding awarded will be conditional on the applicant providing PGME with a copy of their acceptance letter or email from the university confirming their place on the course. This must be received by PGME no later than Sunday 27th August 2023. Failure to provide this evidence will result in funding being withdrawn.

Postgraduate Doctors in Training are able to be reimbursed separately for travel and accommodation in line with the study leave guidance.

A copy of the email from Southwest Postgraduate Medical Education Deanery will be provided to the Educational Supervisor/TPD of the training programme to inform them that the PGDiT has been successful and will be undertaking the course for which they applied.

Applicants applying to the University of Exeter or Plymouth or The Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA ILP5) are required to pay their contribution towards their course fees directly to the university. The provider will invoice you directly for the outstanding amount. NHS England Southwest will have paid their contribution in advance.

Applicants applying to alternative universities/providers are required to pay for their course fees in FULL and claim back the awarded amount by completing the NHS England Southwest invoice template [sent with letter of outcome] and providing proof of payment.

Claims must be with us within 3 months of having paid for the course [i.e., the date of your receipt of payment]. This is due to standing financial regulations for payments.

Applications will not be accepted if a PGDiT has started the course. Retrospective payments will not be made.

 

Review of the Award

Upon completion of the funded course, the successful applicant must provide evidence of completion by providing a copy of the awarded certificate or evidence of the required minimum attendance for the course within 6 weeks of completion.

If the successful applicant is unable to provide satisfactory evidence of completion of the funded course, they may be asked to reimburse the sum of the awarded fund as provided via this process.

Within 6 weeks of completing the supported course, the successful applicant is requested to write a summary detailing:

  • The course that was completed;
  • Who the course has been completed with (the provider);
  • What has been learnt on the course;
  • What are the career benefits of the course;
  • The quality of the educational content of the course;
  • If the course would be recommended to a colleague and why;
  • Your experience of the Bursary Fund Process.

This should be sent to Bursary.SW@hee.nhs.uk.

This document will aid the Panel to assess the benefits of the award and any future benefit of the course that was undertaken.

By accepting the Bursary Award applicants agree to have published their feedback of the course.

Any concerns or issues relating to this process should be sent to Bursary.SW@hee.nhs.uk.

 

Review of the Process

This process will be reviewed annually or as necessary.

Amendments may be made during the application and scoring process if inconsistencies, errors or areas of concern are identified and this will be communicated to affected applicants accordingly.

 

Important Information

The decision of the Panel is final. Applicants who are unhappy with the bursary process can appeal against the panel decision. The appeal request needs to be sent to Bursary.SW@hee.nhs.uk; please add in the subject line ‘appeal’. All appeals will be forwarded to the Deputy Postgraduate Dean. Requestors will receive a written response to their appeal. Please note that the PSED Team Leader will be attending these meetings to take notes. Notes from the meetings will be shared with the applicant and kept as evidence of discussion.

The Deanery reserves the right to withdraw its funding or the application for a Bursary award at any time.

Funding or sponsorship received from other sources including from non-NHS sources (e.g., university or charity) must be declared.

Please note any sponsorship or funds received from another NHS source will invalidate this application.