Round: Lowitja O’Donoghue Foundation Nursing Scholarships Program - VET/Diploma

Lowitja O’Donoghue Foundation was established on 1 August 2022 to honour the 90^th birthday of Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG, and carries forward Dr O’Donoghue’s legacy of courageous Aboriginal leadership and her vision of empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to create meaningful change.

Our scholarship program pays respect to Dr O’Donoghue’s extraordinary lifetime of work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, as a trailblazer who opened doors, and kept them open, creating opportunities for generations to follow in her footsteps and embrace a future of possibilities.  

Dr O’Donoghue is widely recognised as, “the greatest Aboriginal leader of the modern era… the rock who steadied us in the storm” – Noel Pearson

Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue died on 4 February 2024, aged 91 years, on Kaurna Country in Adelaide, South Australia.

Lowitja Institute is Australia's only national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health research institute. Lowitja Institute proudly carries the name of its founding chairperson and co-patron, Yankunytjatjara woman the late Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG.

For over 20 years, the Institute has worked for the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through high-impact quality research, knowledge exchange, and by supporting a new generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health researchers.

Lowitja Institute is dedicated to embedding cultural and social determinants into health systems across the country. We ensure our policies, research and practice is culturally safe which contributes to closing the gap in health outcomes for our peoples.

Lowitja O’Donoghue Foundation is offering VET Nursing (Enrolled Nursing) Scholarships to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are committed to establishing a career in nursing.

Scholarship value

The Enrolled Nursing Scholarship (VET/Diploma) value is up to $22,500 for full-time study over 18 months.

Eligibility criteria

Lowitja Institute will only consider applications that satisfy all eligibility requirements.

• Applicants must be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent; identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person; is recognised as such by their community.
• Applicants must be currently enrolled in a full-time VET/Diploma Nursing course provided by an accredited Australian registered training organisation and must provide written confirmation of enrolment.
• Applicants must be intending to commence study at entry level in the academic year that this scholarship round offers.
• Applicants must not have defaulted on a previously awarded scholarship or bursary.
• Applicants must not have a criminal record for any serious offence in Australia and overseas.
• Applicants must demonstrate how the course focus will impact and benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing priorities and aligns with the Lowitja O’Donoghue Foundation’s purpose and beliefs.

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