The Australasian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AusACPDM) is pleased to offer conference scholarships to support healthcare and disability professionals attend the 2026 AusACPDM biennial meeting. These scholarships are intended to support professionals who would otherwise not be able to attend the conference.

The AusACPDM Conference scholarship program supports the aims of the AusACPDM by helping advance research and clinical care for children and adults with cerebral palsy or developmental conditions.

It supports these aims by:

  1. 1.Enhancing the conference's impact – Making it the leading source of scientific education and best clinical practice in the Australasian region.
  2. 2.Expanding educational opportunities – Providing more learning resources and options to members.
  3. 3.Reaching underserved communities – Increasing visibility and advocacy in low-resourced areas.
  4. 4.Including people with lived experience – Ensuring their voices, knowledge, and experiences shape the work of AusACPDM.

To be eligible for a scholarship, you should:

  1. 1.Be aligned with one of the target groups:
    • Regional and remote areas (Aus and NZ). Clinicians or therapists in regional and remote areas who work with people with childhood onset disability and would benefit from having access to the latest evidence and knowledge to support their work.
    • Pacific Nations and other international countries. Researchers or clinicians from Pacific nations and other countries on the HINARI list, who work in childhood onset disability.
    • Early Career Researchers (ECR) who have submitted their research for paper/poster presentations.
    • Community Leaders: Leaders or influencers within a community who are in a position to share gained knowledge from the conference with their community.
  2. 2.Be able to demonstrate how your participation in the conference will enhance your own knowledge/skills
  3. 3.Be able to demonstrate how you will share gained knowledge and skills with your colleagues in your community
  4. 4.Be able to demonstrate how the gained knowledge/skills will enhance outcomes for clients and families in your own community / state / country
  5. 5.NOT already be receiving other funding from the AusACPDM (e.g. PhD Platform scholarship, invited speaker, etc)
  6. 6.NOT have been awarded an AusACPDM scholarship for the previous two (2) conferences (ie 2022 and 2024).

ECR = currently undertaking post-graduate studies or 5 to 10 years post PhD [full time])

Scholarships and Inclusions

Three (3) scholarship options are available:

  1. 1.In-person attendance, includes
    • Complimentary registration
    • One (1) complimentary pre-conference workshop
    • A mentor during the conference (with pre/post conference connections with mentor encouraged)
    • Networking opportunities with multi-disciplinary experts in the field of childhood-onset disability
    • Ticket to attend the International Affairs Luncheon
    • Two (2) years’ complimentary membership of the AusACPDM
    • Partial funding towards travel and/or accommodation during the conference (historically, the maximum funding awarded for international scholarship recipients has not exceeded $3000)
  2. 2.Virtual attendance.
    • Complimentary virtual registration including access to conference content post conference
    • One (1) complimentary pre-conference workshop (virtual attendance)
    • A mentor during the conference (pre/post conference connections with mentor encouraged)
    • Virtual networking opportunities with multi-disciplinary experts in the field of childhood-onset disability
    • Ticket to virtually attend the International Affairs Luncheon
    • Two (2) years’ complimentary membership of the AusACPDM
  3. 3.Work site virtual attendance.
    • Complimentary virtual registration via a single virtual link for the duration of the conference
    • The work site scholarship is intended to enable a group of colleagues to attend the conference together virtually, enabling discussion and enhancing the virtual conference experience
    • Virtual networking opportunities with multi-disciplinary experts in the field of childhood-onset disability
    • Ticket to virtually attend the International Affairs Luncheon
Scholarship Application Portal

Visit the scholarship application portal to understand the full submission process. You can save a submission at any time to return to it later.

Download both forms which need completing:

If you are unsure or have questions, please reach out to the conference secretariat, program@ausacpdm2026.com.au who will direct your enquiry to the appropriate person/s.

How to apply

  1. 1.Complete the application form
  2. 2.Gather the evidence needed to support your application (see table below)
CriteriaRegional & remote
(Aus & NZ)		Pacific nations internationalEarly career researchers
Target groupProof of area of residence within Australia / New ZealandProof of country of residenceProof of enrolment in a university research degree
Limited fundingStatement from your employer stating that professional development funding is not available (or co-contribution)Statement from your employer stating that professional development funding is not available (or co-contribution)Statement from your institution confirming other sources of funding have been applied for unsuccessfully or are unavailable
Community leadershipScholarship Supporting Statement completed by your supervisor or employer
OR
Written statement from others in your community confirming your position and ability to share knowledge		Scholarship Supporting Statement completed by your supervisor or employer
OR
Written statement from others in your community confirming your position and ability to share knowledge		Scholarship Supporting Statement completed by your supervisor confirming your ability to share knowledge

International Affairs Luncheon

All scholarship recipients attending in person and virtually are required to attend the International Affairs luncheon.

Five of the scholarship winners will be invited to speak at this event.

Conditions

Please read the following conditions to make sure you comply:

  • All documents must be submitted online
  • Please complete all sections of the application
  • You must not already be receiving other funding from the AusACPDM (e.g. PhD Platform scholarship, invited speaker, etc)
  • You must not have been awarded an AusACPDM scholarship for the previous two (2) conferences (ie 2022 and 2024.)
  • If your application is successful:
    • You agree to have your name and individual photo published in the conference app as a scholarship recipient.
    • You agree to submit a photo within your work environment which includes aspects of your work. Your photo will be displayed online as part the AusACPDM photo exhibition. Further instruction will be sent once the scholarship is confirmed.
    • You agree to send us a short report two months after the conference, outlining what you have learned and how you have shared it with your networks.
  • Scholarships are not intended to cover the full cost of expenses associated with attending the conference. If you are unable to secure additional funding, please consider a scholarship for virtual attendance.

Timeline

Applications received by 19 September 2025 will be checked for completeness. All complete applications will be forwarded to the Scholarship sub-committee for review.

Applications will be assessed by the Scholarship sub-committee, with a final decision made by 20 October 2025. Applicants will be notified by 20 October 2025.

Contact Us

If you face any issues in submitting your application, accessing the portal or have any other questions, please contact program@ausacpdm2026.com.au