PIF Australia scholarship - 2026 RANZCP Congress

Applicants must: 

• Be a current RANZCP PIF member (or have their application pending);
• Be based in Australia;
• Be currently enrolled as a medical student or be a postgraduate year 1 or 2 doctor;
• Have not previously received a PIF scholarship to attend RANZCP Congress;
• Demonstrate an interest in psychiatry and mental health;
• Demonstrate how the Congress will benefit and/or influence their medical career aspirations;
• Commit to attending full Congress days and the entire PIF program of activities, commencing at 12.00 noon AEST Sunday 3 May until 1.00 pm AEST Thursday 7 May 2026, including evening events and activities. 

Eligibility for the scholarship will be assessed and is awarded at the discretion of the PIF Selection Panel. 

PIF members who have previously been awarded a PIF sponsorship to attend another PIF or RANZCP organised event are eligible to apply, however consideration may be given to those who have not previously received a sponsorship. 

Applicants who have already registered for Congress are eligible to apply for a scholarship, and if successful, will be refunded their Congress registration, and will receive financial support relating to their travel expenses (if eligible and required) as set out in these Terms and Conditions.  

Submitted entries must be the original work and written solely by the eligible applicant, not generated by any artificial intelligence (AI) tools, machine learning systems, or automated writing software.

For applicants residing more than 60 km (interstate and Victoria local) from the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, travel expenses covered will include: 

• hotel accommodation (including breakfast) for five nights* (check-in 3 May 2026; check-out 7 May 2026) across the duration of Congress at the nominated hotel (name to be confirmed); and
• flights or travel costs** to/from Melbourne airport (Tullamarine or Avalon), including reimbursement of the travel costs to/from Melbourne airport to their accommodation. Travel costs to/from home to departure city airport are not covered, unless approved in advance.

*If there are no suitable options for flights on 3 May and/or on 7 May, an additional night of accommodation may be covered. This must be assessed and approved and is at the discretion of the PIF Selection Panel. 

**If applicants choose to travel by road or another means, this request must be submitted as part of the application along with the estimated distance for return travel. This request will be assessed and accepted by the PIF Selection Panel at its discretion. For road travel using a private motor vehicle, mileage will be reimbursed at the rate per kilometer in line with the appropriate year as outlined on the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website. Related commute costs to/from Congress, including road tolls and parking costs, will be covered.  

Proof of receipts (e.g., fuel, parking, airport shuttle) will be required as evidence to claim reimbursement.  

Accommodation and flights must be booked via the dedicated RANZCP Congress travel and conference organising agents. 

Applicants acknowledge that: 

• incidental costs associated with travel and attendance at Congress, including additional baggage, will not be included and are the responsibility of the successful applicant;
• any additional nights’ accommodation outside of the Congress dates (3May –7May 2026) are entirely the responsibility of the scholarship recipient and will not be covered by the scholarship grant unless approved prior; and
• meals and other in-hotel entertainment or other expenses outside of the Congress program (e.g., minibar purchases), will not be covered by the scholarship grant and must be paid for by the applicant incurring that cost.

For local applicants residing within 60 km of the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, reimbursement of travel costs related to commuting to/from Congress via public transport or private motor vehicle will be covered by their scholarship. This request must be submitted as part of the application and will be assessed and accepted by the PIF Selection Panel at its discretion. For road travel using a private motor vehicle, mileage will be reimbursed at the rate per kilometre in line with the appropriate year as outlined on the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website. Related commute costs to/from Congress, including road tolls and parking costs, will be covered.  

Proof of receipts (e.g., fuel, parking, train ticket) will be required as evidence to claim reimbursement.  

Applicants are required to submit a written statement up to a maximum of 250 words addressing the eligibility criteria as follows: 

• Looking back on your involvement in psychiatry and mental health, what experiences have been most meaningful to you, and why?
• How does the 2026 RANZCP Congress theme, 'Reform and Renewal: Towards Healing, Equity, and Trust', resonate with your personal or professional values?
• How would attending the 2026 RANZCP Congress support your medical career aspirations and future psychiatric practice?

Applications must be submitted electronically via the PIF Scholarship (Australia) – 2026 RANZCP Congress online application form. 

Applications will close on Sunday 15 February 2026. Late applications will not be accepted.  

The PIF Selection Panel will assess the applications based on the application criteria and determine the successful applicants. Decisions of the PIF Selection Panel are final.  

Successful applicants will be notified via email in late March 2026 and are expected to confirm their acceptance of a scholarship in writing by the required deadline. Scholarship recipients are expected to obtain any necessary approvals or leave they require from their university, employer or similar in order to attend the full conference program. 

The PIF Selection Panel may award further scholarships at a later time at its discretion. 

In the event that a successful applicant is unable to attend, or a successful applicant does not communicate their acceptance of the scholarship before the required deadline, the PIF Selection Panel may elect to award that scholarship to another eligible applicant. 

By accepting a scholarship, the recipient provides their consent to the RANZCP to publicise the names of the successful applicants, their location and their university or workplace in RANZCP communications, including notifying a student’s university of the scholarship award. 

PIF attendees are strongly advised to secure appropriate travel and medical insurance. The PIF scholarship does not provide any such insurance coverage. The RANZCP and the Congress Office accept no responsibility for any loss in this regard.  

By registering, participants acknowledge and consent that during their attendance at the RANZCP 2026 Congress their image or voice may be recorded via video, photograph or by any other means (“recorded”) by an officer or official of the RANZCP 2026 Congress which may be distributed or published at the discretion of the organisers of the RANZCP 2026 Congress. If you do not wish to be recorded, you are required to formally advise the PIF team in advance by email. 

All RANZCP 2026 Congress PIF attendees will be required to participate in a compulsory evaluation activity as a condition of accepting the scholarship. This will include a pre-Congress survey, and a post-Congress survey.  

The RANZCP has received Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing funding under the Psychiatry Workforce Program (PWP) to deliver the PIF Australia program.