Who can apply?

Applications to the Scholarships and Grants Program may be open to one or more of the following applicant profiles:

- Active RACS Fellows and FRACS applicants*
- Enrolled RACS SET Trainees and SET applicants*
- Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs)*
- Doctors interested in a career in surgery (rural junior doctors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander junior doctors, Māori junior doctors and migrant doctors)
- Other professionals (eg health roles)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and Māori final year medical students
- Overseas-based surgeons

Eligibility is listed under the Who Can Apply heading on each scholarship and grant webpage. Unless otherwise stated on the webpage, applicants must be:

- citizens or permanent residents of Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand OR
- SIMGS*

*Please click on the below headings for details

FRACS applicants may be awarded a scholarship or grant providing they have obtained FRACS by the scholarship or grant acceptance deadline (usually late August or early September in the year of application).

SET applicants may be offered a scholarship or grant pending their acceptance, at the end of the application year, into the SET Trainee program. If they are not accepted into SET Training, the scholarship or grant will revert to the reserve candidate. 

Trainees and SET applicants must upload evidence with their application (eg an email) that they have written to their specialty board and/or department to notify their intention to apply to the Scholarships and Grants Program. 

Some scholarships and grants open to SET Trainees are not open to SET applicants. Please check the Who can apply? heading on scholarship and grant webpages.

Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) on the pathway to RACS Fellowship who can provide evidence of a minimum two year commitment to a surgical role in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand my be eligible to apply to the program. 

RACS defines 'on the pathway to RACS Fellowship' as:

- SIMGs enrolled in RACS surgical training program OR
- SIMGs who have been assessed by RACS as partially or substantially comparable to being Australian trained AND
- have commenced (or been approved to commence) clinical assessment OR
- have completed clinical assessment with their assessment valid for 12 months from the time of application OR
- have been assessed by the Medical Council of Aotearoa New Zealand as eligible for vocational registration in surgery.

SIMGs who do not meet the above eligibility requirements may be eligible for scholarships or grants open to non-RACS members. Please check the Who can apply? section of each scholarship and grant webpage.