NEW INVESTIGATOR PRIZE

Rheumatology trainee, PhD student, rheumatologist, nurse or rheumatology health professional within 5 years of finishing training or scientist within 2 years of finishing PhD.

TRAVEL AWARD (5 ARA and 2 RHP)

Open to ARA Members who are a rheumatology trainee, PhD student, nurse, medical student or rheumatology health professional from from interstate or regional/rural/remote within state who has an abstract accepted for presentation.

Rheumatology Health Professional Conference Awards

The ARA aims to facilitate the submission of high quality abstracts by RHPs on clinical practice related themes

Prizes:

Emma Pettet Prize for Best RHP Free Paper - $1,000

Margaret Lewington Prize for Best RHP Poster - $500

Eligibility:  To be considered for an RHP Award, you must either be a current member of the ARA, or be eligible for membership (i.e. have a nurse, allied health or educator background)
AND
The abstract theme should be related to clinical practice. This may include: clinical trials, translation of evidence into practice, multi-disciplinary care, surveys/audits and case studies.

Not Eligible: This award is not open to Medical practitioners; basic science themes or pharmacological trials.

This award recognises the outstanding contribution to research by individual ARA Member in the area of Paediatric Rheumatology Research.The award will be offered to an individual each year for the best Paediatric Research Presentation at the ARA ASM. The marking scheme will favour trainees and early career researchers. The award will be given for a body of productive research and selection will be based on the quality of the science and its impact. Research should be conducted, at least in part, in Australia and the researcher should be based primarily at an Australian Institution. This can only be awarded once to an individual.

Value: $1,000 plus certificate

Funding Source: Australian Rheumatology Association

Awarded: Annual

Eligibility: Financial members of the ARA who undertake paediatric research.

Applications are invited for the 2026 Debashish Danda ARA APLAR Scholarship. Up to TWO scholarships will be awarded to support an APLAR region applicant to attend and present at the ARA 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting to be held in the Gold Coast, Queensland from 16-19 May 2026.

The scholarship will consist of up to AUD$2,000 towards a return economy airfare, taxi fares upon arrival and departure, up to five nights’ room only accommodation (twin/double) near the conference hotel venue, and full conference registration including the conference dinner.

Travel Insurance must be taken out upon payment of travel at the applicants’ expense.

Successful applicants will be responsible for their own visa applications.

Previous recipients are ineligible to apply. 

Applicants must fulfil and are required to submit evidence of the following criteria:

* A rheumatologist, practicing in a country, that is a member of APLAR; and who is within five (5) years of completing their training or is currently in training.

* A copy of your abstract submitted for the 2026 meeting.

* Curriculum Vitae.

Please note that when you apply you are limited to one abstract submission only.

Applications may be made by electronic submission via the DEBASHISH DANDA ARA APLAR ONLINE SUBMISSION

Deadline for applications:  8 February 2026

Four RHPSIG Travel Grants are available: three $500 grants and one $1,000 grant to support attendance at an overseas conference. These grants are submitted to and adjudicated by the RHPSIG Executive and must be awarded in accordance with the eligibility criteria and guidelines developed by the RHPSIG.

Please note that no individual may receive both an ARA ASM Travel Grant and an RHPSIG Travel Grant in the same year.

$1,000 RHPSIG Travel Grant

The $1,000 grant is intended to support international engagement and collaboration.  The recipient would be expected to:

* Actively build and foster connections that support guest speakers for the ARA ASM in nursing and allied health areas,

* Promote International collaboration on behalf of RHPSIG, and

* Present their research at both the ARA ASM and an international rheumatology conference.

Eligibility for the $1,000 grant requires:

ARA membership, and

Acceptance of an abstract for presentation at the ARA ASM, with the expectation that the work will also be submitted to an international conference.

While APLAR is a natural target due to its relevance, other international rheumatology conferences are also eligible to encourage broader engagement and opportunity for RHPSIG members.

Eligibility for the $500 grant requires:

Current ARA RHPSIG Member (ARA membership), and

Health professionals currently working clinically in the field of rheumatology

Post-conference webinar to be delivered in conjunction with the RHPSIG education team

No concurrent funding/sponsorship to the same event e.g. pharma

FURTHER INFORMATION HERE