The Regional Partnerships Project Pool Program will provide $7.1 million between 2022 and 2024 to support collaborative outreach projects that enable the higher education aspirations of students in regional and remote Australia, including those who may be experiencing cumulative disadvantage.
About the Program
The Regional Partnerships Project Pool Program (Program) responds to the 2019 National Regional, Rural and Remote Tertiary Education Strategy which identified that regional and remote students experience additional challenges that may act as a barrier to aspiration and preparedness for higher education.
The Program will provide $7.1 million between 2022 and 2024 to support collaborative outreach projects that enable the higher education aspirations of students in regional and remote Australia.
Through the Program innovative partnerships will be established between Table A universities and Regional University Centres (Centres) along with other higher education providers including Table B universities and non-university higher education providers, schools, vocational education and training providers, and community organisations.
The objectives of the Program are to direct resources to:
- empower students from under-represented backgrounds in regional and remote areas to aspire to higher education.
- support universities and Centres to develop sustainable partnerships with communities currently underserviced by existing outreach initiatives and where cumulative barriers to higher education exist.
The Program is administered under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) and the Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Guidelines 2022 (Guidelines). The Program is a component of the Indigenous, Regional and Low SES Attainment Fund.
Program Funding
Under the Program, $7.1 million in funding is available for consortia led by Table A universities and Centres via a two-phase process:
- Phase 1 – Concept proposal ($704,628 awarded)
- Through a competitive, merit-based process, funding has been awarded to allow successful consortia to establish partnerships and engage with regional stakeholders to:
- identify the needs of regional students and communities to enable aspirations for higher education; and
- co-design innovative initiatives to address local needs and develop a comprehensive project bid for multi-year delivery of regional outreach.
- Through a competitive, merit-based process, funding has been awarded to allow successful consortia to establish partnerships and engage with regional stakeholders to:
- Phase 2 – Delivery of multi-year projects ($6.4 million available)
- Consortia funded under Phase 1 are eligible to apply for Phase 2 funding as part of a competitive, merit-based process. Funding will support successful consortia to deliver agreed innovative and practical outreach support to students and communities in regional and remote areas of Australia.
Phase 1 Outcomes
Six projects were successful under the Program’s Phase 1 funding round.
Successful consortia have been awarded a total of $704,628 in funding to engage with regional communities in the project’s target areas to co-design innovative and locally tailored outreach initiatives. Consortia will be invited to submit a comprehensive multi-year project bid for Phase 2 funding in late-2022.
The following projects were successful for Phase 1 funding:
|
Lead partner |
Project |
Target state |
|---|---|---|
|
CUC Snowy Monaro |
Eastern Australia Regional University Centre Partnership |
QLD, NSW, VIC |
|
Flinders University |
Northern Territory Youth Engagement in Allied Health (YEAH)! |
NT |
|
Murdoch University |
Influencing the influencers: A novel approach to increasing university participation of rural and regional students through community engagement in Western Australia's Wheatbelt |
SA |
|
Pilbara Universities Centre |
Project Y13: Creating Aspirations, Connections and Pathways |
NT, WA |
|
Uni Hub Spencer Gulf |
Growing our Own - Local Pathways to Jobs of our Future |
SA |
|
James Cook University |
Building capabilities for success - targeting preparedness for ongoing learning |
QLD |
Phase 2 funding round is now closed
Applications for Phase 2 funding opened on 21 October 2022. The round closed at 6.00pm AEDT 21 November 2022.
Should you have any questions, please email the Department of Education at equity@education.gov.au.