The Regional Partnerships Project Pool Program supports 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 supports development of innovative partnerships will be established between universities, Regional University Study Hubs (Hubs), other higher education providers, schools, vocational education and training providers, and community organisations.
The objectives of the Program are to:
- empower students from regional and remote areas to aspire to higher education.
- support universities and Hubs 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
To date, $7.2 million in funding has been awarded under the Program to consortia led by Table A universities and Hubs via a two-phased competitive process:
- Phase 1 – Concept proposal ($704,628 awarded)
- Under Phase 1, universities, Hubs and local communities in regional and remote areas partnered together as consortia to co-design tailored outreach projects targeting higher education aspiration.
- Phase 2 – Delivery of multi-year projects ($6.5 million awarded)
- Under Phase 2, further funding has been awarded to successful consortia for delivery of the outreach projects co-designed under Phase 1.
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 projects' target areas to co-design innovative and locally tailored outreach initiatives.
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 Outcomes
Two projects were successful for further funding under the Program’s Phase 2 funding round.
Successful consortia have been awarded a total of $6.5 million in funding for delivery of the innovative and practical higher education aspiration outreach projects co-designed with regional and remote communities under Phase 1.
The following projects were successful for Phase 2 funding:
|
Lead partner |
Project |
Target state |
|
University of Technology Sydney |
Eastern Australia Regional University Centre Partnership
Under this project, over 30 universities and Regional University Study Hubs will work together with communities to deliver a range of locally tailored initiatives aimed at inspiring young people from regional and remote areas to pursue a higher education.
|
QLD, NSW, VIC |
|
Flinders University |
Northern Territory Youth Engagement in Allied Health (YEAH)!
Through this place-based project, Flinders University will work with a range of partners, including Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education and Indigenous Allied Health Australia, to inspire regional and remote First Nations youth in the Northern Territory to consider an allied health higher education pathway. |
NT |
More Information
Should you have any questions regarding this Program, please contact equity@education.gov.au