Cancer Council Victoria is pleased to offer Clinical Extension Grants of up to $5,000 (excluding GST) to increase the number of eligible Victorians participating in regular cervical screening. The grants will be available to Nurse Cervical Screening Providers (NCSP) across regional Victoria.
Applications are open for a month and close COB Friday 14 October 2022.
What you’ll find on this page:
What does the Clinical Extension Grant program offer?
Cancer Council Victoria’s Clinical Extension Grant program supports regional Nurse Cervical Screening Providers to increase participation in the National Cervical Screening Program through tailored initiatives for underscreened communities.
Nurse Cervical Screening Providers can use funding to:
- Identify innovative partnerships that can raise awareness with priority audiences.
- Adopt nurse-led models that provide cervical screening and self-collection education to underscreened women and people with a cervix.
- Extend clinic hours to make it easier for people to attend cervical screening appointments.
These initiatives will address needs of eligible women and people with a cervix who are from underscreened priority populations. See below for more information about underscreened communities.
Clinical Extension Grant guidelines
For full grant details, including eligibility requirements, grant evaluation criteria, and what will and won't be funded, please see the Clinical Extension Grant guidelines. Please read these before completing the application form.
Key Clinical Extension Grant timelines
| Key stages |
Timings |
| Applications open |
Friday 16 September 2022 |
| Applications close |
Friday 14 October 2022 |
| Review process (2 weeks) |
Late October 2022 |
| Notification |
Late October 2022 |
| Contract development/funding |
November 2022 |
| Training via Zoom |
Thursday 1 December 2022 |
| Implementation (support given throughout this period) |
December 2022 – May 2023 |
| Post project evaluation interview (interviews to take place within 4 weeks of the final activity) |
June 2023 |
| Evaluation reporting by Cancer Council Victoria staff |
June – September 2023 |
| Project finish |
End of September 2023 |
How to apply
Please read the grant guidelines and the Tips for answering section C of the application form before filling in the Clinical Extension Grant application form.
Completed forms can be returned to Jenny Jones via: certification@cancervic.org.au
Please note, hard copies of applications will not be accepted. All applications are to be filled in electronically and not hand-written.
Clinical Extension Grant application form (Word document)
Tips for answering section C of the application form (PDF)
Frequently asked questions
Who will the Clinical Extension Grants support?
Nurse Cervical Screening Providers must use this grant to address the needs of underscreened women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 74 years living in regional Victoria.
For the purposes of this grant, the term “underscreened" refers to people who have never undergone cervical screening or who have not participated in cervical screening since 1 December 2017.
Grant applications will need to demonstrate how underscreened women and people with a cervix will be identified and supported to participate in cervical screening.
Nurses are encouraged to work with and/or partner with agencies who support underscreened priority groups including:
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait communities
- Culturally and linguistically diverse communities
- Members of the LGBTIQ+ community
- Young women and people with a cervix aged 25-34
- People with a disability
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Communities affected by social and economic disadvantage
- Social or welfare services, such as food rescue services, or housing services, and
- Community centres or local government services, sexual health clinics and/or disability services
Applications must outline how underscreened communities will be engaged and supported. As well as outlining any specific needs of the target group/s identified for the application. Download Tips for answering section C of the application form for additional information.
Grant recipients will be required to register and utilise the Healthcare Provider Portal to check screening histories and eligibility. Education will be provided to nurses about the portal at the grant education session.
How much is each grant worth?
Clinic Extension Grants are available up to $5,000 (excluding GST). Payment will be provided in one lump-sum payment at the start of the project following approval.
Who is eligible for a grant?
Nurse Cervical Screening Providers who have up to date certification and work at regional Victorian clinics are eligible. Clinics must be an incorporated organisations and have an ABN.
What are the measured outputs for grant recipients?
All Clinical Extension Grant recipients must:
- Support women and people with a cervix who are underscreened as per grant guidelines.
- Offer all appointments as a free (bulk billed) service for all women and people with a cervix.
- Offer extended hours free cervical screening clinics that are in addition to the already existing standard hours and available services.
- Provide a minimum of two cervical screening clinics or outreach clinics.
- Provide self-collection information for participants, enabling the client to make an informed choice for their cervical screening.
- Provide information/resources to clients about bowel and breast screening, provided by Cancer Council Victoria/BreastScreen Victoria based on eligibility criteria on the screening program.
- Register and utilise the National Cancer Screening Register Healthcare Provider Portal for obtaining screening histories.
How will this support ongoing Cancer Council Victoria initiatives?
Nurse Cervical Screening Providers will be provided with communications and marketing training to support the promotion of their funded activities. To support aligned activities and encourage cervical screening participation, successful applicants may also be identified to promote other Cancer Council Victoria initiatives following this funding period.
What evaluation reports/processes are part of this agreement?
Successful applicants will be required to demonstrate effective use of medical records management tools (i.e. National Cancer Screening Register for obtaining screening histories, Medical Director, PENCAT, Practice Based Reminder systems) and reminder systems, where possible, to identify and invite women and people with a cervix who are overdue for cervical screening, and/or demonstrate effective promotional activities or partnerships with community organisations to ensure participation of underscreened priority groups in cervical screening clinics.
Successful applicants will also be required to provide data about the project at the end. The data should be broken down by clinician collected and self-collected tests.
From the clinic system:
- Screens completed in the regular clinic 3 months before the project.
- Screens completed in the regular clinic during the project.
Using the project template:
- Screens completed in the additional project sessions.
Successful applicants will be required to be part of the evaluation of the project by:
- participating in a 45-minute interview about their activity post-project.
- giving patients an evaluation flyer with a QR code and link to a survey which asks them about their experience after their screening.
For more information
If you’d like any further information, please contact Jenny Jones or Cat Hone on 1800 111 255 or via certification@cancervic.org.au