30 May 25
ASMIRT is offering 90 grants of $500 to support student members facing financial challenges during their final-year clinical placements. Applications are open now and close 1 July 2025.
This grant is available to ASMIRT student members undertaking a clinical placement. Applicants must be in their final year of an Ahpra-approved entry-level course in Medical Imaging, Radiation Therapy, or Nuclear Medicine at an Australian university.
ASMIRT student membership is free.
The ASMIRT Board of Directors has been concerned about students experiencing financial hardship while on placement for some time. At ASMIRT's national conference in Adelaide this year, students spoke up on the difficulties of staying financially afloat during the 52 weeks. Fourth year medical imaging student Alana Brkic and recent graduate Ruby Holman said students are burning themselves out working on weekends, so they can afford to work unpaid placements during the week.
Last year, the Australian Government announced a weekly payment for people undertaking placements in teaching, nursing, midwifery, and social work. ASMIRT's request that medical radiation students be included was rejected by the Government.
Carolyn Heyes, ASMIRT President at the time, said ‘placement poverty’ is a real and distressing issue for medical radiation students and a factor in critical and chronic workforce shortages.
“Placement poverty is a very big deal for our students. We actually have students quit because they can’t afford to do a six month or 12-week placement,” she said.
