The WIL in Practice Virtual Conference Bursary provides financial support to staff and students who are NAFEA members engaged in Work-Integrated Learning who wish to develop: 

• A virtual conference presentation for the bi-annualWIL in Practice Virtual Conference, and 
• A submission for inclusion in the special virtual conference edition of WIL in Practice online journal. 

The bursary aims to build staff and student capability, strengthen institutional contributions to WIL scholarship, and promote sector-wide knowledge sharing. 

• Number of bursaries available: Up to 5 per round  
• Value of each bursary: $2,000. 
• Funding may be used for:  
  • Research assistance (e.g., research assistant, transcription, data analysis support, data collection etc.) 
  • Participant recruitment or honoraria  
  • Time-release or casual backfill 
  • Professional editing or proofreading 
  • Software, tools, or resources to support the project/presentation/publication. 

3.1  Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must: 

• Be current professional, academic staff (continuing, fixed-term, or sessional) or students involved in:  
  • WIL coordination, management or delivery, 
  • WIL curriculum design, 
  • Industry or community partnership development, or 
  • WIL research or evaluation. 
  • Be a financial member of NAFEA or affiliated with a university that holds an institutional membership. 

3.2 Project Requirements 

• Commit to deliver a presentation at the bi-annual WIL in Practice Virtual Conference. 
• Commit to preparing and submitting to WIL in Practice within six months of the presentation. 
• Present a project that:  
  • Contributes to WIL scholarship or practice, 
  • Demonstrates innovation, impact, or improvement in WIL, 
  • Aligns with institutional and sector WIL priorities. 

3.3 Other Eligibility Conditions 

• Applicants should consider inclusion of a variety of WIL participants and partners in the development of the paper and presentation, including professional staff, early career academics, industry, alumni and/or students. 
• Applicants may apply individually or as a team (shared bursary). 

Applicants submit a short proposal (2–3 pages) including: 

1. Project title and summary (150–250 words) 
2. Relevance to WIL practice or scholarship 
3. Proposed article outline for WIL in Practice 
4. Budget request and justification 
5. Timeline and milestones 
6. Brief bio (150- 250 words) 

Applications should be submitted through the designated online form by 30 June 2026.

5.1 Selection Panel 

A panel of 3–5 reviewers, drawn from WIL in Practice Editorial Board and NAFEA Executive Management Committee with relevant expertise, will assess applications.  

The panel will include representation from people with: 

• WIL Publication experience 
• WIL operational expertise 

5.2 Assessment Criteria 

Applications will be evaluated using the following weighting: 

5.3 Selection Process Steps 

1. Eligibility Screening 
2. Panel Scoring using the rubric above 
3. Panel Meeting & Discussion 
4. Final Ranking & Recommendations 
5. Approval by WIL in Practice Editorial Board 
6. Notification to Applicants 

Recipients are required to: 

• Present their work at the bi-annual WIL in Practice Virtual Conference, and 

Recipients are also encouraged to: 

• Submit an article to WIL in Practice within six months of the conference. 

A simple reconciliation of funds (receipts or summary) must be submitted.