All 2025 grants are now accepting applications.
Transforming Nursing,
Together
Advancing the practice of nursing and midwifery in Victoria, through research and education, to improve patient outcomes.
History
The Victorian Nurses and Midwives Trust was created in 2010 and was originally known as The Nurses Board of Victoria Legacy Trust.
Prior to 2010 the practice of nursing and midwifery in Victoria was regulated by the Nurses Board of Victoria. This Board regularly awarded a number of grants which were funded from its’ own resources, from distributions received from the Estate of William Cooper and through its’ role as the trustee of the Rosemary Kelley Foundation.
When a national regulatory scheme was introduced in 2010, the regulatory functions of the Nurses Board of Victoria were transferred to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. The Nurses Board of Victoria was wound up and its assets were placed in a Trust, The Nurses Board of Victoria Legacy Trust, to “advance and foster the practice of nursing and midwifery in Victoria, through research and education, to improve patient outcomes”.
A company, The Nurses Board of Victoria Legacy Limited (NBVLL), was formed to act as Trustee of the newly created Trust, and to replace the Nurses Board of Victoria as Trustee of the Rosemary Kelley Foundation.
The directors of the Nurses Board of Victoria Legacy Limited are the members for the time being of the Victorian Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia who are able to volunteer their time. From time to time other directors with appropriate skills are co-opted to ensure the Trust is well governed.
In 2021 the Trust changed its’ name to The Victorian Nurses and Midwives Trust.
The William Cooper Fellowship
The purpose of this fellowship is to enable registered nurses who are directly or indirectly involved with caring for patients with cancer in Victoria to undertake activities that will enhance nursing practice. Eligible activities may include projects for changing clinical practice, mentoring in clinical practice or professional education including small modules or seminars
Rosemary Kelley Foundation
The purpose of the Rosemary Kelley Fellowships is to support registered nurses in Victoria undertaking activities to advance their knowledge and skills in haematological malignancies (leukaemias, lymphomas, myeloma and related blood disorders) and other forms of cancer.
The Victorian Nurses and Midwives Trust in numbers.
$3,010,155
Awarded
10
Years
250
Grants
Meet the Trustee's Board
Ms Virginia Rogers OAM
Chair
Virginia Rogers is a lawyer with broad experience in private practice and with major corporations. She has extensive experience within the local government and not for profit sectors. She was a Community Member of the Victorian Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia for six years. A former Chairperson of the Equal Opportunity Commission, Save the Children Australia and Marriott Support Services, she has also served on the board of Victorian Legal Aid and been a trustee of the RMIT Foundation.
Adj Assoc Prof Naomi Dobroff
Director
Naomi Dobroff is a registered nurse and has a Master’s Degree in Public Health. She is the Chief Nursing Information Officer at Monash Health and has held many senior nursing positions within Victoria. Naomi holds an honorary position of Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery at Deakin and is a Fellow of the Australian College of Nursing. Naomi is a former Chairperson and Board Member of the Victorian Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and, previously, a Board Member of the Nurses Board of Victoria.
Adj Prof Paula Stephenson
Director
Paula Stephenson is a registered nurse and has a Master of Nursing Studies. She is an Executive Director in the Public Health Division of the Victorian Department of Health. Paula has a wealth of clinical, education, leadership and management experience having held senior management roles in a number of metropolitan health services, and provided advisory services private and public health organisations across all clinical domains. A Member of the Victorian Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and a Director of the Sacre Coeur Foundation, her past roles include Executive Director of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Epworth Healthcare.
Ms Amanda Singleton
Director
Amanda Singleton is Chairperson of the Victorian Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. A midwife and nurse with over 35 years’ experience in clinical service management, operations and service planning, she has worked in rural and metropolitan health, across private and public settings, both within Australia and overseas. She has worked in a private midwifery practice and continues to consult in healthcare throughout Victoria.
Ms Maureen Capp OAM
Director
Maureen Capp, OAM, JP, B Bus, MBA (Melb), CPA spent many years in the accountancy sector in private practices. She has lectured in accounting and held senior management roles with Victorian Statutory Authorities. A former Community Member of the Victorian Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, the Victorian Physiotherapy Board and the Victorian Building Practitioner’s Board she has received an Order of Australia Medal for services to the community of Melbourne.
Ms Brenda Waites
Director
Brenda Waites is an Enrolled Nurse with a Diploma in Paramedical Science. She works in a per-operative environment in Anaesthetics and Obstetrics and is a strong advocate for Enrolled Nurses. She is a Practitioner Member of the Victorian Board of Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Emeritus Professor Maxine Duke AM
Director
Maxine Duke is a Registered Nurse and holds a Doctor of Philosophy. She had a distinguished career in nursing leadership, education and research. Positions held at Deakin University include Acting Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health, Head, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Director, Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research (QPS) and Chair in Nursing Development. She is a Member of the Victorian Board of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Dr. Miriam Weisz OAM
Director
Miriam Weisz has a Doctorate of Business Administration and was an Associate Professor in Teaching and Learning and the Director of Quality Improvement at RMIT University. She has served on regulatory Boards including the Australian Medical Council, the Australian Medical Board and the Regional Board of the Psychology Board of Australia and been Chair of the Development Board of the Centre for Adolescent Health at the RCH, and a Board member of the Australian Joint Distribution Committee. She is currently the President of the RCH Auxiliaries and a Director of the RCH Foundation Board. She is a Community Member of both the Victorian Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and the ACT/TAS/VIC Regional Board of the Psychology Board of Australia.
Ms Jane Seeber CA
Director
Jane is a Chartered Accountant with more than 25 years’ experience in health and human services as a manager, executive and director. Since 2018 she has been the COO of Access Health and Community, a community health provider in Melbourne’s east. Jane leads a range of clinical teams including medical, dental, allied health and mental health services. Previously she worked in the aged care and disability sectors and helped transform and grow services through periods of national reform, including the implementation of the NDIS. Jane is currently the Secretary for Edinburgh Cricket Club, one of Australia’s largest community clubs, and has held director roles including Treasurer for the Attitude Foundation and Director and Finance, Audit and Risk Committee Member at the Good Samaritan Inn.