About the Vic Davis Memorial Trust

Contents

  • Funding available

  • Application process

  • Selection process

  • Selection criteria

  • Part funding and co-funding

  • Conditions

  • Compliance with conditions

Funding available

The Vic Davis Memorial Trust, which operates under the terms of a trust deed detailed in Mr Davis’ will, distributes on average $80,000 a year in grants and scholarships with a focus on mental health.   The first year for the process of fund distribution was 2009.

This Trust offers two distinct categories of funding support in the field of mental health:

  1. Scholarships for individuals to train/study at post graduate level in the field of mental health.

  2. Research grants for organisations researching in the field of mental health. Maximum annual allocation is $40,000.

The individuals must be New Zealand residents and any organisation applying for a research grant should be New Zealand based.

With regard to the study scholarships, preference will be given to those applicants who are able to demonstrate clear connections with the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Individuals applying for scholarships must be able to demonstrate an interest in the field of mental health.

With regard to the research category the research and host organisation may be local, regional or national.   Research applications will only be considered from individuals or groups who have a prior history of work in the field of mental health.

The scope of the research considered by the Trust includes:

  • The nature of mental health

  • The origin and causes of mental health disorders

  • Prevention of mental health disorders

  • Diagnosis

  • Treatment and cure

Travel, equipment and conference attendance will only be considered where a clear case is made for them within the research or scholarship budget outline and where such expenditure is integral to the study or research.

Selection

Given Vic’s interest in youth and family the Trust is more likely to give preference to study and research relating to the mental health of youth and young persons.

You can find further information regarding the intent of each of these categories in the application guidelines and the application forms, available on this website.

If your area of interest does not fit well into one of the two identified categories, but is directly related to study or research in the field of mental health please do contact the trust secretary (admin@vicdavistrust.org)

Application process

  • Applications will only be accepted on the appropriate application forms, which can be accessed on this website.

  • Applications will be considered annually, for the following year, and must be received by the Trust no later than 31st July in the year prior to the proposed study or research.

  • Applications must be received in electronic copy. 

Selection process

  • In the month of September the Vic Davis Memorial Trust will consider the applications and applicants will be advised of the results of these deliberations by the end of October of that year.

  • The Trust may make contact with the applicant’s referees in August or September.

  • Where the Trust deems it advisable it will convene an advisory panel to assist in the selection process

Selection criteria

The trust will consider the applications with regard to:

  • The quality and clarity of the application

  • Commitment to the field of mental health

  • Clear connection to the Eastern Bay of Plenty (for scholarship applications)

  • Academic record

  • Work and/or research history where relevant

  • Potential impact of the programme of study or research on the individual, the organisation, the mental health community and the community in general, particularly in relation to youth and young persons.

Part funding and co/funding

A Vic Davis Memorial Trust scholarship, fellowship or grant may be held concurrently with another bursary, scholarship or grant, provided that:

  • the rules of the other award allow for this

  • the intent to apply for any other bursary, scholarship or grant are made clear in the application to the Vic Davis Memorial Trust

Conditions

1. Confidentiality: Some of the information from the application forms will be used in a non-identifiable form for the Vic Davis Trust’s statistical purposes. All applicants are required to sign the confidentiality agreement within the application form.

2. Publicity: For public interest purposes the Trust reserves the right to release the applicant’s name, host institution, contact details, research or study topic and funding awarded for successful applicants.

3. Intellectual Property: As a general rule the Vic Davis Memorial Trust does not intend to seek to obtain intellectual property rights in respect of research being funded by the Trust.  However exceptions may arise.

4. Ethical requirements: With regard to research applications it is the applicant’s responsibility to provide evidence of ethics approval according to the standards required by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.   Research applicants are required to sign the ethical and regulatory agreement within the Vic Davis Memorial Trust research application form.

5. Host institutions: All training or research must be within or with the direct support of a recognised organisation or learning institution.

6. Reporting to the trust: Recipients of funds from the Vic Davis Memorial Trust are required to submit a formal report to the Trust on the appropriate reporting template.  The Reporting Templates are available on this website. Reports must be received in electronic copy in accordance with the details outlined on the report template.

Reports are due to the Vic Davis Memorial Trust Board, on the appropriate form, twice per year:

  1. By the 31st July

  2. As soon as possible after the end of year results or year’s projects have been completed and certainly no later than the 28th Feb the following year.

Compliance with the conditions

The Trust may at any time suspend or terminate a scholarship, fellowship or grant or require the forfeiture of such a portion of the scholarship, fellowship or grant as the Trust may determine appropriate if it is not satisfied that the recipient for any reason is not diligently pursuing his/her course of study or research or has failed to comply with any of the terms and conditions on which the scholarship was awarded.