Flexible Approach to Training in Expanded Settings (FATES)
The FATES program is a competitive annual grant opportunity for specialist medical colleges that runs annually.
Application dates for future FATES funding are to be confirmed by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. There will be no FATES round in 2025.
FATES offers an innovative funding pool to encourage projects that support:
- flexible specialist training
- training support
- accreditation practices
The grant opportunity enhances quality and capacity for non-GP specialist medical training activities and supports specialist medical college projects that address priority areas and actions identified in the National Medical Workforce Strategy (NMWS) while complementing the Specialist Training Program.
FATES objectives are to:
- improve and promote a positive regional, rural, and remote medical education culture and support quality specialist medical training in rural and remote Australia
- reduce barriers and improve incentives for entering regional, rural, and remote medical practice
- improve the imbalance of distribution of the non-GP specialist medical training arrangements and workforce
- attract and support First Nations trainees to grow the First Nations workforce towards population parity
Find out more about RACP's Regional, Rural and Remote Physician Strategy (PDF).
Contact us for updates on current or upcoming grant rounds.
Eligibility
Individuals and organisations are eligible if:
- you submit your application through one of the 13 eligible medical colleges
- you enter into a consortium arrangement with the college that you have applied with, or a joint consortium arrangement with more than one of the medical colleges.
You're not eligible if:
-
your organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, on the National Redress Scheme list of ‘Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme’.
Application process
We assist the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to deliver the FATES program.
- You must read the Grant Opportunity Guidelines (PDF)* before applying.
- You complete the Application Pack (DOC)
- You submit your application pack and supporting documentation with the online application form, addressing all the assessment criteria.
- We assess and submit your grant application to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
- We notify you of the outcome.
Assessment criteria
You must address all the following assessment criteria in your application:
- which FATES priority area/s relate to your application
- which MM classification/s apply to your application
- which National Medical Workforce Strategy (NMWS) priority/s areas relate to your application.
Only eligible applications that meet the specified criteria move to the selection process.
Selection process
Your application will be assessed on its merits and against other applications, based on:
- how well it meets the criteria
- if it provides value and is cost effective
- if there is any duplication of activities between other applications or existing Commonwealth and State programs or initiatives
- the distribution of activities across geographic locations (MM 2-7 and regionally)
- scalability or sustainability of projects to be transferred across to other colleges and implemented.
Reporting
You must submit reports in line with the grant agreement.
Your progress reports must:
- include evidence of your progress towards completion of agreed activities and outcomes
- show the total eligible expenditure incurred to date
- include evidence of expenditure
- be submitted by the report due date (you can submit reports ahead of time if you have completed relevant activities).
The amount of detail you provide in your reports should be relative to the size, complexity and total grant amount approved for the project.
We provide detailed updates to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing on the progress of all approved FATES projects through a Performance Report when required.
We may occasionally request additional project updates to support relevant reporting and internal updates.
Apply
Applications for FATES funding are currently closed. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing is yet to announce the future application round dates.
Current FATES projects
The following projects received funding through round 4 for the 2024 academic year.
RACP FATES round 4 - project 1
Project title
WA Rural Paediatric Training Pathway
Project summary
The Rural Paediatric Training Pathway will systematically and collaboratively enhance paediatric training opportunities in rural Western Australia by addressing barriers to rural paediatric training access and creating a defined and secure pathway for paediatric trainees wanting to pursue rural practice. The current training system requires trainees to be metropolitan-employed. While it provides short-term mandatory rural placements these have been shown to have little influence on a specialist pursuing a rural career upon achieving Fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP). Approval of this project to scope a Rural Paediatric Training Pathway is the first step in enabling rural doctors to stay connected to country creating attractive rural pathways and ultimately addressing the health care disparity between rural and metropolitan based patients by improving specialist case access closer to home.
Location
Western Australia (MM 2,3,6)
Funding amount
$1,059,493.00
Evaluation report
-
RACP FATES round 4 - project 2
Project title
Diabetes Alliance Program Plus (DAP), Supporting General Medicine and Endocrinology Specialist Trainees to Improve Diabetes and Endocrinology Care
Project summary
Diabetes Alliance Program Plus (DAP) is an established, highly successful hub-and-spoke clinical and teaching model aimed at building capability in diabetes and endocrinology care. First Nations people have been involved in its co-design and implementation. This FATES project will overcome geographic and social barriers to specialist training in regional, rural, and remote areas through innovative and flexible solutions. General Medicine and Endocrinology advanced trainees will be supported by a large metropolitan teaching hospital and medical research institutes, whilst providing virtual and face-to-face care in regional, rural, and remote areas. Flexible training of General Medicine and Endocrinology specialists will include outreach and inreach services, virtual telehealth clinics, face-to-face case conference clinics, mobile medical bus (Medibus), community and health care worker focused educational and networking events, and on-demand telephone and written advice provision.
Location
New South Wales (MM 1-7)
Funding amount
$1,244,442.10
Evaluation report
-
RACP FATES round 4 - project 3
Project title
Remote and Aboriginal Cancer Care - Putting training at the Centre
Project summary
Alice Springs Hospital provides cancer services to Central Australia and to a large variety of remote Aboriginal communities. It provides a unique opportunity to develop training in remote and indigenous cancer care. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians is implementing a competency based training program which includes generic competencies such as acute and chronic care. This project extends these competencies by developing a competency framework for remote cancer care, with associated knowledge guides and a mentoring and support program for remote trainees. the Project will be developed through a collaboration between Alice Springs Hospital, the South Australian Oncology training network and remote communities. Training will be implemented through a named remote oncology training fellowship and learnings disseminated through a Capstone conference.
Location
Northern Territory (MM 6)
Funding amount
$737,335.00
Evaluation report
-
RACP FATES round 4 – project 4
Project title
Workforce Mapping and Accreditation Renewal to inform and influence specialist General Medicine work force distribution to regional, remote and rural settings
Project summary
The provision of specialist General Medicine services is a critical component of health service delivery throughout Australia. This project will have four objectives:
- Map and describe accredited General and Acute Care Medicine (GACM) specialist training positions and trainees in Australia.
- Map and describe the specialist General Physician/General Medicine workforce in Australia.
- Lead the consultation and revision of the GACM Advanced Training (AT) accreditation standards alongside the RACP to align with the curriculum renewal and recommendations of the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman Accreditation review, particularly pertaining to the alignment and role of site accreditation with workforce reform priorities.
- Establish a community of practice drawing together stakeholders currently contributing to activities seeking to positively influence specialist Generalist training in Australia and particularly to the Modified Monash 2019 M2-M7 locations.
Location
Australia (MM 1-7)
Funding amount
$996,039.68
Evaluation report
-
The following projects received funding through round 2 for the 2022 academic year.
RACP FATES round 2 - project 1
Project title
Rural Physician Training Pathway
Project summary
Project will develop the Rural Physician Training Pathway which will promote rural training for adult basic physician and advanced physician trainees in WA through a feasibility study.
Location
Western Australia
Funding amount
$641,218.00
Evaluation report
Evaluation report (PDF)
RACP FATES round 2 - project 2
Project title
Rural and Remote Institute of Palliative Medicine (RRIPM)
Project summary
Project will establish the RRIPM to develop a training network for rural and remote palliative medicine training to provide a shared network and pathway to support their training and work in these settings.
Location
National
Funding amount
$508,713.00
Evaluation report
-
RACP FATES round 2 - project 3
Project title
Resources to Support the Culturally Safe Supervision of Specialist Medical Colleges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Trainees
Project summary
This project will develop a suite of resources targeted at Specialist Medical College supervisors of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander trainees to support culturally safe supervision.
Project resources will utilise a range of media and information delivery to support culturally safe supervision.
Location
National
Funding amount
$319,000.00
Evaluation report
Evaluation report (PDF)
Projects in consortium with RACP
Specialist Medical College
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
Project title
Rural Training Models
Project summary
Consortium with ANZCA, RACMA, RACP, and RANZCO. Project will research and design rural training models that shall support quality specialist medical training in regional, rural, and remote Australia, reduce barriers to practice rurally, improve maldistribution and provide culturally safe training experiences.
Location
Northern Territory
Funding amount
$2,347,816.00
You can find other projects funded through FATES on the department’s website.