SWIRLS member Luke Cantley, a Research Associate in the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, has recently been honoured with triple scholarship success.
Last week, Luke was awarded this year’s Neville Fazulla Aboriginal Health Scholarship. The Scholarship was established in recognition of the contribution Neville Fazulla made to Aboriginal health, both within South Australia and nationally. Luke, who has family connections to the Gunditjmara nation of Victoria, was fortunate to have worked alongside Neville and see firsthand the work he carried out, along with the message he promoted of health equity for all First Nations Peoples.
This year saw the highest number or applicants nationally for the scholarship and was the most competitive cohort the foundation has reviewed so far. Luke is extremely proud to receive this scholarship and believes this opportunity will assist him greatly to complete his Bachelor of Social Work and continue striving for equitable outcomes for First Nations Peoples.
Earlier this year, Luke was also awarded an SA Health scholarship within the Aboriginal Health Scholarship Program. The Department for Health and Wellbeing offers an Aboriginal Health Scholarship Program in partnership with Australian Rotary Health. The program aims to increase the number of professionally qualified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working within health.
Luke holds a strong passion for health equity and is engaged in a research project that seeks to understand Aboriginal health consumers experience of utilising social work services within hospital systems.
Finally, Luke received a scholarship from the Strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research Translation Training Program from the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). This program has connected a cohort of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners and researchers who have skills in translating findings of their research into practical actions in clinical care or health policy.
Luke says this award will help build his capacity in knowledge translation with community members and decision makers, and also provides ongoing connections with other First Nations researchers and practitioners across the country.