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Student Award

Awarded for: 
Self-development, training, research, improving local services
Award Amount: 
Maximum £1,000
Eligibility: 
Student midwife on a UK NMC pre-registration course or a midwife returning to practice on an NMC RtP course
Next Application Round: 
1 Dec 20241 Feb 2025
Next Awards Announced: 
May 2024

2024 Applications are now closed

The Iolanthe Student Awards help pre-registration midwifery students with the costs of attending study days, taking up elective placements or for projects to improve local services. Awards are also available for midwives who are returning to practice to help cover the costs involved.

About the Iolanthe Student Awards

  • Awarded annually
  • Worth up to £1000
  • For pre-registration midwifery students
  • Also open to Return to Practice midwives
  • Black and Brown student midwives can apply for a Dora Opoku Student Award at the same time

Is your project eligible?

  • Elective placements.
  • Courses to gain skills or knowledge.
  • Travel and attendance at study days or conferences.
  • Small research project or to ideas to improve local maternity services.

​​Travel and location of award work: 

The Iolanthe Midwifery Trust is once again funding projects involving international travel. However applicants should be aware of the following stipulations:

  • Priority will be given to projects taking place in the four nations of the UK; student midwives are encouraged to seek elective placements in a part of the UK that presents a contrast to (or builds upon) their prior experience, for example in urban areas, rural areas or within specific communities.

  • We do not fund placements with commercial/for-profit travel organisations such as ‘Work the World’.

  • For more detail about what Trustees would be looking for in applications involving overseas travel, please download the Application Guidance above.

See What do we fund? for more information

Applications are made online. Please read the Application Guidance (link above or see our general video guidance) and our Privacy Policy carefully before applying.

Read about how previous student winners benefited from their Awards

2024

Mira Waligora, Vice President of the University of the West of Scotland's Student Midwife Society, whose Iolanthe application will enable her to offer a "How to Work With Interpreters" study day to all her fellow midwifery students. Mira has also received the 2024 Mary Cronk Award

2023

Emma Frazerof Kingston University, whose award will support her to attend a homebirth placement in rural Cornwall.

Kayty RichardsPresident of the Midwifery Society at the University of Derby, whose award will enable the Society to offer a Power of Compassionate Care course free to students, with some extra places for local midwives. 

Keira Georgeson, who will use their award to help fund the University of South Wales Midwifery Society to host the 2023 All Wales Student Midwife Conference. 

Magdalena Bremnerwhose award will fund a Breech Birth Study Day for her colleagues at the University of the West of Scotland. Magdalena has also been given the 2023 Mary Cronk Award

Rachel Grace Symon, Vice President of the Midwifery Society at Robert Gordon University, will use her funding to attend a British Sign Language course at the University of Glasgow, in order to better support Deaf birthing families.

2022

Sarah Oliverwhose award will assist her to complete her Return to Practice course at the University of Greenwich, in advance of taking up a community midwifery post.

Sophie Raynerwhose award will fund free antenatal classes for women and birthing people in Leicestershire, to be run by midwifery students and lecturers at the University of Leicester.

Rebecca Gates, with fellow project co-ordinator Bethany Aytonwill use her Award to enable the Bangor University Student Midwife Society to organise "Biomechanics for Birth" training for 20 of their midwifery degree collleagues. Rebecca also won the Mary Cronk Award 

Enitan Taiwo a student at the University of Greenwich, whose award will support the expansion of her podcast, The Birth Booth, which aims particularly to support Black and ethnic minority women.

Chibuzo Ukachukwu,  who will use her funding to assist with her placement and travel costs as she completes the final year of her BSc Midwifery at City University of London.

Mia Hewittwho studies at Edinburgh Napier University. She will study a Physiological Breech Birth course online, then complete a placement with Consultant Midwife and breech birth specialist Emma Spillane.

Chelsea Beckford-Procyk, a student at the University of Bedfordshire, who will attend a "Breastfeeding London" course.

Phoebe Paredes, studying at Queen's University, Belfast, will co-create a two day "Cultural Competency in Antenatal Settings" workshop with the Sheffield Maternity Cooperative, for local midwives to attend online.

Deepa Santhosh, from Oxford Brookes University, who will research students' experiences using the techniques from the "Biomechanics for Birth" course to support physiology.

Lisa Rollinson, whose award will enable the De Montfort University Midwifery Society to host the workshop "Anti-racism in the birth world: Checking yourself first" for students on her degree.