This grant program supports building allied health capacity to deliver assistive technology solutions for people with traumatic brain injury in rural NSW through training, linkages and networking across eight regional locations.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: $1,548,720
- Application opened: 17 May 2023
- Application closed: 21 June 2024, 5:00 pm
Program objective
The Assistive Technology Rural Access Project (AT-wRAP) aims to improve access to assistive technology (AT) solutions for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) living in rural NSW, particularly those who are ageing with their injury.
The project addresses significant barriers that prevent rural populations from accessing AT solutions that could enhance their independence, community participation and quality of life.
Primary Objectives
- Training Development: Enhance allied health clinician capacity through developing and delivering online resources, face-to-face training workshops, AT clinics with clients, and technology showcase events. The training uses the Human Activity Assistive Technology model and leverages existing icare investments including My Technology Space resources.
- Linkages Development: Build sustainable relationships between people with TBI, allied health clinicians, and both local and metropolitan AT suppliers. This addresses the isolation and limited supplier access that rural clinicians face when trying to source appropriate AT solutions for their clients.
- Network Development: Establish the Brain Injury Rural Assistive Technology Network across eight regional locations, creating a sustainable community of practice for ongoing peer support, knowledge sharing and problem-solving among rural clinicians.
- Participant Outcomes: Improve functional independence, community participation and quality of life for people with TBI in rural areas through better AT service delivery and access to individualised AT solutions.
- First Nations Insights: Conduct a culturally appropriate AT access pilot exploring AT needs for Aboriginal people with TBI in rural communities, informing future service delivery approaches.
- Implementation and Sustainability: Test the feasibility of a hub and spoke model using the Brain Injury Assistive Technology Hub as the central expertise centre, connected to eight rural service locations. The project includes health economic analysis to determine if the capacity-building approach can break even on costs compared to establishing dedicated rural AT services.
This program is funded and administered by icare.
Eligibility
The project will train 80 allied health clinicians and students, deliver 40 individualised AT packages to people with TBI (with half targeting those over 40 years), and conduct 16 technology showcases across the regions.
By building on existing rural rehabilitation services rather than creating new infrastructure, the model aims to be more feasible and sustainable in resource-constrained rural settings.
AT-wRAP addresses the gap where people with TBI face cognitive challenges in attention, memory and executive function that can be effectively supported by electronic AT solutions, but rural clinicians lack the knowledge, supplier connections and peer networks needed to deliver these wrap-around supports effectively.
The project's success will be measured through increased clinician confidence and skills in AT service delivery, stronger networks between stakeholders, improved preliminary participant outcomes, and evidence of whether the hub and spoke model represents a viable approach for scaling to additional rural locations across NSW.
Who can apply
Research institutions, universities, and not-for-profit organisations with:
- Demonstrated understanding of the complex needs of those with traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury
- Demonstrated understanding of the target cohort/industry and/or proposed approach to building an understanding
- Relevant expertise and capability in assistive technology and rehabilitation
- A history of delivery of assistive or rehabilitation service innovations, including commercialisation and market delivery
- Influence and credibility in the relevant sector/discipline and/or history of successful industry engagement
- Operational capacity to manage the project (including capacity to be the lead partner in a consortia if applicable)
- Ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships
Types of projects funded under this grant
- Capacity building initiatives to improve assistive technology access for people with traumatic brain injury in rural NSW
- Training and professional development for allied health clinicians in AT service delivery
- Network development and stakeholder linkage activities between clinicians, suppliers, and people with TBI
- Implementation and evaluation of hub and spoke service delivery models
Most recent recipients
What was approved
Approved for University of Sydney
$1,548,720 was approved by
icare NSW evaluation panelDate approved
August 2024Location of the project
RegionalLocation of the recipient
SydneyAbout the grant
Applications approved
1
Applications received
2
The Assistive Technology-Rural Access Project (AT-wRAP)
Agency funding this grant
icareProgram term
3 yearsWhat your application needs to include
You can download the full grant EOI and statement of requirements:
Address the eligibility criteria
Applicants were required to demonstrate their eligibility through their EOI and subsequent RFP responses by providing:
- Evidence of expertise -Examples of previous work in assistive technology, traumatic brain injury rehabilitation, or spinal cord injury support
- Demonstration of understanding - Clear articulation of the complex needs of people with TBI/SCI and the challenges they face
- Track record of delivery - Case studies or examples of successfully delivered rehabilitation service innovations, including any commercialisation experience
- Industry connections - Evidence of influence, credibility and successful engagement within the assistive technology or rehabilitation sectors
- Organisational capacity - Details of team expertise, project management capabilities, and ability to lead consortium arrangements if applicable
- Stakeholder management experience -Examples of successfully managing complex relationships across multiple organisations and sectors
- Implementation approach - Clear methodology for project delivery, risk management, and sustainability planning
Applicants needed to show that they had the required expertise and how they would apply it to address the specific challenges of improving assistive technology access in rural NSW for people with traumatic brain injury.
Address the assessment criteria
- Project alignment with requirements (18%) - Strong understanding of requirements and ability to improve integration and utilisation of assistive technologies, including adapting for ageing participants
- Project feasibility (18%) - Addresses potential institutional, environmental, and regulatory challenges with practical solutions
- Project implementation (18%) - Comprehensive implementation plan with governance structures and risk mitigation strategies
- Uptake of services/products (18%) - Specific methods to engage users and prescribers to increase adoption rates
- Sustainability (23%) - Clear strategy for long-term sustainability post-funding
- Value for money (5%) - Pricing considerations and overall value proposition
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: icare NSW evaluation panel with representatives from Innovation & Partnerships (Strategy & Customer) and the Service Innovation & Excellence Team (Lifetime Schemes), with final approval by icare's Group Executive Team.
Both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.
Support and contact
Service Innovation & Excellence Team
Email: sieteam@icare.nsw.gov.au
Program evaluation
The AT-wRAP project is being independently evaluated by Human Capital Alliance over the 3-year implementation period to assess the feasibility of the hub and spoke model and document early outcomes.
The evaluation examines implementation quality, training outcomes for allied health clinicians, network development across rural locations, and preliminary participant outcomes for people with traumatic brain injury.
Using a mixed-methods approach including surveys, interviews, social network analysis, and management audits, the evaluation will determine whether the model should be scaled to a larger efficacy trial.
Annual reports and a final evaluation report will assess the viability of expanding this approach to additional rural locations across NSW.