Funding:
Professional Development
For a worksite/group
What is this funding?
This funding incentive supports group-based professional development for employees represented by United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) at rural and remote worksites. Funding covers the cost of professional development opportunities for groups of employees either in house or off site.
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APPLICATIONS OPEN APRIL 1, 2026​​
Applications are open on a rolling basis through March 2028, or while funds remain available.
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Funding Available: Up to $10,000 per professional development program.
What can be funded?
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Instructor and facilitator fees
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Travel and accommodation (mileage, meals) for staff attending off-site training
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Venue and space rental
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Materials and supplies
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Food and beverages
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Other related costs
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​Note: Base salary costs are not eligible.
Leave of absence (LOA)
​Employees represented by UNA on a leave of absence remain eligible to apply for any RCIF funding stream.
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Applications must be submitted in accordance with the eligibility criteria for the relevant funding stream
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Funding will be released upon the employee’s return to their former eligible position, or as approved by the RCIF committee
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For funding streams with a Return for Service Agreement, the RFS start date begins the day the employee returns to work
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All Return for Service Agreements must begin no later than March 1, 2028
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LOA absences of 30 or more calendar days will extend the RFS end date by the corresponding number of calendar days
Eligibility
​Applicants must complete the eligibility screening before proceeding to the application, only those who meet the eligibility requirements will be directed to the full application.
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Applications may be submitted by either a manager or union representative
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Applications that are submitted jointly by a manager and UNA union representative at the worksite will be prioritized
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Individual submissions (manager or union rep alone) will be considered, but applicants will be asked to explain why a joint submission was not submitted
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Contact information for both the manager and UNA representative
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Provision of a functional cost centre is required (Managers should reach out to their local BAS representatives, and they would provide them with their functional cost centre. Employees should reach out to their managers)
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Confirm the worksite health zone
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Confirm that the project is at a rural or remote worksite in Alberta. Urban centres are not eligible at this time (see Rural/Remote/Urban Table)
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The recipient must agree to sign an Initiative Agreement
What do you need to apply?
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Worksite information (location, address, and department)
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A description of the professional development program, including start and end dates and number of employees represented by UNA involved
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Other employees not represented by UNA (e.g., LPNs) may be included where team size, minimum instructor numbers, or a team-building rationale applies — applicants must explain their inclusion
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Impact Statement: Applications must clearly describe how the proposal will have a meaningful impact on nursing recruitment and retention at the worksite
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A complete budget with costs
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Confirmation that no other funding source is funding the same expenses requested from RCIF. Where additional project funding exists, please disclose and explain
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Agreement to comply with all RCIF reporting requirements and participate in an online survey
How to apply?
​Applications are submitted through the Good Grants portal. To get started, click the link below. You will be asked to register with the email address you want to use for your application. A verification code will be sent to that email to complete your registration.