Built Environment and Health Scholarship

NHMRC CRE in Healthy Liveable Communities

Scholarship Description

Research suggests that where people live affects their health. There is an urgent need to understand how the built environment affects people’s behaviours such as diet and physical activity and their risk of chronic diseases including heart disease and diabetes. This scholarship offers an exciting opportunity for an outstanding graduate to study the role of the built environment in health by linking the health and behavioural data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study with spatial data measuring the built environment.

The PhD scholar will be supervised by leading scholars in the field internationally, and would part of a large, Australia-wide, interdisciplinary Centre conducting research on the links between the built environment and health – NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) in Healthy Liveable Communities. The Centre includes PhD students, early and mid-career researchers and senior academics and offers a unique of opportunity for the successful applicant to learn from a broad range of experts and to participate in training offered as part of the CRE. Although located at the University of Melbourne, this scholarship will be co-supervised by Dr Takemi Sugiyama from the University of South Australia and the successful applicant would be expected to spend some time each year in Adelaide.

Eligibility Criteria

  • A four-year Bachelor or Masters Degree in relevant field which includes a substantial research component equivalent to at least 25% of one year of full-time study and a minimum weighted average of 75% or a qualification and professional experience considered to be equivalent
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience in statistical analysis
  • Ability to work both independently and part of a multidisciplinary team
  • Well-developed written and verbal communication/including presentation skills
  • Citizen or permanent resident of Australia or New Zealand
  • (Preferred) knowledge and skills in population health
  • (Preferred) Experience and skills in operating Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Location

Academic Centre for Health Equity

Melbourne School of Population and Global Health

University of Melbourne

Availability

This scholarship is offered once only to one person.

Payment Information

The value of this scholarship is AUD25451 (per annum). This award is to be used for living expenses and miscellaneous purposes. This scholarship is paid fortnightly for the period of 3 years.

Application Details

If interested, please email Professor Anne Kavanagh (details below) and include a copy of your Curriculum Vitae and brief outline of your research interests and experience.

Students must meet entry requirements of the University.

Applicants are encouraged to apply for an APA as well as the Built Environment and Health Scholarship (http://research.mdhs.unimelb.edu.au/apas ).

Deadline:

31st October 2014

Main Contact:

Professor Anne Kavanagh Academic Centre for Health Equity

Melbourne School of Population and Global Health

University of Melbourne

Phone: 03 8344 0717

Email: a.kavanagh@unimelb.edu.au