Industry and project-specific scholarships
The Graduate Research School is pleased to present a number of co-funded industry scholarships.
Federation University is pleased to partner with the Manna Institute to offer a PhD scholarship to explore the mental health needs of Regional Australians.
This three-year PhD Scholarship is identified for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidate.
The successful candidate will join the Manna Institute in engaging in research projects under the following thematic areas of importance to regional mental health.
Scholarship details
Stipend: $33,000 per annum
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship: $26,400 per annum
Funding length: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Mt Helen
Program Code: HH0 - Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology)
Eligibility
Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website.
Applications will be accepted from Australian residents and permanent residents only. Additionally, selection will also depend on the applicant’s ability to meet the following desired criteria:
* Enrol full-time however candidates can be on campus or remote from the campus.
* Able and willing to work in a research team environment.
* Integrate and contribute to the research team.
* Work or research experience in regional, remote, and rural locations in Australia
Applicants should review the Manna Institute website before submitting an application.
Application closing date: Applications open until position filled
How to apply: Applicants must submit the Manna Institute Application form along with submitting their HDR Candidature application
Commencement date: To be confirmed once appointed
Research project outline
Project title: Regional Mental Health
Candidates must develop a project that aligns with one of four Manna Institute Research Collaboratives, described below:
Research collaborative 1 – existing and emerging mental health workforce. Projects in this collaborative will focus on ways to support current workforce needs in regional Australia to strengthen future awareness of how to attract and retain workers. At the core of this research collaborative is inclusivity, through collaboration with both the professional and peer workforces across community health, allied health and policy and service delivery staff.
Research collaborative 2 - Individuals’ health and wellbeing. Projects in this collaborative will focus on the psycho-social-behavioural factors that impact individual health and well-being in regional and rural Australia across their lifespan.
Research collaborative 4 - The impact of changing environmental conditions on mental health. The natural world has an enormous impact on mental health and wellbeing. Opportunities to interact with nature can reduce mental illness and facilitate optimum mental wellbeing. Projects in this collaborative will focus those that consider direct and indirect impacts of the changing climate on rural, regional, and remote communities.
For further information (including supervision advice) please contact:
Associate Professor Dixie Statham - Federation University
Email: d.statham@federation.edu.au
or Professor Myfanwy Maple - Manna Institute Director
Email: mmaple2@une.edu.au
Supervisors, Associate and Co-Supervisors
Supervisors will be sourced through both Federation University and the Manna Institute. Bios of potential supervisors are listed on the Manna Institute website.
Federation University is pleased to partner with Silverchain, a large national aged care provider, with a strong focus on mental health and wellbeing, to offer an industry co-funded PhD scholarship in “Addressing Loneliness Among In-home Aged Care Clients”.
The PhD student will work with an expert team of researchers and the project will be co-supervised by researchers at Silverchain, and embedded into the organisation, to ensure solutions are feasible for implementation.
Scholarship details
Stipend: $ 35,000 per annum
Top-Up: $ 10,000 per annum
Project support: $3000 per annum for three years
Conference support: $ 2,000
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship / Tuition Fee Scholarship: $ 32,040 per annum
Funding length: 3.5 years
Location: Mt Helen and Berwick
Eligibility
Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.
- Students are expected to commit to full-time study for the duration of their candidature.
- Scholarships are for a period of three- and one-half years and extension to scholarships will not be granted.
- Successful scholarship applicants must study on campus or on location with the industry partner.
- Successful scholarship applicants must participate in an internship period.
- Successful scholarship applicants must complete and agree to a Student Deed Poll.
View the general conditions for Federation University HDR scholarships on the Graduate Research School website. Where these conditions differ to those on this form, the conditions outlined for this specific scholarship take precedence.
Applications will be accepted from Australian residents, permanent residents, and international applicants.
Prior to submitting an application Applicants should contact Professor Colette Browning c.browning@federation.edu.au.
Application closing date: 25 January 2025
How to apply: Applicants must submit their application with all necessary documents by completing the HDR Candidature application
Commencement date: End February 2025
Research project details
Older people in the community commonly experience loneliness, as well as mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety. There has been a rapid growth in the number of Australians who receive aged care funding to enable them to remain living independently at home. Many of these older people are living with multiple medical conditions, as well as functional and cognitive decline. Their complex needs and social isolation mean this population is at a high risk of loneliness. While there is increasing awareness of the problem of loneliness in general, the specific needs of the in-home aged care population have received little attention from researchers and policy makers to date.
This project will address the significant gap in knowledge about loneliness among older people who receive aged care at home through a series of studies. The overall aim of the project will be to find innovative solutions to improve the quality of life of older Australians that can be implemented widely across the aged care system.
Industry Partner and Student Host: This industry PhD will be based jointly at Federation University and Silverchain – one of Australia’s largest in-home aged care providers. Silverchain is a not-for-profit organisation, which provides health and aged care services to more than 140,000 clients in their own homes each year. Silverchain invests directly in research and innovation, with findings from research rapidly translated to improved care outcomes. The PhD candidate will be embedded into an existing research program focusing on innovative approaches to improve the mental health and wellbeing of older people receiving care at home.
For more information about Silverchain, refer to the website: Silverchain - The best care, home delivered.
Supervisors:
Principal Supervisor: Distinguished Professor Colette Browning is a recognised leader in psychology and health, having held leadership positions within the academy and Australian and international health systems. Colette holds an Honorary Professorships at Peking University and is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society. She has international research and policy expertise in ageing, primary care, behaviour change and implementation research. Her research focuses on healthy ageing, chronic disease management, mental health and consumer involvement in health care decision-making. Colette has over 275 publications and has held research grants to the value of $30 million and is ranked in the top 0.1% globally of all psychology researchers.
Colette leads the FedUni Health Innovation and Transformation Centre’s Population Health research stream.
See Professor Colette Browning’s profile page for more information.
Associate and Co-Supervisors: Adjunct Professor Tanya Davison, Dr Marissa Dickins
Adjunct Professor Tanya Davison is Director, Research Discovery at Silverchain, and holds an honorary appointment at Federation University. Tanya is a clinical psychologist with a long track record in aged mental health research. She has a particular interest in designing interventions for the aged care sector to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of older adults. Tanya has over 125 publications and has received over $11 million to support her research.
Dr Marissa Dickins is Senior Research Fellow at Silverchain, and holds an honorary appointment at Federation University. Marissa has expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and a strong interest in the mental health of older adults. Marissa has worked embedded within in-home aged care providers for the last 9 years, and has extensive experience designing and implementing interventions in this context. Marissa has over 35 publications and has received over $3 million to support her research.
Federation University is pleased to partner with St John of God Berwick Hospital to offer PhD scholarships for nurses, midwives and other allied healthcare professionals who have an interest in conducting research relevant to their field.
Scholarship details
Stipend: $40,000 per annum
Project support: between $6,000-$ 9,000 depending on project
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship / Tuition Fee Scholarship: up to $26,800 per annum
Funding length: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Berwick, Victoria
Program Code: NU0 - Doctor of Philosophy (Nursing)
Eligibility
Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.
Applicants must be an Australian resident or permanent resident.
Preference will be given to applicants with a registered nursing or midwifery background.
Applicants should contact Associate Professor Mimmie Watts Phone: 03 5327 9750 or email: mc.watts@federation.edu.au prior to submitting an application.
Application closing date: Open until scholarship is filled
Previous applicants do not need to apply again.
How to apply: Applicants must submit their application with all necessary documents by completing the HDR Candidature application form.
Commencement date: as soon as possible
Research Fields:
- Midwifery & Maternity Care
- Workforce Models of Care
- Digital and Mental Health Care
- Public Health and Allied Health Care
Federation University is pleased to partner with OZTRON Energy to offer a PhD scholarship in power electronics and renewable energy.
Scholarship details
Stipend: $35,000 per annum
Top-Up: $10,000 per annum for 3 years
Project support: will be provided during project period if necessary
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship: $ 26,800 per annum
Funding length: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Mt Helen, Ballarat
Internship: the opportunity to undertake a 3-month internship in industry
Program Code: GU0 - Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering)
Eligibility
Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.
Applicants should have power electronics background and relevant experience in circuit design, converter control, testing, etc.
Applications will be accepted from Australian Citizens, Permanent Residents and International Students.
Applicants should contact Associate Professor Jiefeng Hu via email: j.hu@federation.edu.au prior to submitting an application.
Application closing date: Open until position filled
How to apply: Applicants must submit their application with all necessary documents by completing the HDR Candidature application
Commencement date: as soon as possible
Research project details
Project title: Development of intelligent power inverters for microgrids
With increasing penetration level of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as renewable energy and battery storage, the power grid is undergoing a major transformation and facing new challenges in terms of power quality and grid stability. This project aims to develop new power electronic inverters to facilitate grid integration of DERs into the local electrical network.
Industry Partner and Student Host: OZTRON Energy
Supervisors:
Principal Supervisor:
Associate Professor Jiefeng Hu
Associate and External Supervisors:
Prof. Saad Mekhilef (external)
Dr. Binayak Banerjee (external)
Scholarship details
Stipend: $38,000 tax free, per annum (paid fortnightly)
Top-Up (if applicable): $10,000 tax free, per annum (paid fortnightly)
Total Stipend: $48,000 tax free, per annum (paid fortnightly)
Project support: $3,000 per annum
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship: $30,240 per annum
Funding length: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Mt Helen
Internship: Opportunity for an embedded internship with Industry Partner
Eligibility
Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.
Applications will be accepted from Australian residents and permanent residents.
Applicants should contact Dr. Heather Neilly (email h.neilly@federation.edu.au) prior to submitting an application.
Application closing date: 13th of December 2024
How to apply: Applicants must submit their application with all necessary documents by completing the HDR Candidature application
Commencement date: Early 2025
Research project details
Project title: Mallee ecosystem engineers driving ecological restoration under a changing climate
About the project:
Soil disturbance by animals is considered a significant ecological process that affects both abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem. Much of the research on Australian arid zone ecosystem engineers has focused on the digging and burrowing activities of mammals, however many of these species are locally extinct or absent in arid systems. Extant ecosystem engineers that inhabit semi-arid Eucalyptus mallee woodlands like malleefowl, sand goannas and echidnas, disturb soil, creating novel, high productivity microsites. Their activities generate unique soil chemistry and microbial communities, alter the vegetation community, and provide habitat for other fauna. The impacts of ecosystem engineering by mallee fauna may play a key role in restoring degraded mallee woodlands. It is likely that relative impacts differ across the mallee woodland geographic range (and associated rainfall gradient) and will be affected by shifting rainfall distributions under climate change.
This project is part of an ARC Industry Fellowship; a partnership between Federation University, several conservation NGOs, government agencies and the First Nations People of the River Murray Mallee who collectively manage and conserve over 1 million ha of Eucalyptus mallee woodland at the SA/NSW/VIC border as part of the ‘Living Landscapes’ initiative . This project offers a fully funded PhD Scholarship at Federation University and the opportunity to complete an embedded internship with an industry partner ($38k/year + $10k top-up). An internship fosters the development of valuable industry skills and allows the student to build a broad industry network for future employment. This research project will be developed with input from industry partners ensuring the outcomes have real world impact and inform on ground management decisions.
Benefits to you:
- Generous stipend ($48,000 per annum total) and support for project costs.
- Training and experience in an industry setting with associated network building for future employment.
- Contribute to the restoration of the Eucalyptus mallee woodland, a beautiful, diverse and resilient community.
- Be part of a multidisciplinary research group within the Future Regions Research Centre, with support for professional development.
- Fieldwork in stunning and remote locations across several states.
About you:
- Excellent academic record (First Class Honours or equivalent), in ecology, zoology, botany, soil science or a similar field.
- Proven experience collecting ecological field data, and the ability to analyse data using R and publish results in academic journals or industry reports.
- Ability to travel to regional and remote locations. Field work will require extensive travel to mallee woodland locations throughout Australia with a particular focus on sites in the SA/NSW Murray Mallee (Calperum Station and Nanya Research Station). The candidate will also be required to visit Federation University Mt Helen campus (Ballarat).
- Practical skills to operate independently in challenging field conditions (navigation, 4WD experience, awareness of safety protocols).
Please send your enquiries to Dr. Heather Neilly (h.neilly@federation.edu.au) for application instructions.
Industry Partner and Student Host: The internship will be with one of the project partners. This project is a partnership between conservation NGOs (Australian Landscape Trust, Birdlife Australia, Trees For Life), SA Dept Environment, NSW Parks and Wildlife, River Murray Mallee Aboriginal Corporation
Supervisors:
Principal Supervisor: Dr Heather Neilly
Heather is an ARC Industry Fellow, working in arid zone ecology and restoration. Heather has extensive experience working within and alongside the conservation industry and government to deliver research that informs land management decisions.
Associate and Co-Supervisors: Prof Singarayer Florentine
Florentine (Florry) is head of the Future Regions Research Centre (FRRC), and an experienced restoration ecologist, specialising in arid zone restoration, weed invasion and the interaction of fire, flooding and grazing. Florry has supervised a large number of PhD and Honours students and leads the research and land management activities at the Nanya Research Station.
Federation University and the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI) is pleased to partner with Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) to offer a PhD scholarship in Digital Agriculture.
Scholarship details
Stipend: $35,000 per annum
Project support: $10,000
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship / Tuition Fee Scholarship: Up to $30,240 per annum to cover the cost of tuition fees
Funding length: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Mt Helen, Ballarat
Program Code: SU0 - Doctor of Philosophy (Science)
Eligibility
Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.
Applications will be accepted from Australian residents, permanent residents and international applicants.
Applicants should contact Dr Benedikt Fest prior to submitting an application.
Application closing date: Open until filled
How to apply: Applicants must submit the HDR Candidature application form.
Research project outline
Project title: Soil health and carbon management levers for farming systems optimisation
The agricultural sector is trying to balance increasing production while addressing soil health, soil carbon sequestration and farm sustainability via changes in soil amendments and management practices. Actions focused on carbon sequestration and emissions reduction will be increasingly more important over time as global markets demand products that are either carbon neutral or demonstrate low emission intensity backed by verifiable standards. Actions focusing on soil health amelioration techniques and improvement need to factor in productivity while also meeting market expectations around sustainability. A wide range of potentially interacting factors influence soil health, profitability and other on-farms outcomes. Therefore, farmers will require better information to support decision-making on soil management activities aimed to improve soil health and soil carbon, and the linkages between these actions to help prioritisation of farm management and respond to shifting markets.
Other related elements:
- Soil health reporting and soil properties that are key indicators
- Soil carbon gap mapping (on-farm and regional) and relationships with on-farm management. Building the on-farm evidence to support carbon neutral claims
Research questions
What is driving variation in soil properties and constraints, and how does this relate to soil carbon and soil health management actions at multiple scales?
What (if any) are the management levers for optimising soil amendments for multiple outcomes (soil carbon, soil health, productivity)?
Where are the greatest sources of variability in soil properties and soil carbon at the farm scale, and how do these vary with climate, landscape and management practices?
Proposed structure of research
- Desktop based assessments (mapping and analyses) using existing data from industry partners other public and private sources of information.
- Field-based assessment to target key knowledge gaps identified in step 1, particularly in relation to (a) carbon gap mapping and (b) variability and benchmarking.
Supervision
Industry Partner and Student Host:
Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
Principal Supervisor:
Associate and Co-Supervisors:
Dr Birgita Hansen, Dr Nathan Robinson
Industry Supervisor: TBC
Federation University is pleased to partner with MKPro Engineering Pty Ltd to offer a PhD scholarship in Lipoprotein Atherosclerosis Project
Scholarship details
Stipend: $35,000 tax free per annum for three years (paid fortnightly)
Top-Up: $10,000 tax free per annum for three years (paid fortnightly)
Total Stipend: $45,000 tax free per annum for three years (paid fortnightly)
Project support: $ 9000
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship: $30,240 per annum
Funding length: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Mt Helen
Internship: MKPro Engineering Pty Ltd
Program Code: SU0 - Doctor of Philosophy (Science)
Eligibility
Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.
Applications will be accepted from Australian residents, permanent residents and international applicants.
Applicants should contact Fadi Charchar prior to submitting an application.
Application closing date: 15 December 2024
How to apply: Applicants must submit their application with all necessary documents by completing the HDR Candidature application
Commencement date: 2025
Research project details
Project title: Co-op Scholarship Program - Lipoprotein Atherosclerosis Project
Lipoprotein Atherosclerosis Project—preventing and desorbing endothelia plaque and deposit build up from endothelial cells.
Industry Partner and Student Host: MKPro Engineering Pty Ltd
Supervisors:
Principal Supervisor:
Fadi Charchar - Director of HITC, Federation University
Associate and Co-Supervisors:
Yutang Wang - Senior Lecturer, Biomedical Science, Federation University
Michael Akindeju – Associate Professor of IISS, Federation University
How to apply
Some industry scholarships have expression of interest forms that must be submitted along with your candidature application. Please ensure you read the scholarship information carefully and complete all steps.
Directions on how to apply are available at Apply - Higher Degrees by Research. Please include the name of the scholarship for which you are applying on the Admission Form. All applicants should check their eligibility prior to applying.
Applications should include all relevant supporting documentation and Federation University must receive completed referee report forms by the scholarship closing date. As part of their application, prospective Higher Degree by Research applicants are also required to provide:
- Transcripts of all tertiary level academic study
- Australian citizens must provide a copy of their birth certificate or passport
- Permanent Residents must provide a copy of their visa and passport
- List of published work with URL links and/or copy of each publication
- Copy of honours or masters thesis abstract
- Evidence for Australian honours equivalency, if applicable.
- Any awards or accolades
- Any other evidence of research performance
Federation University partners with local industry to provide research opportunities and regional innovation. If your company or organisation has a project suitable for research and wish to sponsor a higher degrees by research candidate then contact us at research.degrees@federation.edu.au.