About the project

In order for technology to be useful, it needs to be user-friendly and acceptable to stakeholder end users. The end goal of this research is to understand current digital literacy levels and related training needs of ageing health workforces and then co-develop and prototype tailored solutions, ready for future roll-out.

There is a global shortage of health workers. Digital health technologies have been identified as a potentially effective means to help address this gap. This project is a unique opportunity to conduct research and receive industry-relevant training to be well placed for future employment in the fast-growing digital health sector.

Please note that the successful candidate will be enrolled at Federation University.

Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) Optimal Ageing and Federation University

The successful candidate will be part of the Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) for Optimal Ageing. The Centre is led by Monash University in collaboration with Federation University, and our industry partners; Flourish Australia, WellAware, the City of Ballarat and the Latrobe Health Assembly. The PhD student will work with an expert team of researchers in the fields of digital health and ageing, working closely with our industry partners to solve key issues to promote optimal ageing. There will be considerable opportunity for Federation enrolled students to interact with Monash enrolled students and Monash staff through our joint PhD training program. The student will spend up to 48 weeks across our four industry partners, thereby gaining invaluable industry experience. In addition, the student will receive support from the Centre-based Research Scientist (i.e., Senior Software Engineer) and Research Assistant (e.g., assist in coding and programming work of training and wellbeing digital tools, assist with developing content and facilitating workshops).

Federation University Australia is renowned for its student-centered approach, offering a supportive and inclusive learning environment. It consistently ranks highly for graduate employability, ensuring students are well-prepared for the workforce. The university boasts strong industry connections, providing practical, hands-on experience through internships and partnerships. Federation University’s commitment to research excellence and regional development contributes positively to the broader community, making it a respected institution in the Australian higher education landscape.

Supervisory team

We have a large supervisory team and following successful application, the student will be allocated supervisors appropriate for the project. The Two Chief Investigators managing the project are Professor Britt Klein and Professor Colette Browning.

Professor Britt Klein

Professor Britt Klein is internationally recognised for her digital mental health work. Britt has been awarded or co-awarded over $40 million of funding as Chief or Co-Investigator and has published extensively in the mental health and digital health areas. Britt has a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology, is an APHRA registered psychologist with clinical endorsement, sits on a number of digital health expert advisory committees and has worked in community health anxiety, mood, alcohol and other drug settings, as well as aged care.

Britt leads the FedUni Health Innovation and Transformation Centre’s Digital Health and Models of Care research stream.

See Professor Britt Klein’s profile page for more information.

Professor Colette Browning

Professor Colette Browning is a recognised leader in psychology and health. Colette holds Honorary Professorships at Peking University and the Australian National University and is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society. Colette 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. She has over 260 publications and has held research grants to the value of $20 million.

Colette leads the FedUni Health Innovation and Transformation Centre’s Population Health research stream.

See Professor Colette Browning’s profile page for more information.

Stipend

The successful applicant will receive a tax-free stipend of $35,013 per annum, which is indexed annually. The funding will be for 3 years, with an option to apply for a six-month extension for unforeseen or exceptional circumstances. Up to $5,000 per annum will be available for travel, accommodation, recruitment expenses, publication fees.

Scholarship criteria

This opportunity is open to Australian/NZ Citizens and Permanent Residents only. Internationally based applications are not being considered at this time.

• The student is expected to commit to full-time study for the duration of their candidature.
• The scholarship is for a period of three years with the option to apply for one 6-month extension for unforeseen or expectational circumstances.
• The successful applicant must study on campus for part of the time at the Mt Helen, Berwick or Gippsland campuses.
• The successful scholarship applicant must participate in industry-based placements (both onsite and electronically) for up to 48 weeks across our four industry partners.
• The successful scholarship applicant must formally assign, in advance, all rights, title and interest they may have in any IP developed to the University prior to commencing the project.

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.

How to apply

Applicants who do not complete all steps will not be considered.

Step 1: Follow the application process outlined at: How to apply

Step 2: Provide a copy of your CV and a 300-word statement covering the following areas:

• Discuss your motivations for applying for this PhD scholarship, and your intended research outcomes (both for yourself and for the project)
• Discuss some of the key existing research literature which impacts this topic area
• Discuss your relevant research background, experience and outcomes as they are relevant to the project
• Discuss your plan/proposal to run the project along with the required resources
• Discuss potential challenges and how you might overcome them

Applications will close when the position is filled. All applicants will be reviewed but will only be contacted if short-listed for the position.

For further information

For further details, please contact:

Professor Britt Klein b.klein@federation.edu.au

Professor Colette Browning c.browning@federation.edu.au

SOURCE: FIND A PhD