PhD Scholarship in the Population Health SRC
Optimising Health Literacy to improve public health across Victorian communities
Closing date: 8 May 2013
A prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) PhD scholarship is now available for a suitable candidate to undertake exciting and innovative full-time doctoral research at Deakin University (Burwood campus).
The research project
The project provides opportunities for the advancement of health literacy - the ability to seek, understand and use health information - within an ARC-funded linkage project. While regarded as a determinant of health and health inequalities, the measurement of health literacy has been poor and there have been few attempts to develop systematic ways to improve how organisations respond to people with low health literacy. This project will take a fresh approach to health literacy to understand vulnerable members of our community and to develop supports and interventions to enable services to reduce health inequalities. Across eight Victorian organisations a new approach to health literacy is being developed that involves consultations with consumers, practitioners and managers, and advances intervention development and implementation.
The research environment
The project is led by Professors Richard Osborne (Deakin) and Rachelle Buchbinder (Monash University), and Dr Alison Beauchamp (Deakin University). The candidate will be based academically within the vibrant and innovative research culture of the Public Health Innovation Unit, Population Health Strategic Research Centre, Deakin University. The project team are recognised as international leaders in health literacy and patient education. The team is interdisciplinary, focused on excellence in intervention development and implementation science, and committed to making positive contributions in the community. In partnership with a wide range of stakeholders the team has generated a variety of innovations and tools used both nationally and internationally.
The PhD Scholar
The awardee is expected to use quantitative and/or qualitative methodologies to advance the science of developing and testing new public health interventions at both the individual level and at the service level. Potential research areas for the awardee include the development and use of new approaches to health literacy to inform policy and practice and to improve equity of access, health outcomes and reduce social inequalities in health. A realist synthesis approach may also be considered, based on an extensive program of interviews and data collection across contexts.
Eligibility
- Applicants must meet Deakin's PhD entry requirements and must hold an Honours degree (First Class) or a Master’s degree in a related field with a substantial research component (or equivalent).
- Applicants must be Australian or New Zealand citizens or Australian permanent residents.
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Candidates with clinical (e.g. occupational therapy, medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, psychology, social work) and other discipline backgrounds (e.g. public health, health promotion, health services research, program evaluation) are strongly encouraged to apply.
Funding
The scholarship stipend rate is $29,844 per annum (2013 rate) for 3 years.
How to apply
Please read the terms and conditions (131 KB) of the award for more details.
To apply, please submit an online application.
For further information
Please contact Dr Alison Beauchamp ( Ph. +61 3 92446517 or email alison.beauchamp@deakin.edu.au), Professor Richard Osborne, Chair of Public Health, Population Health Strategic Research Centre (Ph. +61 3 924 46999 or email richard.osborne@deakin.edu.au) or Professor Rachelle Buchbinder, Director, Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Hospital (Ph. +61 3 95094445 or email rachelle.buchbinder@monash.edu).
