HDR Scholarship - Policy implementation for e-cigarettes

In recent years, there has been a decrease in cigarette smoking in Australia, while the use of novel tobacco products such as e-cigarettes has continued to rise. There is growing evidence linking the marketing and use of e-cigarettes to nicotine addiction, tobacco use and a range of other public health harms. Recent developments suggest that Australia’s existing regulatory controls that govern the marketing and use of e-cigarettes may not be providing adequate protection to the Australian community, particularly children and youth.

An increase in e-cigarette marketing and use may undermine tobacco control success by establishing new cohorts with nicotine dependence, re-normalising smoking, encouraging dual use of tobacco and e-cigarettes, and discouraging quitting. Policy and regulatory decisions on e-cigarettes should aim to minimise the proliferation of e-cigarette marketing and use, particularly among young people, while maximising the impact of effective tobacco control measures. Policy and regulation for e-cigarettes should aim to protect public health gains in relation to smoking prevalence as well as smoke-free culture, including smoke-free areas and other measures that have contributed to the continued de-normalisation of smoking in Australia.

An opportunity exists for a PhD candidate to explore issues related to policy implementation for novel tobacco products including e-cigarettes. The successful candidate will be situated within the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE), a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention. GLOBE includes a large team of researchers working to improve population health in Australia and globally. As a leader in preventive health and nutrition research, our methods are drawn from multiple disciplines, including public health, nutrition and dietetics, epidemiology, political science, health economics, systems science and implementation science.

Applications  will remain open until a candidate has been appointed

This scholarship is available over 3 years.

• Stipend of $33,500 per annum tax exempt (2023 rate)
• Relocation allowance of $500-1500 (for single to family) for students moving from interstate
• International students only:  Tuition fees offset for the duration of 4 years. Single Overseas Student Health Cover policy for the duration of the student visa.

To be eligible you must:

• be a domestic or international candidate. Domestic includes candidates with Australian Citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency or New Zealand Citizenship.
• meet Deakin's PhD entry requirements
• be enrolling full time and hold an honours degree (first class) or an equivalent standard master's degree with a substantial research component.

Please refer to the research degree entry pathways page for further information.

Additional desirable criteria include:

• Relevant degrees may include but are not restricted to; psychology,  teaching, dietetics, nursing, physiotherapy, sports science, medicine or other allied health.
• Excellent organisational, time management, written and verbal communication skills;
• The ability to work both independently and in a team environment;
• Demonstrated ability to write reports or peer-reviewed manuscripts
• Commitment to Indigenous health