Marathon Health supported Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE) HDR Scholarship

Closing Date: 01 January 2018 Apply Now

PhD Scholarship

The project focuses on understanding the impact of the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone on the local health service system through the Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE) program.

University of Newcastle Australia

The Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) is approximately 20,000 square kilometres located in central NSW and centred on Dubbo and Dunedoo. Large scale solar and wind electricity as well as energy storage projects are planned over the coming decade.

As these renewable energy projects progress, the Central-West Orana REZ will attract thousands of workers. The population will increase significantly with professional and technical workers moving into the area and will also include hundreds of temporary workers. This will present both opportunities and challenges for the health service system in these regional communities.

Marathon Health is a not-for-profit organisation that develops and delivers a broad range of innovative health and wellbeing services for people living in regional NSW, including communities in the Central-West Orana REZ. Marathon Health and the Institute for Regional Futures at the University of Newcastle are working together to understand the health and wellbeing needs of people living in the REZ, to inform health service planning and delivery within these communities.

This partnership provides an excellent opportunity to support high quality research through Industry linked TRaCE PhD projects. These PhD projects will investigate the health and wellbeing needs of REZ workers and their families as well as other residents within the REZ communities and establish the impact for health services in addressing those needs.

With a broad range of factors influencing the impact of the REZ on the local health systems, PhD projects may be approached from a range of relevant perspectives. This may include epidemiological, health economics, health policy, anthropology/sociology, commercial or social determinants of health research. Research findings will contribute important knowledge that informs health policy and planning the development and delivery of health and wellbeing services in the REZ communities.

This scholarship will provide opportunities for HDR candidates to gain experience working with Marathon Health in our local communities while undertaking their studies at the University of Newcastle through its Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE) program.

PhD Scholarship details

Funding: 2026 based stipend of $38,938 per annum (indexed annually) plus a $10,000 per annum stipend top-up. Scholarships also include up to $1,500 relocation allowance. Students can also access up-to $10,000 through TRaCE for Professional Development. For a PhD candidate, the living allowance and tuition fee scholarship are for 3.5 years. For an MPhil candidate, the living allowance and tuition fee scholarships are for 1.75 years. The scholarship will be offered to the successful candidate subject to the grant/funding being fully established.

Supervisor: Kate Senior

Available to: Domestic students

Either PhD or MPhil

Eligibility Criteria

The applicant will need to meet the minimum eligibility criteria for admission.

Eligible students may have the opportunity to undertake up to sixteen hours part-time work between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday with Marathon Health, subject to the Higher Degree by Research Scholarship Policy.

Application Procedure

Interested applicants should send an email expressing their interest along with scanned copies of their academic transcripts, CV, a brief statement of their research interests and a proposal that specifically links them to the research project.

Please send the email expressing interest to Kate.Senior@newcastle.edu.au by 5pm on 01 January 2018.

Applications Close 01 January 2018 Apply Now


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