Phd Scholarship, Disability And Inequality

Location: Parkville
Role type: Full time; Fixed-term for up to 3.5 years
Faculty: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
Department/School: Melbourne Disability Institute, Melbourne School of Population & Global Health
Salary: PhD Stipend $31,200 p.a. (Subject to change by the Australian Government)

The University of Melbourne would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campuses are situated, the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung Peoples, the Yorta Yorta Nation, the Dja Dja Wurrang People. We acknowledge that the land on which we meet and learn was the place of age-old ceremonies, of celebration, initiation and renewal, and that the local Aboriginal Peoples have had and continue to have a unique role in the life of these lands.

About – Melbourne Disability Institute and the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health

The Melbourne Disability Institute is focused on developing much needed evidence, data and research to address the complex challenges faced by people with disability in Australia and around the world. We facilitate collaborative, interdisciplinary research to build the evidence base to inform disability policy, programs and practice and to advance opportunity and equity for people with disability.

The MSPGH was established in 2001 as the first school of its kind in Australia with a vision to make a difference in the population and public health sphere - building on the substantial assets of our University to advance public health in communities nationally and internationally - with a strong focus on Indigenous peoples. Since its inception, the School has grown rapidly in size, scope and reputation and has consistently attracted leading academics and researchers who bring considerable skills, insights, and expertise. We continue to attract increasing levels of competitive funding from governments and from a range of renowned philanthropic organisations and individuals.

About the Role

We are now looking for a PhD student to join our team of researchers. The student will help build the evidence base to inform disability and health policy and practice reform. The project is examining if and how participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme experience inequality and what could be done to address it as well as ways improve health outcomes for people with disability. You will be joining a team that works intensively with a wide range of stakeholders including other researchers, people with disability and their families, government partners and community organisations. We are looking for a quantitative researcher who is passionate about research with real work impact. Your project will be supervised by Dr George Disney, Disability and Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health.

The successful candidate will make use of newly linked administrative and health datasets to quantify specific health inequalities for people with disability, and design analyses that help us understand how these inequalities could be closed.

The project would suit someone with a quantitative research background (such as epidemiology, biostatistics or social statistics) who is keen to learn and apply advanced quantitative methods. Within the scope of the project details outlined above, the PhD project will be designed to match the interests of the preferred candidate.

This PhD scholarship is provided by the Melbourne Disability Institute. The scholarship is an Australian Research Training Program  (RTP) scholarship. Funding provided is $31,200 per annum for full time students (2020 pro-rata rate), and is available for 3.5 years. There is some flexibility regarding the PhD commencement, but the student must commence before December 2022.

About You

You will possess a strong ability to work effectively with team members and other students within a diverse working environment. You will bring your highly developed oral and written communication skills and be highly motivated, self-disciplined, and able to work independently, with clear goals that lead to high-quality outcomes.

You will also:

• Meet the entry requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy – Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
• An Honours or Masters degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, or related discipline
• A strong commitment to reducing inequality
• Well-developed quantitative analysis skills
• Ability to use statistical software packages (e.g., Stata, R) for data management and analysis

People with disability or lived experience are strongly encouraged to apply.

About the University

The University of Melbourne is consistently ranked amongst the leading universities in the world. We are proud of our people, our commitment to research and teaching excellence, and our global engagement.

Benefits of Working with Us

In addition to having the opportunity to grow and be challenged, and to be part of a vibrant campus life, our people enjoy a range of rewarding benefits:

• Flexible working arrangements, generous personal, parental and cultural leave
• Competitive remuneration, 17% super, salary packaging and leave loading
• Free and subsidised health and wellbeing services, and access to fitness and cultural clubs
• Discounts on a wide range of products and services including Myki cards and Qantas Club
• Career development opportunities and 25% off graduate courses for staff and their immediate families

To find out more, visit https://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/staff-benefits.

Be Yourself

We value the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and encourage and celebrate diversity. First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, females, people of all ages, with disabilities and culturally and linguistically diverse people are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the community in which we live.

Join Us!

If you feel this role is right for you, please submit your application including a brief cover letter, your resume and your responses against the selection criteria^ (found in the Position Description) for the role.

^For information to help you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria and competencies, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/selection-criteria

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require any reasonable adjustments with the recruitment process, please contact  us at hr-talent@unimelb.edu.au.

The University of Melbourne is required to comply with applicable health guidance and directions issued from the Victorian Health Minister. All University of Melbourne employees are to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless an exemption order applies. Applicants must meet this requirement when submitting an application.

Position Description: 0056556_PhD Scholarship - Disability and Inequality_PD.pdf

Applications close: 9TH SEPTEMBER 2022 11:55 PM AUS Eastern Standard Time