Industry and project-specific scholarships

Federation University is pleased to partner with the Manna Institute to offer a PhD scholarship to explore the mental health needs of Regional Australians.

This three-year PhD Scholarship is identified for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidate.

The successful candidate will join the Manna Institute in engaging in research projects under the following thematic areas of importance to regional mental health.

Scholarship details

Stipend: $33,000 per annum
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship: $26,400 per annum
Funding length: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Mt Helen
Program Code: HH0 - Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology)

Eligibility

Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website.

Applications will be accepted from Australian residents and permanent residents only. Additionally, selection will also depend on the applicant’s ability to meet the following desired criteria:

*           Enrol full-time however candidates can be on campus or remote from the campus.

*           Able and willing to work in a research team environment.

*           Integrate and contribute to the research team.

*           Work or research experience in regional, remote, and rural locations in Australia

Applicants should review the Manna Institute website before submitting an application.

Application closing date: Applications open until position filled

How to apply: Applicants must submit the Manna Institute Application form along with submitting their HDR Candidature application

Commencement date: To be confirmed once appointed

Research project outline

Project title: Regional Mental Health

Candidates must develop a project that aligns with one of four Manna Institute Research Collaboratives, described below:

Research collaborative 1 – existing and emerging mental health workforce.  Projects in this collaborative will focus on ways to support current workforce needs in regional Australia to strengthen future awareness of how to attract and retain workers. At the core of this research collaborative is inclusivity, through collaboration with both the professional and peer workforces across community health, allied health and policy and service delivery staff.

Research collaborative 2 - Individuals’ health and wellbeing. Projects in this collaborative will focus on the psycho-social-behavioural factors that impact individual health and well-being in regional and rural Australia across their lifespan.

Research collaborative 4 - The impact of changing environmental conditions on mental health. The natural world has an enormous impact on mental health and wellbeing. Opportunities to interact with nature can reduce mental illness and facilitate optimum mental wellbeing. Projects in this collaborative will focus those that consider direct and indirect impacts of the changing climate on rural, regional, and remote communities.

For further information (including supervision advice) please contact:

Associate Professor Dixie Statham - Federation University
Email: d.statham@federation.edu.au

or Professor Myfanwy Maple - Manna Institute Director
Email: mmaple2@une.edu.au

Supervisors, Associate and Co-Supervisors

Supervisors will be sourced through both Federation University and the Manna Institute. Bios of potential supervisors are listed on the Manna Institute website.

Federation University is pleased to partner with Silverchain, a large national aged care provider, with a strong focus on mental health and wellbeing, to offer an industry co-funded PhD scholarship in “Addressing Loneliness Among In-home Aged Care Clients”.

The PhD student will work with an expert team of researchers and the project will be co-supervised by researchers at Silverchain, and embedded into the organisation, to ensure solutions are feasible for implementation.

Scholarship details

Stipend: $ 35,000 per annum
Top-Up: $ 10,000 per annum
Project support: $3000 per annum for three years
Conference support: $ 2,000
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship / Tuition Fee Scholarship: $ 32,040 per annum
Funding length: 3.5 years
Location: Mt Helen and Berwick

Eligibility

Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.

• Students are expected to commit to full-time study for the duration of their candidature.
• Scholarships are for a period of three- and one-half years and extension to scholarships will not be granted.
• Successful scholarship applicants must study on campus or on location with the industry partner.
• Successful scholarship applicants must participate in an internship period.
• Successful scholarship applicants must complete and agree to a Student Deed Poll.

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.

Applications will be accepted from Australian residents, permanent residents, and international applicants.

Prior to submitting an application Applicants should contact Professor Colette Browning c.browning@federation.edu.au.

Application closing date: 25 January 2025

How to apply: Applicants must submit their application with all necessary documents by completing the HDR Candidature application

Commencement date: End February 2025

Research project details

Older people in the community commonly experience loneliness, as well as mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety. There has been a rapid growth in the number of Australians who receive aged care funding to enable them to remain living independently at home. Many of these older people are living with multiple medical conditions, as well as functional and cognitive decline. Their complex needs and social isolation mean this population is at a high risk of loneliness. While there is increasing awareness of the problem of loneliness in general, the specific needs of the in-home aged care population have received little attention from researchers and policy makers to date.

This project will address the significant gap in knowledge about loneliness among older people who receive aged care at home through a series of studies. The overall aim of the project will be to find innovative solutions to improve the quality of life of older Australians that can be implemented widely across the aged care system.

Industry Partner and Student Host: This industry PhD will be based jointly at Federation University and Silverchain – one of Australia’s largest in-home aged care providers. Silverchain is a not-for-profit organisation, which provides health and aged care services to more than 140,000 clients in their own homes each year. Silverchain invests directly in research and innovation, with findings from research rapidly translated to improved care outcomes. The PhD candidate will be embedded into an existing research program focusing on innovative approaches to improve the mental health and wellbeing of older people receiving care at home.

For more information about Silverchain, refer to the website: Silverchain - The best care, home delivered.

Supervisors:

Principal Supervisor: Distinguished Professor Colette Browning is a recognised leader in psychology and health, having held leadership positions within the academy and Australian and international health systems. Colette holds an Honorary Professorships at Peking University and is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society. She 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. Colette has over 275 publications and has held research grants to the value of $30 million and is ranked in the top 0.1% globally of all psychology researchers.

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

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

Associate and Co-Supervisors: Adjunct Professor Tanya Davison, Dr Marissa Dickins

Adjunct Professor Tanya Davison is Director, Research Discovery at Silverchain, and holds an honorary appointment at Federation University. Tanya is a clinical psychologist with a long track record in aged mental health research. She has a particular interest in designing interventions for the aged care sector to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of older adults. Tanya has over 125 publications and has received over $11 million to support her research.

Dr Marissa Dickins is Senior Research Fellow at Silverchain, and holds an honorary appointment at Federation University. Marissa has expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and a strong interest in the mental health of older adults. Marissa has worked embedded within in-home aged care providers for the last 9 years, and has extensive experience designing and implementing interventions in this context. Marissa has over 35 publications and has received over $3 million to support her research.

Federation University is pleased to partner with St John of God Berwick Hospital to offer PhD scholarships for nurses, midwives and other allied healthcare professionals who have an interest in conducting research relevant to their field.

Scholarship details

Stipend: $40,000 per annum
Project support: between $6,000-$ 9,000 depending on project
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship / Tuition Fee Scholarship: up to $26,800 per annum
Funding length: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Berwick, Victoria
Program Code: NU0 - Doctor of Philosophy (Nursing)

Eligibility

Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.

Applicants must be an Australian resident or permanent resident.

Preference will be given to applicants with a registered nursing or midwifery background.

Applicants should contact Associate Professor Mimmie Watts Phone: 03 5327 9750 or email: mc.watts@federation.edu.au prior to submitting an application.

Application closing date:  Open until scholarship is filled

Previous applicants do not need to apply again.

How to apply: Applicants must submit their application with all necessary documents by completing the HDR Candidature application form.

Commencement date: as soon as possible

Research Fields:

• Midwifery & Maternity Care
• Workforce Models of Care
• Digital and Mental Health Care
• Public Health and Allied Health Care

Federation University is pleased to partner with OZTRON Energy to offer a PhD scholarship in power electronics and renewable energy.

Scholarship details

Stipend: $35,000 per annum
Top-Up: $10,000 per annum for 3 years
Project support: will be provided during project period if necessary  
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship: $ 26,800 per annum
Funding length: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Mt Helen, Ballarat
Internship: the opportunity to undertake a 3-month internship in industry
Program Code: GU0 - Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering)

Eligibility

Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.

Applicants should have power electronics background and relevant experience in circuit design, converter control, testing, etc.

Applications will be accepted from Australian Citizens, Permanent Residents and International Students.

Applicants should contact Associate Professor Jiefeng Hu via email: j.hu@federation.edu.au prior to submitting an application.

Application closing date: Open until position filled

How to apply: Applicants must submit their application with all necessary documents by completing the HDR Candidature application

Commencement date: as soon as possible

Research project details

Project title: Development of intelligent power inverters for microgrids

With increasing penetration level of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as renewable energy and battery storage, the power grid is undergoing a major transformation and facing new challenges in terms of power quality and grid stability. This project aims to develop new power electronic inverters to facilitate grid integration of DERs into the local electrical network.

Industry Partner and Student Host: OZTRON Energy

Supervisors:

Principal Supervisor:

Associate Professor Jiefeng Hu

Associate and External Supervisors:

Prof. Syed Islam

Prof. Nima Amjady

Prof. Saad Mekhilef (external)

Dr. Binayak Banerjee (external)

Federation University is pleased to partner with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy to offer this MSc scholarship in shorebird ecology.

Scholarship details

Stipend: $ 38,000 p.a.
Project support: up to$10,000
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship / Tuition Fee Scholarship: Up  to $30,240 per annum to cover the cost of tuition fees (domestic applicants only)
Funding length: 1.5 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Mt Helen, Ballarat

Eligibility

Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a MSc. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.

Applicants must be an Australian resident or permanent resident.

Applicants should contact Dr Birgita Hansen prior to submitting an application.

Application closing date: Open until filled

How to apply: Applicants must submit their application via: Apply - Higher Degrees by Research

Commencement date: 1 June 2025

Research project outline

Ecology of Latham’s Snipe in central Tasmania

The Tasmanian Land Conservancy is custodian is significant environmental land assets in Tasmania, for the purpose of biodiversity conservation. One of these properties, “Silver Plains”, which is located in the central plateau, supports a nationally significant population of Latham’s Snipe. This species was recently uplisted to Vulnerable under Commonwealth legislation in recognition of threats to the species from habitat loss. The wetlands on Silver Plains therefore provide critical habitat to support the species during its non-breeding season in southern Australia.

This Masters project will investigate the characteristics of Latham’s Snipe habitat, patterns of daily and seasonal habitat use, and relationships with other natural assets (priority fauna and flora) at Silver Plains. This information will help guide future wetland restoration and management on the property and in other parts of the species Tasmanian range.

The project will address the following research questions:

• What is the distribution and abundance of snipe across Silver Plains?
• Are there both daytime roosting and night time foraging habitats on Silver Plains?
• What are the structural and floristic characteristics of wetlands used by snipe?
• Do these wetlands support other priority species including rare or threatened fauna and flora species?

This proposed research program aligns with key priorities for TLC including building ecological and restoration ecology knowledge of natural assets, and developing a structured monitoring plan for the Silver Plains site that integrates threatened waterbird species monitoring with vegetation and carbon monitoring, with wetlands as the focal point. It will therefore include an internship of up to 3 months with TLC, in order to assist the organisation to advance is conservation goals.

This project will require both desktop work and field work at Silver Plains (over the spring-summer season). We are seeking a suitably motivated and experienced person to fill this MSc role. Ideally, the successful applicant will have a passion and interest in ecology and conservation, preferably with some experience working on waterbirds and migratory shorebirds. Experience with ecological statistics as well as R / Python and GIS are desirable.

Industry Partner and Student Host: Tasmanian Land Conservancy

Supervisors: Dr Birgita Hansen

Principal Supervisor: Dr Birgita Hansen

Link to PS bio https://www.cerdi.edu.au/cb_pages/birgita_hansen.php

Associate and Co-Supervisors:

Dr Grant Palmer, Dr David Hamilton (TLC)

Link to bio/s

Grant Palmer: https://federation.edu.au/research/find-an-expert/grant-palmer

David Hamiton: https://tasland.org.au/about-the-tlc/tlc-staff/ and https://discover.utas.edu.au/D.G.Hamilton

Federation University is pleased to partner with Sikh Volunteers Australia Inc. to offer a PhD scholarship in the business discipline.

Scholarship details

Stipend: $35,000 tax free per annum for three years (paid fortnightly)
Project support: $9,000 
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship / Tuition Fee Scholarship: $24,780 per annum
Funding length: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Mt Helen/Ararat
Internship: TBA
Program Code: BU0 - Doctor of Philosophy (Business)

Eligibility

Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.

Candidates must have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in social sciences, business, or a related discipline. Equivalent experience working in a relevant industry can also be considered.

Applications will be accepted from Australian residents and permanent residents.

Applicants should contact Prof Harpinder Sandhu prior to submitting an application.

Application closing date: Open until filled

How to apply: Applicants must submit their application with all necessary documents by completing the HDR Candidature application

Commencement date: TBA

Research project details

Project title: Enhancing social capital in community by examining dynamics of voluntarism: implications for practice and policy in Australia

Well-established scientific literature shows that volunteer organisations are embedded and entrenched in the community. For example, the country women’s association, volunteers for the country fire authority (CFA), soup kitchens and many more are grassroots volunteer organisations run by local volunteers who are part of these communities. Similarly, there are immigrant volunteer groups who help other immigrants in a newly settled country. In these cases, local people often reach out to new immigrants through voluntarism efforts, if required.

However, there are few examples in the literature of immigrant communities starting volunteer organisations to help the wider community in their new country of choice. Such a phenomenon, its dynamics, structure, etc., are less studied in the literature.

This PhD study aims to examine this novel phenomenon: a voluntary group formed mainly of new immigrants to Australia, known as the Sikh Volunteers Australia, is helping the wider community in Victoria and other parts of the country in times of disaster and need.

The project will examine this phenomenon and contribute to the social capital theory. It will help improve the practice and contribute to the national and local policy to integrate migrants into diverse and multicultural aspects of Australia.

Industry Partner and Student Host: Sikh Volunteers Australia is a nonprofit volunteer organisation focusing on reducing distress in the community by providing free food and help during disasters to disadvantaged families. SVA is based and informed by the Sikh philosophy and promotes secularism and social equality in the community. The project will likely address the gaps or barriers between immigrants and the local community.

Supervisors:

Principal Supervisor: Prof Harpinder Sandhu

Associate and Co-Supervisors: Dr Jasvinder Sidhu

Federation University is pleased to partner with Ararat Rural City Council to offer a PhD scholarship in Archives Management and Heritage Records.

Scholarship details

Stipend: $38,000 tax free, per annum (paid fortnightly).
Top-Up (if applicable): $2000 tax free, per annum (paid fortnightly).
Project support: $2000 per annum and Collections access to cultural and records repositories throughout the Ararat Rural City footprint. Option of onboarding and lower cost accommodation in Ararat for successful candidate if required.
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship / Tuition Fee Scholarship: $22,680
Funding length: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Federation University Ararat Jobs & Technology Precinct, Laby Street, Ararat.
Internship: A $12,000 Industry internship based at the Ararat Rural City Council archives and records unit. Internship will be embedded throughout the first two years of the candidature. The schedule of tasks will be determined through co-design with the Ararat Rural City Council, the Future Regions Research Centre and the successful candidate.

Eligibility

Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.

Requirements: Experience in regional Victorian archival records and government records management. Honours or Honours equivalence in history, heritage or archival records management specialisations.

Applications will be accepted from Australian residents and permanent residents (change if relevant).

Applicants should contact Professor Keir Reeves, Future Regions Research Centre director via email k.reeves@federation.edu.au prior to submitting an application.

Application closing date: 20th December 2024

How to apply: Instructions on how to apply and what will be required can be found here. Applicants must submit their application with all necessary documents by completing the HDR Candidature application.

Commencement date: 28 February 2025

Research project details

Project title: Ararat Rural City Council Archives Management and Heritage Records PhD Project

Grounded in archives management and historical records the Ararat Rural City Archives Management and Heritage PhD project will design and implementation of an electronic document and records management system (EDRMS) with appropriate digital file storage tree that allows connection between the record and the correct retention and disposal authority. It will also regionally implement the Victorian Electronic Records Strategy (PROV) at a local government level with all stakeholders organisations to ensuring the correct creation, capture and preservation of authentic, complete and meaningful digital records by the Victorian public sector, along with the conversion of legacy archives to digital formats. This will include further developing procedures for the assessment and classification of archival records within a local government context to provide historical context within the broader community and understanding of the development of the region.

Industry Partner and Student Host: Ararat Rural City Council

Supervisors:

Principal Supervisor: Professor Keir Reeves

Professor of History and Heritage & Director, Future Regions Research Centre, Federation University Australia. Email k.reeves@federation.edu.au for all enquiries.

Associate and Co-Supervisors:

Ms Melanie Roberts, Organisational Transformation Lead, Ararat Rural City Council.

Dr Anne Beggs-Sunter, Federation University Australia.

Associate Professor David Waldron, Federation University Australia.

Dr Matthew Thorley, Federation University Australia.

Federation University is pleased to offer two PhD scholarships in power and energy engineering through a prestigious Australia Research Council (ARC) funded project.

Scholarship details

Stipend: $32,212 AUD tax free per annum (paid fortnightly)
Project support: $3,000 per annum
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship / Tuition Fee Scholarship: $30,240 per annum
Funding length: Position #1: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted), Position #2: 3.5 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Mt Helen, Ballarat

Eligibility

Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.

Applications will be accepted from Australian residents, permanent residents, and international students.

Applicants should contact Professor Jiefeng Hu via email: j.hu@federation.edu.au prior to submitting an application.

Application closing date: Open until filled

How to apply: Applicants must submit their application with all necessary documents by completing the HDR Candidature application

Commencement date: As soon as possible

Research project details

Project title: Control and optimization of Community Microgrids

This project aims to develop advanced control and optimization strategies for energy management in microgrids with distributed renewable energy sources, electric vehicles, energy storage, etc. This is your chance to be at the forefront of innovation, working on cutting-edge technologies in electrical engineering with world-renowned experts.

Supervisors:

Principal Supervisor: Prof. Jiefeng Hu

Associate and Co-Supervisors: Prof. Syed Islam

Federation University is pleased to partner with MKPro Engineering Pty Ltd to offer a PhD scholarship in Lipoprotein Atherosclerosis Project

Scholarship details

Stipend: $35,000 tax free per annum for three years (paid fortnightly)
Top-Up: $10,000 tax free per annum for three years (paid fortnightly)
Total Stipend: $45,000 tax free per annum for three years (paid fortnightly)
Project support: $ 9000
RTP Fee-offset Scholarship: $30,240 per annum
Funding length: 3 years (only, no extensions permitted)
Location: Mt Helen
Internship: MKPro Engineering Pty Ltd
Program Code: SU0 - Doctor of Philosophy (Science)

Eligibility

Scholarship applicants must be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.

Applications will be accepted from Australian residents, permanent residents and international applicants.

Applicants should contact Fadi Charchar prior to submitting an application.

Application closing date: 15 December 2024

How to apply: Applicants must submit their application with all necessary documents by completing the HDR Candidature application

Commencement date: 2025

Research project details

Project title: Co-op Scholarship Program - Lipoprotein Atherosclerosis Project

Lipoprotein Atherosclerosis Project—preventing and desorbing endothelia plaque and deposit build up from endothelial cells.

Industry Partner and Student Host: MKPro Engineering Pty Ltd

Supervisors:

Principal Supervisor:

Fadi Charchar - Director of HITC, Federation University

Associate and Co-Supervisors:

Yutang Wang - Senior Lecturer, Biomedical Science, Federation University

Michael Akindeju – Associate Professor of IISS, Federation University