PhD scholarship in neighbourhoods that support the health of people with disability

PhD scholarship in neighbourhoods that support the health of people with disability

This PhD scholarship will investigate how Australian neighbourhoods relate to the health and wellbeing of people with disability to directly inform urban policy and practice.

This PhD scholarship is funded as part of a NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence. It seeks to understand the types of neighbourhoods that support health and wellbeing for Australians with disability.

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The successful candidate will receive a full-time stipend of $35,888 per annum. Additionally, there will be no tuition fees for the duration of the PhD program.

College of Design and Social Context – School of Global, Urban and Social Studies.

Open now

2026-01-01

1 (one)

This scholarship is open to domestic students (Australian citizens or permanent residents) and the applicant must be living in Australia upon commencement of the PhD.

Additionally, applicants must:

  • Meet RMIT’s entry requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy, as outlined under Admissions here 
  • Have first-class honours or equivalent in a relevant discipline (e.g. social sciences, public health, urban design, epidemiology, environmental science, planning, geographic information systems) 
  • Have a strong background in quantitative research and methods, including handling large datasets 
  • Have a sound understanding of statistics and experience using statistical software will be essential

Desired: 

  • Excellent communication skills
  • Demonstrated capacity to work independently and as part of a team 
  • Those with disability or lived experience of disability are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please email the following to Professor Hannah Badland at hannah.badland@rmit.edu.au:

  • CV outlining qualifications, relevant industry/research experience, publications and referees
  • Copy of academic transcript/s
  • Copies of up to three (3) relevant research papers/reports/theses

This project aims to identify which neighbourhood features support health and wellbeing for people with disability.The project expects to advance innovation by combining high-quality health and built environment data to generate knowledge shaping Australian disability policy and urban planning.

Expected outcomes of the project include new insights for how urban neighbourhoods can enable people with disability to thrive and a suite of end-user indicator tools to monitor their progress. Expected benefits include improved policy options and tools for government and advocates to plan and deliver more equitable neighbourhoods, and ultimately better participation, inclusion, and wellbeing for people with disability.

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Acknowledgement of Country

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