RMIT Centre for African Engagement (CAE) PhD Scholarships – Point-of-Care Bilimeter for Neonatal Jaundice Management in African Healthcare Settings

RMIT Centre for African Engagement (CAE) PhD Scholarships – Point-of-Care Bilimeter for Neonatal Jaundice Management in African Healthcare Settings

The CAE scholarships are funded by RMIT University to support Africans who want to conduct PhD research that contributes to the development of the African continent and/or issues relating to Africans in the diaspora.

These scholarships are open to citizens of any African country who want to pursue a PhD at RMIT. The scholarships are highly competitive and are awarded based on academic excellence and research potential to Africans.

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The scholarships provide tuition fees for a period of 3.5 years and a stipend of $35,886 per annum (2025 rate indexed annually).

One (1).

To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, applicants must:

  • meet the minimum requirements for admission to a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program at RMIT.
  • be a citizen of an African country.

Details are available on the How to apply page.

13/12/2025

Scholarship applications must include evidence of contact with the proposed senior supervisor. Please contact Dr. Arman Ahnood (arman.ahnood@rmit.edu.au) submit the following documents:

  • A brief overview of your motivation and suitability for this PhD project.
  • A detailed CV including academic achievements and research experience.
  • Academic certificates and transcripts.

Applicants that can demonstrate evidence of contact with the proposed senior supervisor can submit an application via the How to Apply page. Application deadline is 14 December 2025.

This scholarship will support the project titled: "Point-of-Care Bilimeter for Neonatal Jaundice Management in African Healthcare Settings".

Application deadline is 14 December 2025. To apply, please contact Dr. Arman Ahnood (arman.ahnood@rmit.edu.au).

A summary of the project is below:

Neonatal jaundice is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in low-resource settings due to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Early detection of elevated bilirubin levels is critical for timely intervention, yet access to reliable, affordable, and user-friendly diagnostic tools remains limited in many African healthcare systems. This project builds on an existing bilirubin measurement device developed at RMIT and clinically tested in Melbourne.

The next phase aims to:

  1. Refine the device for usability and manufacturability in low-resource settings, through collaboration with an industry design team.
  2. Evaluate its clinical utility, feasibility, and health economic impact within African healthcare contexts, starting with field validation in Rwanda.
  3. Implement strategies to strengthen community-based screening, improve integration with maternal and child health services, and ensure sustainable implementation through structured rollout frameworks.
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