inequalities - Project-specific PhD opportunity in the Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School
Job No: 667935
Location : Caulfield campus
Duration : 4.5-year fixed-term appointment
Employment type : Full-time
Remuneration : You will receive a generous scholarship covering all tuition fees and a tax-free stipend at current value of up to AU$50,291 per annum.
Start Date : July-August 2025
Additional financial support is available through research and teaching assistance work.
The Research Opportunity
This PhD research opportunity will focus on evaluating the impact of preventative health policies on current and future health inequalities.
Preventative health interventions can affect health inequality because baseline risks, and intervention uptake, effects and adherence vary across groups.
In the context of this PhD research opportunity, interventions of interest include, but are not limited to: screening programs, vaccination, life-style interventions, and preventative medication.
Analysis will utilise best practice in health inequalities measurement, modern econometric techniques, behavioural experiments, and modelling.
This research opportunity will produce policy-relevant, causal estimates of the effects of health preventative interventions on health inequalities.
Depending on the student's interest, potential projects may include:
Integrated PhD Program
As a candidate in the Centre for Health Economics (CHE) Integrated PhD Program, you will receive rigorous training in advanced health economics and related studies.
The Integrated Program starts with advanced coursework, research training and a minor thesis packaged into a Master of Commerce (MCom) degree. For a Health Economics specialisation, this stage begins in Year 2 of the MCom degree and takes one year to complete.
Provided you meet the agreed conditions, you will then progress to the PhD, which involves high quality research training and career development, culminating in a written thesis. The PhD stage will typically take three and a half years to complete.
Ideal candidate
This PhD research opportunity would suit someone with a strong quantitative background (e.g. econometrics, statistics), and an interest in applying their skills to research at the intersection of inequalities, health and policy evaluation.
Applicants should have a 4-year bachelor degree or 2-year master's degree in economics, econometrics or a related quantitative discipline, demonstrated research experience, and strong academic results.
For full information on scholarship eligibility, please click here.
For general information on applications and commencing a research degree at Monash, please click here.
Training, travel and supervision
The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Prof Dennis Petrie, Monash University and Dr Gawain Heckley (Lund University, Sweden).
They will be based at the Centre for Health Economics, Monash University and work jointly with researchers based at Lund University, Sweden.
There will be opportunities for domestic and international conference travel and for research visits to Lund University and other international partner institutions (financial support available).
Apply for a scholarship
Please follow the 3-step application process here.
EOI closing dates:
All students (international and domestic): 2 March 2025
About Monash University and the Centre for Health Economics, Australia
The Centre for Health Economics is one of the world's leading research groups in the economic analysis of health and health care. We have the highest concentration of economists working in health in the Asia-Pacific region and the largest Health Economics PhD program in Australia, reflecting the reputation of our researchers and the quality of their mentorship.
Monash is one of the top 50 universities in the world, ranked top in health economics in the Asia-Pacific region. As a PhD student of the Centre, you will be part of a team of researchers at the cutting edge of impactful international research across research themes including: disadvantage and health; global and environmental health economics; economic behaviour, incentives and preferences in health; and, economic modelling of health policies and technologies.
About Lund University, Sweden
The current research opportunity is part of a collaboration between the Centre for Health Economics, Monash University and Lund University, Sweden. Health economics at Lund University is ranked foremost in Scandinavia and ninth in Europe within its field. Health economic research is conducted at the Lund University School of Economics and Management and at the Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Faculty of Medicine. The health economics research group working from the Faculty of Medicine primarily focuses on five research areas: 1) Public health issues; 2) Incentives and organization within healthcare; 3) Design of healthcare systems in terms of efficiency and distribution; 4) Economic evaluations of health interventions and programs; 5) Socioeconomic inequality in health and welfare.
Employment prospects
PhD graduates from the Centre for Health Economics typically find employment as researchers in leading universities and consulting firms around the world. For instance, our previous graduates have been successful in gaining positions at the London School of Economics, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, the University of Illinois, the University of York, the University of Melbourne, Australian National University, Ernst & Young, the World Bank and government health departments.
Enquiries:[email protected]
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