Flinders PhD Enterprise Scholarship: Health Economics/Health Services Research

Improve the Australian health system with impactful PhD research co-funded by Flinders University and the Commission  on Excellence and Innovation in Health, South Australia. The Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health (CEIH) is the government agency responsible for inno­va­tion in health­care in South Aus­tralia. This means the candidate will gain academic and health service experience, whilst undertaking research with direct relevance to the real-world delivery of health care.

·         Receive a $28,854 (2022 full-time rate, indexed annually) per annum scholarship tax free, for up to 3.5 years.

·         Apply your research skills during an internship with the Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health.

Flinders University and the CEIH are offering a PhD Enterprise Scholarship to undertake research to develop framework or guidance on how economic evidence should be generated during the evaluation of innovative health technologies for precision medicine. In countries such Australia, economic evidence is one of the key inputs for government decisions regarding the public funding and pricing of new health technologies. Although, over the past few years, there has been a rapid growth of economic evaluations of precision medicine interventions, there are identified methodological challenges for economic evaluation in precision medicine evidence. Bringing significant industry experience to the project (CEIH) and complementary research strengths (Flinders University), we are seeking innovative solutions to this challenging area of research through this PhD study.    

The PhD will be co-supervised by Associate Professor of Health Economics, Hossein Afzali and the Commissioner, CEIH  and Professor of Cardiology, Derek Chew

This project involves engagement with key stakeholders (e.g., clinicians and policy makers) to develop systematic evaluation approaches to determine the economic value of precision medicine and how to expedite the health technology evaluation process, with consequent impacts on health policy and clinical practice.  

The PhD Enterprise Scholarship also includes an internship of at least 60 full-time equivalent days, agreed to in written form within 18 months of candidature, undertaken and completed prior to completion of the PhD, during which you will be embedded with the industry partner team, developing your network, and gaining insight into the everyday research practices of an industry-leading/service driven organisation.

This PhD Enterprise Scholarship offers:

• $28,854 (2022 full-time rate, indexed annually) per annum tax free, for up to 3.5 years
• Access to academic and industry expertise through joint supervision
• A supportive environment to learn leading-edge research methods and become an expert in your area
• The opportunity to manage a complex research project and respond innovatively to challenges
• A collaborative research community where you can enhance your skills and build your network to progress your research career.

To be eligible for a PhD Enterprise Scholarship you will need:

• to be an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen, an Australian permanent resident or have, or are eligible to apply for, a relevant international visa; and
• meet Flinders University PhD admission requirements – an Australian Honours degree Class 1 or 2A or equivalent qualification (at least AQF Level 8), or evidence of equivalent research experience, such as refereed publications or significant experience as a lead researcher; and
• Any other eligibility criteria relevant to the industry partner/research project (eg have or able to apply for a National Police Criminal History Check)

It is desirable for applicants to also have:

• Experience in economic evaluation  
• Knowledge about the Australian health system and health technology assessment (HTA)
• Engaging with stakeholders 

Please note that the scholarship applications may close earlier than advertised if a successful awardee is selected.  The start date of the project will be decided in consultation with the project lead, with expectation that the successful awardee will commence as soon as practicable and preferably in 2022.