Degree type
PhD
Closing date
1 February 2025
Campus
Hobart
Citizenship requirement
Domestic / International
About the research project
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Prevention of heart disease is a public health priority and identifying individuals at increased risk before symptoms develop is important for minimising disease progression. Although overt cardiovascular disease (CVD) may not appear until later in life, evidence now shows that CVD begins to develop in early life. Recent work has shown that adverse risk factors in childhood are associated with both fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events in mid-adulthood. This is significant, especially given the prevalence of unfavorable cardiovascular risk factors in children worldwide. Thus, childhood represents an opportune time to establish life-long health promoting habits that can prevent the onset of risk factors and future CVD.
Importantly, compared to children in other parts of Australia, CVD risk factors are worse in Tasmanian children. Therefore, the overarching objective of this project is to come up with solutions to tackle this problem in Tasmania.
Potential PhD projects may include:
- Based on examples from other countries, identify effective solutions to addressing poor cardiovascular risk factors in children;
- Using updated national data, compare the cardiovascular health of Tasmanian children to those from the rest of Australia;
- Through focus groups with key stakeholders, understand what is currently happening to address poor cardiovascular risk factors in Tasmanian children and identify where the gaps are.
There are a number of additional research questions that can be explored and projects can be shaped to meet the student’s interest.
Primary Supervisor
Funding
Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:
- a living allowance stipend of $33,511 per annum (2025 rate, indexed annually) for 3.5 years
- a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
- a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)
If successful, international applicants will receive a University of Tasmania Fees Offset for up to four years.
As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.
Other funding opportunities and fees
For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees of undertaking a research degree, please visit Scholarships and fees.
Eligibility
Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.
Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.
Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:
- Applicants must be able to undertake the project on-campus
Selection Criteria
The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.
Application process
- Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
- Contact Dr Rachel Climie to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
- In your application:
- Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
- Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
- Apply prior to 1 February 2025.
Full details of the application process can be found under the 'How to apply' section at Research degrees.
Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.
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