Christina Malatzky

This fully funded PhD scholarship at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) offers a unique opportunity for a motivated candidate to undertake doctoral research focused on gender-transformative health promotion in rural and remote Queensland. The scholarship is a partnership between QUT and the Queensland Women and Girls’ Health Promotion Program (QWGHP), aiming to advance health equity and inform preventive health policy and practice for women and girls in underserved communities. The successful candidate will receive a generous stipend of $42,000 per annum (tax exempt, indexed annually) for up to 3.5 years, with the possibility of a six-month extension if approved. Tuition fees are fully offset for up to four years, and additional project funds are provided to support field work and knowledge translation. The research will be supported by both the School of Public Health and Social Work and the QUT Centre for Justice, offering access to real-world projects, stakeholders, and a state-wide team dedicated to health promotion. Applicants must meet QUT’s Doctor of Philosophy entry requirements, including English language proficiency, and enroll as a full-time internal student (unless approval for part-time or external study is obtained). Candidates should commence their degree by 30 June 2026 and ideally possess a relevant master’s degree (such as public health, health promotion, gender studies, sociology, anthropology, or community development) or a relevant undergraduate degree with honours. Demonstrated research capacity, critical thinking skills, and a commitment to critical, feminist, decolonial, transformative, or equity-centred research methodologies are essential. Diverse backgrounds and rural and remote lived experiences are highly valued, and comprehensive knowledge of Australian contexts is desirable. The research focus is flexible and shaped by the candidate’s interests and experiences. Potential areas include critically examining health promotion frameworks and structural inequity in rural/remote contexts, analysing determinants of gender-transformative approaches, developing and evaluating community-led health promotion initiatives, mapping enablers and barriers to cross-sectoral collaboration, and co-designing evaluation frameworks with communities. The project aims to interrogate dominant approaches to health promotion, strengthen community capacity, and advance workforce development for gender-transformative health promotion in rural and remote Queensland. Supervision will be provided by Dr. Lana Elliott and Associate Professor Christina Malatzky, experts in health promotion, critical health sociology, feminist methodologies, and the political economy of health systems. Dr. Emma Heard will serve as an industry supervisor, ensuring alignment with QWGHP and potential for long-term policy and practice impact. The supervisory team is committed to research that challenges dominant biomedical paradigms and examines structural forces shaping health inequities. To apply, candidates should email Associate Professor Christina Malatzky by 10 April 2026 with a cover letter outlining research interests and motivation, a brief project proposal (approximately 500 words), a CV with two referees, and copies of relevant academic transcripts. If supported, applicants will submit an expression of interest (EOI) for a research degree at QUT, nominating Christina Malatzky as principal supervisor and referencing the scholarship web page in the financial details section. For further information, candidates are encouraged to contact Associate Professor Christina Malatzky in advance of the deadline. This PhD scholarship is ideal for candidates passionate about advancing gender and health equity, with a commitment to transformative research methodologies and community-driven approaches. The position offers a supportive, interdisciplinary environment and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on health outcomes for women and girls in rural and remote Queensland.