Ruth Hubbard

Bond University’s Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare (IEBH) is offering two fully funded PhD opportunities focused on improving frailty care in primary care settings in Australia. Supported by the MRFF and NHMRC, these positions are part of a multidisciplinary research project aiming to integrate frailty measurement and management into primary care, ultimately enhancing health outcomes for older Australians. The first PhD project centers on co-designing frailty management interventions using qualitative research and implementation science methodologies. Candidates will work with primary care practitioners, older persons, and carers to develop and evaluate a toolkit for implementing frailty-focused interventions. The toolkit will address lifestyle factors such as physical activity, nutrition, and social prescribing, and the project will include process evaluation and communication strategies for effective delivery in primary care. The second PhD project focuses on health economics, evaluating the economic impact of implementing frailty interventions in primary care. This includes integrating economic evaluation with implementation science, attributing economic value to health outcomes, and analyzing cost and revenue streams to support sustainable healthcare delivery. Candidates will access primary care data and use health economic analysis to identify potential costs and savings associated with scaling frailty interventions. Supervision will be provided by Professor Mark Morgan (Bond University, General Practitioner and chair of the RACGP Expert Committee for Quality Care) and Professor Ruth Hubbard (University of Queensland, Geriatrician and Director of the Australia Frailty Network), alongside a team of experts in ageing, geriatric medicine, health economics, and primary care research. Eligibility requirements include a relevant bachelor’s degree in health, economics, or statistics, with preference for those with clinical training. Applicants must demonstrate strong analytical, writing, and communication skills, knowledge of the Australian primary care system, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively. Experience in research, quality improvement, or primary care is desirable, as are publications and conference presentations. Funding includes a tuition fee waiver for eligible candidates under the Australian Government’s Research Training Program (RTP) and a living stipend for up to three years. Additional employment opportunities within the Institute or Faculty may be available. Applications are open until 16 January 2026, and early submission is encouraged. For more information and to apply, visit the provided Bond University links.

Expressions of interest are open for a funded PhD scholarship in Frailty Work Package (Health Economics) at the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare , Bond University (Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia). This PhD is part of an MRFF-funded multidisciplinary primary care project focused on integrating frailty measurement into Australian primary care and developing decision-support tools for comprehensive frailty management. The project sits at the intersection of health economics , primary care , geriatrics , implementation science , and health services research . The successful candidate will join a team led by Professor Mark Morgan and Professor Ruth Hubbard . The work may involve economic evaluation, valuation of health outcomes in frailty, analysis of primary care data, and estimating costs and savings associated with implementing frailty-focused interventions across general practice. Applicants should have a background in economics , statistics , health , or a related area, with strong analysis and writing skills, communication skills, and evidence of research ability. A Masters by Research, a Masters with substantial research, or an Honours degree (Class 1 or Class 2 Division A), or equivalent research experience, is preferred. Experience in primary care, economics/statistics in health, publications, conference presentations, or quality improvement projects is desirable. Funding includes a living stipend for up to three years . Eligible Australian and New Zealand citizens and Australian permanent residents may also receive a tuition fee waiver through the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) . Applications close on Friday 3 July 2026 . Apply via the Bond University application portal and include the required EOI documents: position title, two short statements, CV with referees, transcripts, and an academic writing sample.