Monash University PhD Stipend Scholarship

Monash University is advertising a fully funded PhD stipend scholarship in human-animal interactions at the School of Primary and Allied Health Care / RAIL Research Centre. The project is designed for a candidate who wants to define their own research direction within this interdisciplinary area, with supervision from Dr Em Bould and a multidisciplinary team.

The scholarship is especially relevant to applicants interested in animal-assisted interventions, social inclusion, healthy ageing, disability, allied health, social sciences, and education. The post highlights examples such as dog-walking for community inclusion, pets and older adults in aged care, and communication-focused interventions built around animal-assisted activities.

Funding: PhD stipend for 3.5 years of full-time enrolment at $37,145 per annum for the 2026 rate, indexed annually. Additional support is available through the School of Primary and Allied Health Care HDR Support Fund (up to $4,000) and the Monash Graduate Research Travel Grant.

Eligibility: Applicants must meet Monash PhD entry requirements and be an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen, or permanent resident. Required academic background includes a relevant four-year bachelor’s degree with research thesis/project and First Class Honours Division A equivalent, or a relevant master’s degree with a substantial research thesis/project and equivalent honours standard, or an equivalent qualification/professional research experience accepted by the university. Experience in qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods research is preferred, and applicants should ideally be available to commence full-time in Q4 2026 or by arrangement.

How to apply: First email an Expression of Interest to [email protected] with a cover letter, research proposal (up to 2000 words), CV, transcripts, and two referee contacts. If shortlisted, you will be invited to submit a full PhD candidature application.

Institution: Monash University, Australia.