Curtin University PhD Scholarship

PhD scholarship opportunity at Curtin University in the School of Nursing for a project titled Closing the Vaccine Gap: Understanding and overcoming vaccine decline in Aboriginal pregnant mothers, babies and adolescents in Western Australia.

This is a fully funded PhD with a living stipend of up to $50,000 per annum for up to 3 years (full-time). The project is led by Professor Anne-Marie Eades and involves a multidisciplinary team and community partners, including work with Aboriginal communities, Elders, families, health services, and WA Health partners.

The research focuses on public health, epidemiology, vaccination uptake, Aboriginal health, maternal and child health, health promotion, and implementation research. The project uses quantitative methods to study immunisation coverage, delayed vaccine uptake, program effectiveness, barriers and enablers, and co-designed interventions to improve vaccination outcomes among Aboriginal pregnant women, children, and adolescents in Western Australia.

Students can tailor the project to their interests, including large dataset analysis, advanced statistical analysis, epidemiological modelling, program evaluation, health economic evaluation, qualitative research, or related areas. The ideal candidate should have biostatistics and epidemiology knowledge, coding experience or willingness to learn R, and a strong understanding of Cultural Safety in the WA context.

This opportunity is open to domestic applicants only. Applicants must meet eligibility criteria for entry into a PhD program at Curtin University and satisfy WA Health placement requirements for the on-site component at Boorloo Public Health Unit in Perth.

Application deadline: 31 July 2026.

How to apply: Contact Professor Anne-Marie Eades for enquiries and submit an Expression of Interest to formally apply.