PhD Scholarships

Funding Allocation

Category	Details
Total Project Funding Available	$40,000 per year
Project Funding Duration	Up to 3 years

Purpose

PhD Scholarships aim to cultivate emerging talent in dust disease research by supporting high-achieving early career research scientists, occupational hygienists, others working in occupational health, and health professionals. They aim to enhance capacities in key fields related to dust diseases, such as, but not limited to, thoracic oncology, respiratory health, occupational and environmental medicine, public health, nursing, psychology, allied health, or radiology.

These scholarships are designed to enable the exploration of innovative approaches and the development of groundbreaking solutions that challenge and expand the current understanding of dust diseases. By fostering research that spans theoretical frameworks to practical applications, the program seeks to make significant advancements in both the science and clinical practices surrounding dust diseases, ultimately improving patient outcomes and quality of life.

Scope

The scholarships are designed to support:

• Research Scientists: Conducting exploratory and foundational research that spans risk identification, prevention, diagnostic developments, treatment innovations, and quality of life improvements. Focused on basic, translational, and applied research in any aspect of dust diseases, from molecular studies to patient care strategies.
• Occupational Hygienists or others working in Occupational Health: Conducting research focused on developing and testing intervention models on a scale appropriate for early career researchers. This includes pilot studies or preliminary interventions that can provide valuable insights and form the basis for future large-scale applications, thereby making a direct but manageable impact on clinical practices.
• Health Professionals: Conducting primary research or leading research implementation projects across the spectrum from prevention to treatment, support, and rehabilitation.

• Prevention-Focused Research: Research aimed at identifying and mitigating workplace or environmental factors contributing to dust diseases. This includes developing effective preventive strategies and best practices to reduce exposure risks and prevent the onset of dust diseases in vulnerable populations.

Objectives

• Building Specialised Capability and Capacity: Develop the specialised skills of high-achieving PhD candidates in researching and managing dust diseases. This objective is aligned with the scope of supporting research scientists, occupational hygienists, others working in occupational health, and health professionals, enhancing their ability to conduct impactful research and apply it in clinical settings.

• Enhancing Researcher Knowledge and Expertise: Promote in-depth understanding of the dust disease lifecycle and research methodologies that are pertinent to both scientific and therapeutic contexts. Each aspect of the scope contributes directly to this objective by providing opportunities for detailed study and innovation within these specified areas.

• Promotion of Advanced Research Methodologies: Foster the use of innovative research and translation methodologies to advance the field of dust diseases. This aligns with supporting foundational and applied research across a variety of settings and disciplines.

• Advancing Practical Research Methodologies: The practical focus for occupational hygienists, others working in occupational health, and health professionals in the scope particularly enhances this objective, aiming to translate research into effective treatments and interventions.

Requirements

• Targeted Research Proposal: High-calibre candidates must submit research proposals that directly address specific stages of the dust disease lifecycle, showing potential for substantial contributions. 

• Developing Expertise in Specific Fields: Candidates, though early in their careers, should demonstrate a robust foundational understanding in their respective fields, be it scientific research, occupational hygiene or in the areas of occupational health. They are expected to be among the best of their peers, with proposals that clearly articulate how their research will advance dust disease management.

• Innovative and Interdisciplinary Perspective: Proposals should introduce innovative research methods and demonstrate the candidate’s ability to integrate knowledge from various academic disciplines relevant to dust diseases. This requirement emphasises the candidate’s creativity and their capability to utilise interdisciplinary insights to enrich the depth and applicability of their research, even if formal collaboration isn’t feasible. By encouraging candidates to integrate knowledge from various academic disciplines, the scholarships aim to foster a holistic understanding of dust diseases.

• Pathways for Future Translation: Candidates should identify potential future applications of their research, outlining how their findings might eventually translate into practice or policy. This requirement encourages candidates to think strategically about the broader impact of their work.

• Consideration of Sustainability and Impact: Proposals should outline how the research contributes to the foundational knowledge necessary for tackling dust diseases. This includes identifying potential areas where small-scale findings could lead to significant long-term research questions and innovations. These scholarships aim to equip early career candidates with the skills and preliminary results that serve as stepping stones for larger, impactful projects.

Alignment with the DDB Strategic Priorities 2025-2029

• Broadening Research Community Engagement: By targeting early career researchers, occupational hygienists, others working in occupational health, and health professionals the scholarships enhance the DDB's engagement with an emerging group of researchers, vital for long-term strategic goals.

• Adaptive Research Funding Approach: Reflects the strategic aim to adapt funding practices to support emerging needs and innovative research in dust disease management. The Board appreciates the progressive development of research capabilities in early career scholars, fostering an environment that nurtures their growth and incremental contributions.

• Adapting to Evolving Needs: By covering all lifecycle stages, the scholarships ensure responsiveness to the dynamic needs of dust disease research, particularly in developing new treatments and improving quality of life.

Alignment with the DDB Grant Strategy Guiding Principles

• Early-stage Innovation and Idea Development: The scholarships foster the exploration of innovative ideas at early stages, crucial for bringing fresh perspectives and solutions to the field.

• Capacity Building in Specialised Areas: Focusing on the unique roles of research scientists, occupational hygienists, others working in occupational health, and health professionals the scholarships help build essential capacities in both basic and applied research.

• Enhancing Quality of Life: Aligns with the principle of benefiting NSW workers with dust diseases and their families by funding research aimed at improving daily living and health outcomes.

• Advancing Research Translation: Supports the principle of accelerating the translation of research into practice and policy, ensuring that findings from funded research contribute to meaningful outcomes in the management and treatment of dust diseases.

• Promotion of Understanding and Prevention: Encourages research that develops a deeper understanding of dust diseases, including their epidemiology, which is vital for preventing the onset of these diseases among at-risk populations.