PhD Program

New PhD scholarships are available under the NHMRC funded Centre of Research Excellence in value-based payments in cancer care. Living allowance scholarships are available for up to three years up to an approximate value of $28,000 per year.  

The university-based investigators on the CRE are researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), University of NSW (UNSW) and the University of Sydney (USYD). The team also includes leading cancer advocates and practitioners across the major cancer agencies.  

This CRE is working on improved funding mechanisms that will provide care that is effective and efficient and lead to better outcomes for cancer patients. This work is focussed on bundled payments, that is paying a lump sum for a series of health care services across an episode of care instead of paying a fee for each individual service

The CRE’s research agenda covers three streams of work:

  1. Identifying high priority areas for payment reforms: this will involve identifying variation in current patterns of treatment and exploring how risk adjustment can be applied to limit unintended consequences.
  2. Developing insights into behavioural responses to payment changes: these will investigate how previous changes in policy or technology have led to changes in patient and provider behaviour.
  3. Development of micro simulation models to predict the impact of proposed changes: these models will need to incorporate behavioural insights into the analysis of current patterns of care and the distribution of costs.

Students will have the freedom to develop their own topic within the scope of the overall CRE research program.

Students with a postgraduate qualification or honours degree in a relevant field of study including economics, applied statistics, health services research, allied health or medicine.

Both domestic and international students may apply. Whilst we will take COVID restrictions into account, we expect students to be located in or near Sydney for the majority of time during their studies.

Students must be accepted for admission to a higher degree by research at UTS.

There are two parts to the application process: the CRE Scholarship application and the university enrolment process.

  1. CRE Scholarship process:
    1. Send an expression of interest to Prof Kees van Gool (p4v@uts.edu.au) by 30 November 2021. In the EOI include an up-to-date CV and a one-page cover letter specifying why you would like to undertake a PhD as part of the CRE.
    2. EOIs will then be assessed and shortlisted candidates will be invited to:
      • Prepare a two-page written proposal on a research topic that could form the basis of their PhD candidature (31th January 2022).
      • Participate in an interview.
    3. Candidates will be notified of the outcome by the end of Febraury.
  2. Enrolment process:
    1. The successful CRE Scholarship candidate should then submit an application to enrol in a PhD program at one of our university partners (UTS, UNSW, USYD) with the support of suitable supervisors.
    2. As part of the enrolment process, applicants should apply for the available tuition cost scholarships. Tuition costs are not covered by the CRE Scholarship.
    3. Once a student is accepted into an HDR Research program we will work with the applicant on a suitable candidature commencement date.