Clinician Scientist Pathway

Barwon Health and Deakin University know that a thriving clinician PhD program is vital to the future of our partnership and brings immediate and long-term benefits to patient care. The Barwon Health and Deakin University Clinician Scientist Pathway (CSP) is a jointly funded four year PhD scholarship program for Barwon Health employees across medicine, nursing, midwifery and allied health.

The Barwon Health and Deakin University Clinician Scientist Pathway is designed to recruit and retain exceptional talent. The pathway differs from existing PhD pathways because it supports a clinician to maintain a clinical role at up to 0.5 FTE with protected PhD research time, blending patient care with research.

The pathway provides the following benefits:

• Supports researchers to complete clinical training or maintain clinical roles and work flexibly with their training body to meet requirements, such as specific clinical competencies and rotations
• Provides employees with excellent opportunities to build their research track record, positioning them for future funding success and clinical and research leadership
• Provides improved career prospects for allied health, nursing, midwifery and medical clinicians with PhD qualifications.

As well as clinicians, the pathway is open to scientists or health professionals working alongside clinicians in a Barwon Health Clinical Directorate to support safe and effective patient care.

For high potential clinicians with limited research experience, the Clinician Scientist Pathway will also support a clinician to undertake the Deakin Graduate Certificate of Health and Medical Research.

You can access the Guidelines for prospective Clinician Scientist Pathway candidates.

Deakin’s Graduate Certificate of Health and Medical Research enables clinicians, with no research experience, to obtain appropriate research skills and credits. It also provides the appropriate training to meet the PhD entry criteria (subject to grades).

The graduate certificate is a flexible course that can be undertaken remotely and part time during the six to 12 months leading up to PhD candidature. Importantly, the course can include development work on the PhD.