HDR Scholarship - Digital interventions for children’s diets

In Australia, poor diet is one of the primary causes of death and disability, and children as young as three years old report consuming significant amounts of food high in sodium and added sugar. Exposure to optimal feeding practices early in life can support the development of lifelong healthy nutrition behaviours. Parents of infants however report challenges with accessing timely information around feeding, and lack support to implement them.

This PhD project will be embedded within an existing RCT seeking to examine the impact of digital health intervention that seeks to support parents of infants and toddlers, in partnership with early childhood educators to improve child nutrition early in life. Baby-EATS is funded by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), and will be trialled with more than 600 young children aged under two years and their families, and across 60 Australian childcare centres.

The successful candidate will be situated within the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE), a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention. GLOBE is group of over 80 researchers working collaboratively to improve population health in Australia and globally. As a leader in preventive health and nutrition research, we use diverse methods, including public health, nutrition and dietetics, epidemiology, political science, health economics, systems science and implementation science to solve complex problems.  GLOBE is also a domain within the Institute for Health Transformation (IHT) at Deakin University seeks to enhance health and wellbeing for all by creating transformational change in how prevention and care is delivered across the broad spectrum of health, disability, ageing and end of life care.
Associate Professor Serene Yoong is deputy director within the National Centre of Implementation Science (a NHMRC CRE in Implementation of Chronic Disease Prevention Program) and candidates will have access to networks, and capacity building opportunities within the centre.

Applications  will remain open until a candidate has been appointed

This scholarship is available over 3 years.

• Stipend of $33,500 per annum tax exempt (2023 rate)
• Relocation allowance of $500-1500 (for single to family) for students moving from interstate

To be eligible you must:

• be a domestic candidate. Domestic includes candidates with Australian Citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency or New Zealand Citizenship.
• meet Deakin's PhD entry requirements
• be enrolling full time and hold an honours degree (first class) or an equivalent standard master's degree with a substantial research component.

Please refer to the research degree entry pathways page for further information.

Additional desirable criteria include:

• Relevant degrees may include but are not restricted to; psychology,  teaching, dietetics, nursing, physiotherapy, sports science, medicine or other allied health.
• Excellent organisational, time management, written and verbal communication skills;
• The ability to work both independently and in a team environment;
• Demonstrated ability to write reports or peer-reviewed manuscripts
• Commitment to Indigenous health