Project Supervisor
Additional Supervision
School and Institute
Institute
Faculty
Location
Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus
Research topic
Our research at the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE) helps communities take actions that safeguard children and improve their wellbeing. We have helped communities protect children from unhealthy weight gain for up to two years, something only a handful of other research groups have been able to achieve. Our most recent trial was designed to protect children for 4 years. Beyond two years however, we found that protection weakened, and obesity returned. Feedback from communities pointed to the need for implementation support to help them reliably and sustainably provide healthy school environments. Nobody has explored whether system-wide changes to school environments can be implemented and sustained so that successive cohorts of children are protected from unhealthy weight gain.
This project will be a part of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funded Systems Thinking with Active Implementation Research (STAIR) trial which sets out to do this by bringing together world-leading researchers experienced in Community-based Systems Dynamics and implementation science with service delivery partners (Victorian Departments of Education and Health, Royal Flying Doctors Service, VicHealth) to identify determinants and interventions for obesity prevention and to trial co-designed implementation strategies to help schools sustain intervention actions. If successful, this study will be the first Australian study to test co-designed implementation strategies for helping schools sustain healthy environments.
Project aim
This PhD project explores community-based systems dynamics and active implementation methods for helping schools implement healthy school environments. Research questions the project will seek to answer are:
- Can community-based system dynamics and active implementation be effectively integrated?
- Are there implementation strategies that are cost-effective, acceptable, utilized, appropriate, feasible, delivered as intended and maintained in schools and what is the penetration?
- Who is responsible for supporting schools with implementation strategies and where does accountability sit?
Answering these questions will provide school communities, partners and government with direct insight into how how best to support ongoing health promotion efforts in schools.
Important dates
Applications close 5pm, Monday 31 March 2025.
Benefits
This scholarship is available over 3 years.
- Stipend of $35,550 per annum tax exempt (2025 rate)
- Relocation allowance of $500-1500 (for single to family) for students moving from interstate
- International students only: Tuition fees offset
for the duration of 4 years. Single Overseas Student Health Cover policy for the duration of the student visa.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible you must:
- be a domestic or international 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.
How to apply
Please email a CV, academic transcript and example of written work (such as journal article, report or student assignment) to Professor Colin Bell. The CV should highlight your skills, education, publications and relevant work experience. Suitable applicants will then be invited to submit a formal application.
Contact us
For more information about this scholarship, please contact Prof Colin Bell
Prof Colin Bell
Email Prof Colin Bell
+61 3 52278043