SAAFE CRC Scholars Program: PhD Project Proposal

Introduction

The SAAFE CRC Education & Training Program will build capability and capacity to tackle AMR. As SAAFE PhD projects are designed to develop the next generation of forward-thinking industry leaders who will implement AMR solutions and best practice, the scholarship funds will go to projects that are:

• Aligned to SAAFE's research program themes (Monitoring, Analytics, Solutions, Risk) and principles for developing high quality projects.
• Co-designed and connected with SAAFE stakeholders (industry, government, regulatory, research partners) throughout the life of the PhD.

Research priorities

We are calling for project proposals that address:

• AMR intervention assessment and evaluation in real-world settings
• Resistant disease management approaches, technologies and guidelines (plant or animal diseases)
• One Health AMR stakeholder communication needs
• The economics of resistant disease and antimicrobial stewardship

Additional information

All proposals will be expected to include an industry, government or other stakeholder representative who will play an active role during the project by supervising and/or advising the candidate.
Proposals should include an appropriate cash contribution to project costs from the project industry/government/other stakeholder partner.
Industry/government/other stakeholder partners may also be involved in project co-design, and should be able to benefit from the outcomes of the project either directly or through benefits to their sector.

PhD project selection process and indicative criteria

Project proposals will be reviewed for:

• Project quality (novelty, suitability and feasibility),
• Likely project benefit and impact
• Alignment with SAAFE CRC program objectives and milestones, and partner priorities

SAAFE supports opportunities for early and mid-career researcher development, and gender and cultural diversity through it's projects. Please keep this in mind when considering potential project team members. 

Notes for completing this form:

• Not ready to submit? Use the Save butto n at the end of the form to save partially-filled sections while you source additional information.
• Want to print a copy? Use the Print button at the end of the form to print a hard copy or select Save as Save as PDF as your printer destination
• Got questions or need help with the form Contact lisa.kirkland@crcsaafe.com.au

SAAFE CRC Scholarships: In conjunction with a base stipend supported via a university or industry partner, the SAAFE CRC PhD Scholars receive:

• a living allowance top-up scholarship of up to $15,000 per year for 3.5 years (full-time equivalent), and
• a dedicated professional development fund valued at $21,000 for 3 years (total value; to be used in accordance with relevant guidelines).

Scholarship funding: Please use this section to describe the base stipend funding sources which will be combined with the SAAFE CRC top-up scholarship funding e.g. RTP or university-equivalent scholarships, or industry-supported scholarships. Please note SAAFE CRC does not provide full scholarships.

Tuition fees: In all cases, it is expected that PhD candidates will be supported by an RTP fee waiver or other university tuition fee scholarship. SAAFE scholarship funds cannot be used for tuition fees.

Current candidates: Projects may be proposed to seek funding for current PhD candidates at SAAFE CRC research partner universities/institutes. To be eligible, candidates must be

A. yet to complete the confirmation of candidature/research proposal approval milestone, and
B. have consumed less than twelve (12) months candidature (full-time equivalent)

Scholars Program Funding: SAAFE Scholars Program funding (including the top-up scholarship and professional development funding) cannot be backdated and becomes active only once the project contract has been fully executed. To support a smooth and consistent process for all parties, SAAFE follows the timeframes outlined in the PhD Proposal Review Process Workflow, which will be provided upon proposal submission. We ask applicants to acknowledge and work within these timeframes to ensure timely progression through review and contracting. 

For students who have already commenced their candidature at the time of contracting, SAAFE will work to progress agreements as efficiently as possible; however, we are unable to apply funding retrospectively, and we wish to be transparent in this regard.

In relation to professional development funding, students are eligible for up to $21,000 over the first three years of candidature, allocated at $7,000 per annum. Where a student has already completed one or more years of candidature at the time of contract finalisation, the available funding will be adjusted to reflect the remaining entitlement within the three-year period.

The top-up scholarship is similarly pro-rated and applied for the remaining candidature period of 3.5 years from the point of contract commencement.

For more information or assistance with this application process, please contact:
Dr Lisa Kirkland
SAAFE CRC Education and Training Program Manager
lisa.kirkland@crcsaafe.com.au