PhD Scholarship - Global Health Economics

PhD Scholarship - Global Health Economics

Job no.: 695403

Location: Caulfield campus

(Centre for Health Economics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia)

Duration: 4.5-year fixed term appointment

Employment type: Full-time

Remuneration: You will receive a generous scholarship covering tuition fees and a tax-free stipend at the current value of AU$37,000 per annum (up to $47,000 per annum for outstanding students). Additional financial support may be available through research and teaching assistance work.

The Opportunity

The Centre for Health Economics at Monash University invites applications from suitably qualified individuals for a PhD scholarship in applied economics, health economics, and climate economics.

The successful candidate will work on the topics within the broad area of “Global Health Economics” supported by CHE’s Global and Environmental Health Economics Research Theme.

Potential research areas include:

• Aid effectiveness and locally led development
• Health care financing and universal health coverage
• The economics of developing and procuring medicines and health technologies for LMICs
• Health technology assessment and priority-setting
• Climate change and environmental health economics 
• Expanding access to digital health

The successful candidate will receive training in applied microeconometrics, health economics, environmental economics, discrete choice experiments, administrative data analysis, modelling & simulation and policy evaluation.

The candidate will work under the supervision of Associate Professor Rohan Sweeney and Dr. Maame Esi Woode and other researchers at the Centre for Health Economics. The candidate may also have opportunities to collaborate with researchers and policy partners working in development economics, as well as health and environmental economics.

Who we are looking for

This project is an excellent fit for applicants interested in economic development, applied economics, health economics, climate change, labour markets, and public policy.

The project would suit someone with strong quantitative skills and an interest in using data to answer policy relevant research questions. The successful applicant will work with large administrative and survey datasets and apply modern causal inference methods.

Applicants should have completed an Honours degree, a four-year bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree with excellent results and a research component in economics, econometrics, public policy, data science, statistics, psychology, public health, or another relevant quantitative discipline.

A background or strong interest in one or more of the following areas would be valuable:

• Applied microeconometrics
• Health economics
• Environmental economics
• Global health
• Planetary health
• Climate change and public policy
• Labour economics

Experience using statistical software such as Stata or R would be an advantage.

Integrated PhD Program

The project is based in the Centre for Health Economics, a large and active economics research group within Monash Business School in Melbourne, Australia.

As a candidate in the Centre for Health Economics Integrated PhD Program, you will receive rigorous training in advanced health economics, econometrics, and related studies.

The Integrated PhD Program starts with one year of advanced coursework and research training, including a minor thesis packaged into a Master of Commerce degree. Provided you meet the agreed requirements, you will then progress to the PhD project component, which involves high quality research training and career development, culminating in a written thesis on the topic outlined above. The PhD research stage will typically take three and a half years to complete.

You will also have opportunities for domestic and international research visits, conference travel, and engagement with policy stakeholders. You will be provided your own laptop and dedicated workspace for the duration of the Integrated program. Students become part of CHE’s vibrant research community, engaging in seminars, workshops and collaborating with leading researchers.

PhD Program entry requirements and scholarship eligibility

Applicants to enter the 4.5 year Integrated PhD Program should have completed an Honours degree, a four-year bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree with top marks and a research component in economics, econometrics, or a related quantitative discipline.

For full information on eligibility and English language requirements, please visit the Monash Business School Integrated PhD Program page.

Applications

A new application round for a February 2027 commencement is open and close on 31 August 2026. Applications should follow the Integrated PhD program application process outlined on the Monash Business School website.

Briefly, the process is:

1. Assess your eligibility using the interactive tool on the webpage under Step 1 (i.e. the PhD readiness tool).
2. If eligible, submit an application following the instructions under Step 2. Note that under this step, you must select “Graduate Coursework” as your study type, and “B6023 – Master of Commerce” as your course preference. Then click on the "Show Start Dates" button and select 2027 Semester 1 as your start date. Follow the "View Course Options" prompt, and select "Health Economics" as your preferred stream. You do not need to identify a potential supervisor at this stage. The Centre of Health Economics will assess all eligible applications. Where appropriate supervision is available, shortlisted applicants will be contacted to meet potential supervisors to assess mutual fit.
3. In accordance with the Integrated PhD application process, successful candidates will then be issued an "invitation to apply" to progress within the Integrated PhD pathway (Step 3).

About Monash and the Centre for Health Economics

The Centre for Health Economics is one of the world’s leading research groups in the economic analysis of health and health care. It has the highest concentration of economists working in health in the Asia Pacific region and the largest Health Economics PhD program in Australia.

As an Integrated PhD student in the Centre, you will be part of a team of researchers at the cutting edge of impactful international research across research themes including: disadvantage and health; global and environmental health economics; economic behaviour, incentives and preferences in health; economic modelling of health policies and technologies; and health financing and market organisation.

Employment prospects

PhD graduates from the Centre for Health Economics typically find employment as researchers in leading universities, consulting firms, government departments, and international organisations.

Previous graduates have obtained positions at institutions including the London School of Economics, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, the University of Illinois, the University of York, the University of Melbourne, the Australian National University, Ernst & Young, the World Bank, and government health departments.

Enquiries

For questions related to the application procedure, please contact: buseco research.degrees@f.e.monash.edu

For questions about the project or to discuss whether the project is a good fit for you, please contact: Maame.Woode@monash.edu or Rohan.Sweeney@monash.edu.

Applications Close: Monday 31 August 2026, 11:55pm AEST

Supporting a diverse workforce