Scholarships
There are a number of scholarship options available to students. Students are encouraged to explore funding options at an early stage after identifying a researcher with relevant expertise.
Higher Degree by Research (HDR)
Internal scholarships
The UQ Graduate School offers competitive scholarships to international and domestic students across all disciplines. If you already have an area of interest, you can also search the HDR scholarships database to identify specific scholarship opportunities, including HDR scholarships for Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
External scholarships
A number of external parties offer scholarships such as the National Health and Medical Research Council, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Arthritis Australia, Leukaemia Foundation and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Other external scholarships can also be found at FindAPhD.
PhD scholarships to support Category 1 project grants
These scholarships are funded by the Australian Government to assist PhD students with their living costs. Scholarships are offered for projects that are aligned with recently awarded Category 1 research grants. They offer students the opportunity to work with leading researchers and contribute to large projects of national significance.
View details of available projects below.
Chief Investigator |
Project title |
Project description |
Preferred educational background |
|
Differentiation and function of novel cytotoxic T-cell subsets |
Cytotoxic CD8+ T (Tc) cells constitute the major immune cell type that is responsible for eliminating infected or cancerous cells. Tc cells differentiate into specialised subsets that localise to specific tissues and organs to perform their cell killing functions but may also mediate immunopathology. Professor Di Yu's laboratory poineers in discovering new T cell subsets and unveiling mechanisms underlying their differentiation and function. This project will utilise both pre-clinical animal models and bioinformatic approaches to characterise novel Tc subsets, including ‘follicular cytotoxic T cells’ (Tfc cells). The gained new knowledge will help to design new strategies to treat cancers and infectious diseases such as caused by HIV, EBV and SARS-CoV-2. |
*The successful candidate must commence by Research Quarter 1, 2021. You should apply at least 3 months prior to the research quarter commencement date. International applicants may need to apply much earlier for visa reasons. |
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Identifying pharmacological targets for osteoporosis intervention using whole-genome and exome sequencing of bone related phenotypes |
Osteoporosis (OP) is an often asymptomatic multi-factorial condition that is characterized by a progressive loss of bone mass resulting in increased fracture (FX) risk and reduced lifespan(1). It represents a significant public health burden that affects an estimated 2.2 million Australians and results in 20,000 hip fractures annually, with direct and indirect disease-related costs estimated at $7.4 billion per year(2). Due to the insidious nature of this disease, individuals who are most at risk of OP are often only identified once they present with low trauma FX. The situation is further exacerbated as most pharmacological treatments function as anti-resorptives that halt further bone loss, but fail to fully restore bone quality. Only one osteoanabolic drug is presently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, however this compound is far from ideal as it requires daily administration via injection to ensure adequate bone formation(3). Consequently, there is considerable scope for identifying novel osteoanabolic pathways that could in principle be targeted by new and existing pharmacotherapies to build bone mass before clinical sequelae develop. The goal of this PhD is to combine statistical and molecular genetics approaches to identify and assess the therapeutic potential of OP drug targets. |
AI & Machine Learning, Bioinformatics, Computer Science & IT, Endocrinology, Genetics, Information Science, Molecular Biology, Public Health & Epidemiology, Software, Engineering, Statistics *The successful candidate must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2022. You should apply at least 3 months prior to the research quarter commencement date. International applicants may need to apply much earlier for visa reasons. |
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Mechanistic and comparative toxicity of commercial essential oils |
This project will focus on the investigation of endocrine disruption of male reproductive performance by essential oils in experimental animals. The project will start with a literature review on essential oil endocrine disruption, fertility in the male rat, and differences in their reproductive physiology in comparison to other experimental animals and humans. After that, an experimental program will be developed to identify which physiological pathways are disrupted in experimental animals by oregano oil, and other essential oils of similar or overlapping composition. |
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Professor Gabrielle Belz |
Innate cells in protective immunity |
Our work aims to understand how the immune system responds to (infections (including viruses, bacteria and parasites) and tumour cells. We are investigating how different types of immune cells develop, and what factors influences their decision to become one type of immune cell or another to mediate long term immune protection. Understanding how the body deals with pathogens will give clues about how to enhance protective immunity. Our goal is to discover new therapies that boost our immune system to protect against infection. We aim to: · Identify novel functions of innate lymphoid cells and NK cells in immune protection · Unravel the microbome-epithelial-immune interface protecting mucosal surfaces · Elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the generation of protective immunity in response to lung and gastrointestinal pathogens Combining cellular, molecular biology, and high throughput technologies the candidate will investigate the role of novel transcription factors in governing innate cell fate using a number of approaches including flow cytometry, imaging and molecular approaches. Immunity and Inflammation, Cancer This project is suitable for PhD students. |
BSc Hons or MSc in biological or biomedical science |
Honours
UQDI Honours Scholarships
Summary
Enrolment status
|
Currently enrolled students
|
Student type
|
Domestic students, International students
|
Level of study
|
Undergraduate, Honours
|
Study area
|
Medicine
|
Scholarship value
|
$3,500
|
Number awarded
|
Up to 3
|
Description
The purpose of the scholarship is to support honours students studying at the UQ Diamantina Institute.
Eligibility
You are eligible for this scholarship if you:
- submit an application to the Director, by the closing date for applications
- are enrolled full-time in an approved program in the relevant field in the year of the award.
Enquire about UQDI Honours Scholarships
Otto and Joan Hirschfeld Memorial Honours Scholarship in Immunology
Summary
Enrolment status
|
Currently enrolled students
|
Student type
|
Domestic students, International students
|
Level of study
|
Undergraduate, Honours
|
Study area
|
Medicine
|
Scholarship value
|
$6,000
|
Number awarded
|
1
|
Description
The purpose of the scholarship is to support honours students studying in the field of immunology at the Diamantina Institute.
The scholarship was established in 2013 and is maintained by income from the Otto Hirschfeld Memorial Fund. This fund was established by Mrs Joan Hirschfeld in memory of her husband, Dr Otto Hirschfeld, Chancellor of the University from 1953 to 1957, and is supported by members of the Hirschfeld family.
Eligibility
You are eligible for this scholarship if you:
- submit an application to the Director, by the closing date for applications
- are enrolled full-time in an approved program in the relevant field in the year of the award.