Digital Health to Support Indigenous Health and Wellbeing

About the project

This PhD project is part of an exciting research collaboration between the Faculty of Information Technology, the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and Indigenous communities in rural Victoria.

Developing a digital platform for Indigenous people’s health and wellbeing in close collaboration with Indigenous stakeholders, the candidate will:

• explore the digital health needs of Indigenous people, particularly those relating to the most important public health problems affecting them
• co-design and present prototypes of culturally-safe, Indigenous-friendly digital health solutions to address identified health and wellbeing needs
• evaluate the impact of the solutions, incorporating the world views of Indigenous communities.

Why Monash?

Monash University is the largest university in Australia.

We rank in the world’s top 100 for Computing and Information Sciences (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2021) and are the country’s most innovative university (Reuters Top 75: Asia’s Most Innovative Universities, 2017-2019).

The broader research program

Network for Equity through Digital Health (NEED)

NEED is an interdisciplinary collaboration that uses digital health to address health and wellness inequalities across Australia and surrounding countries. This initiative targets underserved communities in Australia, and the Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asian regions – locations which may have low access to technology and digital literacy. This encompasses for example, rural and regional areas in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh and the Pacific Islands.

Aligned with Monash University’s vision for global impact, NEED strives to enhance access to high-quality healthcare and wellbeing in underserved communities through critical research.

NEED also fortifies the relationship between Monash University across Australia and Malaysia, given the natural synergy of this agenda with parts of South-East Asia in particular.

As a successful applicant, you will join this research team but also undertake your own distinct PhD initiative. The benefits of this are that you will be:

• integrated into a successful funded research agenda
• supervised by research leaders and advised by a group of leading Indigenous health professionals
• undertake a PhD with a pre-existing structure
• part of the research outcomes, which may include co-authored publications (where your contributions will be recognised through co-authorship) and future grant applications.

Support for Indigenous PhD students

When you undertake an IT PhD with Monash, you’ll automatically be put forward for any applicable scholarships and have access to other additional support resources:

• a tax-free stipend of $29,500 per annum for 3.5 years
• the opportunity to apply for the Monash Indigenous Research Award funded by MGRO. This is a $5,000 tax-free annual top-up.
• $4,000 of research support over the duration of your candidature
• a laptop or desktop provided by the Faculty.

Candidate requirements

Ideal applicants will have:

• an excellent academic track record
• experience in IT or health IT
• knowledge and skills relating to any of the following: stakeholder engagement, IT system design, basic web programming and technology evaluation.
• met the criteria required for PhD admission at Monash University.

Cultural knowledge and experience in Indigenous and qualitative research methods, and working with Indigenous communities are desirable.

The successful applicant will be expected to enrol by February 2022, however there may be flexibility around the commencement date.

Scholarship holders must be enrolled full-time. Applicants who already hold a PhD will not be considered.

Supervisory team

Aboriginal Advisory Committee

The Committee is made up of diverse members, two of which work in education and the remaining in health. This combination provides unique and pertinent perspectives to the PhD candidate’s work.

All members are known to each other and have good rapport, which facilitates a collegial exchange of ideas and provides a culturally-supportive environment.

In a time of ever-evolving technology, the way we communicate and access health information is as easy as a click of a button.

The limits are endless to the type of health literacy messaging and learnings that can be delivered using a culturally-appropriate system that is relevant, easy to use and engaging. New ways to connect with families, communities and health professionals are being uncovered - and confidence and participation are gaining momentum.

To create a successful digitised platform for First Nations peoples, we first need to work closely with them, listening to and understanding their experiences with the health system, past Government policies and intergenerational experiences that continue to affect communities and impact the relationship Aboriginal people have with healthcare today.

In this collaboration, experts in health and IT will work with our strong Aboriginal Advisory Committee to support an Indigenous PhD candidate as they develop this vital digital platform for Aboriginal health.

The candidate will become an authority in this rapidly-growing discipline for Indigenous peoples in Australia and internationally -- and emerge with skills that few possess but many desire.