MCRI - Singapore PhD Program

Pathways to positive health and wellbeing for Australian and Singaporean young people

LifeCourse is excited to launch a new PhD program, with 4 fully funded 1-2 year placements in Singapore available for either new or existing students working in areas of shared focus (see below) available through the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in partnership with A*STAR Singapore.

Why join us?

• Work with world-leading research organisations at the MCRI and A*STAR in Singapore. Gain mentorship from experts and be part of cutting-edge research with LifeCourse, A New Dawn for SICS and Stars of Our Studies.
• Experience life and research abroad with a 1–2 year fully funded placement in Singapore. Broaden your horizons, build a global network, and learn from diverse cultures and health systems. Note that candidates must commence their PhD with a year in Melbourne and return for at least the final six months.
• During the Melbourne-based part of the program, new students will follow the usual entry pathway and apply for stipends to support them while based on the ground in Australia. Both new and existing students will follow all usual University requirements and milestones, complemented by international experience and networks through a funded placement in Singapore!
• Join a supportive community of fellow PhD students in a collaborative, supportive environment that encourages learning, leadership and growth.
• Hit the ground running with access to existing world-class longitudinal data tracking thousands of children and families over time – no need for new data collection.

What you'll study

Our PhD program includes support for a 1-2 year Singapore-based placement for four PhD projects exploring pathways to child and adolescent health and wellbeing across two countries.

This opportunity is open to:

• New students looking for a project, or
• Current PhD students with an existing project that aligns with this focus.

Using existing cohort data from LifeCourse cohort/s and Singapore's GUSTO, you’ll touch on at least one of three key themes:

• How to identify and nurture positive health and wellbeing for young people - not just what goes wrong in health, but what it means for young people to be thriving
• The complex interaction between social and environmental experiences and biology shaping health outcomes
• Innovative methods that combine data across studies to uncover new insights

For example, specific projects available for new students include:

• Investigating childhood experiences that contribute to positive adolescent mental health
• Exploring how positive mental health supports young people’s physical and social wellbeing
• Examining how we can move beyond observation to actively identifying and shaping intervention opportunities 

Each of these projects will leverage the available data to examine these questions in both countries.

What's included

Our PhD program includes up to $104,450 (Singapore dollars) in total funding support:

1. Monthly stipend (S$3,600) and housing subsidy if living off-campus (S$300)
2. One-time airfare grant, settling-in allowance, IT allowance (S$3,300)
3. Conference allowance (Up to S$1,000 locally and S$4,000 overseas)
4. Medical insurance (Up to S$1,720 for a two-year placement)
5. Visa application and medical check-up subsidy

What we're looking for

• Passion for quantitative research and child/adolescent public health, whether through data creation or analysis.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a diverse, cross-institutional team.
• Academic background in psychology, biostatistics, public health, or related fields.
• Attention to detail in research protocols, reporting and data management.
• Prior professional research experience is a plus.
• To enhance the value of international placement, we are accepting applications from non-Singaporean students only.
  
   

Applications

Applications are now open and accepted on a rolling basis. Get in quick!

To explore this opportunity, please submit your expression of interest. Scholarship applications should be submitted to the University of Melbourne by the 31st of October 2025.

For more information, contact our co-leads: