PhD Scholarship: Advancing Paediatric Burn Care: Improving Outcomes for Children

This project is embedded in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University Health. The work aligns with Griffith’s strategic focus on translational research and health equity. The successful applicant can be primarily located at either Brisbane South (Nathan) or the Gold Coast. As Griffith is a multi-site University you may be required to work across other locations.

Griffith University sites are located on the lands of the Yugarabul, Yuggera, Jagera, Turrbal, Yugambeh and Kombumerri peoples.

We are currently seeking a motivated PhD candidate to join an innovative and impactful 5-year paediatric burn care research program. This program aims to ensure that all Australian children, regardless of their geographic location, receive equitable, high-quality early burn care. We invite applicants from diverse health-related fields—nursing, medicine, psychology, pharmacy, occupational therapy, and medical sciences, who are interested in clinical trials, implementation science, pain management, health equity, and translational research.

Candidates will be supported by a multidisciplinary team to select and co-design a project aligned with one of the following key program aims:

• Improve urgent burn care: Co-develop and evaluate a burns care bundle for children in rural and remote areas through codesign with frontline clinicians and community partners.
• Improve complex burn care: Translate advanced therapies (e.g., negative pressure wound therapy) from tertiary to regional settings using an implementation science framework.
• Improve pain and distress in burns: Evaluate immersive technologies to reduce procedural pain and distress for children presenting to emergency departments.

This opportunity includes collaboration with the Queensland Children’s Hospital and access to national and international burns research networks.

The selection of applicants for the award of higher degree research scholarships at Griffith University involves consideration of your academic merit and research background. To be successful in this role, you will be a curious and compassionate emerging researcher with a health, science or allied health background, bringing a strong academic foundation and a passion for enhancing care for vulnerable children.  You  will have a willingness to collaborate in interdisciplinary teams and across health services.

• Expressions of interest are welcome from domestic and international applicants.
• Applicants must have completed, or expect to complete, a bachelors degree with honours equivalent to first class honours or a Masters degree (AQF Level 9) incorporating a significant research component of a standard comparable to a bachelor honours degree or be regarded by Griffith University as having an equivalent level of attainment in accordance with Schedule One of the HDR Scholarship Procedure.  For further information on the eligibility requirements for the program refer here.

Please note:

• We encourage applications from nursing, medical, psychology, pharmacy, OT, and medical science graduates.

International applicants should ensure that English Language Proficiency requirements for the program are met before formally applying. Applicants to research programs will need to show they meet:

1. A minimum overall band score of 6.5 on the IELTS (Academic) with no band score less than 6.0 OR
2. A minimum score of 575 on the paper-based TOEFL including a score of no less than 5.0 on the TWE OR
3. A score of 79 on the internet-based (iBT) TOEFL with no sub-score less than 19

About the scholarship

The 2025 Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship has an annual stipend of $34,752 (indexed) for a period of up to three years of full-time study. Please see the GUPRS Conditions of Award for more information.

A successful International applicant will also be awarded a Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship to cover tuition fees for up to three years. Please see the GUIPRS Conditions of Award for more information.

What Griffith offers

As a scholarship holder, you will study with a University that ranks among the top 2% worldwide and spans across campuses in South East Queensland. At Griffith University, we’ve worked hard to create a culture that will challenge you to be curious, creative and courageous. We also support the professional and personal development of all our HDR candidates and invest in the skills of our people. Griffith University values diversity, inclusion and flexibility and we encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and people of all backgrounds to apply. Griffith's strategic goals are to also increase the proportion of women in senior academic and administrative roles and in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM).

EoI process

Please do not select the “APPLY” button. All expressions of interest must be submitted to [email protected] containing:

• Statement addressing your suitability for the project/scholarship
• Research proposal
• Evidence that you have completed a program with the required grades as detailed in the about you section, including a  copy of your academic transcript
• A curriculum vitae (CV) using the Griffith CV template.
• Names of  two referees

Closing date for expressions of interest is: Friday 31 October 2025 5pm AEST

The preferred applicant will then be invited to apply for the program and scholarship on-line

For project related enquiries please contact:

Professor  Bronwyn Griffin

Email: [email protected]

For administration enquiries please contact:

Griffith Graduate Research School

Email: [email protected]