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Published: 11 Nov 2024 2,722 views
The University of St Andrews and Macquarie University are pleased to offer a scholarship funded by both institutions, to support an exceptional student undertaking doctoral research in the following project:
Enhancing Community-Based Sensory Health Screening - Integrating the Arclight Device into the Sound Bites Program
Students will enrol at both institutions from the outset. In terms of their location for study. The available entry point for students beginning at St Andrews is 27 September 2025. If beginning at Macquarie, the entry point is 1 October.
As a doctoral student at the University of St?Andrews you will be part of a growing, vibrant, and intellectually stimulating postgraduate community. St?Andrews is one of the leading research-intensive universities in the world and offers a postgraduate experience of remarkable richness.
According to the latest UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, more than 88% of research carried out by the University of St Andrews is world-leading or internationally excellent. St Andrews offers research students an intensive research environment, which is a vital step in their journey to a career in research and academia. Pursuing a specialism is a fulfilling path to undertake, and our research degrees are fully supervised and integrated into the research interests of our academic staff. At St Andrews research students will be contributing to the ground-breaking research we produce and making a significant contribution to the development of the respective academic field.
St Leonard’s Postgraduate College is at the heart of the postgraduate community of St?Andrews. The College supports all postgraduates and aims to provide opportunities for postgraduates to come together, socially and intellectually, and make new connections.
In addition to the research training that doctoral students complete in their home School, doctoral students at St?Andrews have access to a range of research skills development and training opportunities, which are designed to help them make the most of their postgraduate experience. These opportunities range from skills sessions that increase research capabilities to employability workshops and online resources. These support and development opportunities are available to all research students through the University’s GRADskills programme, a free, comprehensive training programme to support their academic, professional, and personal development.
St Leonard’s College and the University’s?Careers Centre?support all postgraduate students?in identifying and achieving their career ambitions. The Careers Centre has dedicated staff and has developed extensive resources and offerings?specifically for postgraduate students. Our research graduates go on to further studies and academic positions around the world or a range of professions outside of academia.
Macquarie University is recognised globally as a leading university, consistently ranking among the world’s best due to a strong tradition of innovation and exploration. With an enviable reputation for research excellence and a driving desire to produce solutions with real-world impact, Macquarie’s discoveries are paving the way to a brighter future. As a doctoral student at Macquarie, you will be able to draw on the expertise of the University’s knowledgeable and passionate research community.
The definition of a research problem, the exploration of the problem, and the dissemination of findings to the academic and general community, are central to the process of research candidacy at Macquarie. Candidates are supported throughout these stages by various central, faculty and departmental activities and assisted with the administration and management of their candidacy and research through the services provided by the Graduate Research Academy.
The doctoral program at Macquarie is a pathway to a career as a researcher in both academia and industry. In addition to managing their candidature and understanding their requirements as a researcher, doctoral students will complete a university-wide and a faculty-specific commencement program. They also have the opportunity to take advantage of a range of face-to-face courses and online training resources to leverage their degree to reach future career goals.
Hearing and/or vision loss interferes with primary modes of communication inhibiting independence and ability to participate in society. The clear association between population ageing, sensory loss, cognitive, social, emotional and physical decline; and associated disability cannot be ignored. Currently, there is an unmet need for a multi-faceted and evidence-based intervention that includes holistic assessment of older adults with sensory loss. The Sound Bites program in Australia led by Prof Gopinath, aims to integrate hearing screening into existing Meals on Wheels New South Wales (MoW NSW) services, through training their volunteers to use an evidence-based hearing testing app developed by Sound Scouts (Australian digital hearing health company). The Arclight is a low-cost, solar-powered and easy-to-use medical diagnostic tool combining ophthalmoscopy and otoscope, to assess both eye and ear health.
Dr Blaikie and the Global Health Team in St Andrews have supported the long-term development of Arclight through research and helping to train health-care workers in a variety of settings. This project aims to expand the scope of the Sound Bites program by incorporating the Arclight device, to enable evidence-based hearing and vision screening for community-dwelling older adults.
Objectives:
Methodology:
Innovative and Distinctive Features:
The project's multidisciplinary nature makes it relevant to a broad academic and clinical audience, while its focus on practical, community-based interventions ensures real-world applicability. By combining frugal innovation with established public health practices, this research has the potential to create a scalable model for sensory health screening in diverse settings globally.
The project will be managed jointly between the School of Medicine at St Andrews and the Department of Health Sciences at Macquarie. The student will be supervised by Dr Andrew Blaikie (St Andrews) and by Prof. Bamini Gopinath (Macquarie).
St Andrews is a unique and captivating place, and the University is a key part of its charm. Seven centuries of history link the students with the town, leading to the ancient and yet modern institution apparent today. For those interested in visiting or moving to St Andrews, we recommend taking a look at the town information, which describes the facilities and opportunities open to the local community. You can also find information about the University’s governance, history, and strategy for the future in the sections below.... continue reading
| Application Deadline | 09 Dec 2024 |
| Value | £19,237 or AUD $38,500 |
| Country to study | Australia, United Kingdom |
| School to study | Macquarie University, University of St. Andrews |
| Type | PhD |
| Course to study | View courses |
| Sponsor | University of St Andrews |
| Gender | Men and Women |
The funding comprises a scholarship equivalent of a full-fees award and stipend for a period of up to 3.5 years. It is expected that the student will spend half of the scholarship term at the University of St Andrews and half at Macquarie University:
Unless otherwise specified, the scholarships do not cover:
Admission and scholarship criteria of both universities must be met.
For St Andrews, please refer to details of how to apply and of entry requirements here: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/apply/postgraduate/research/.
For Macquarie University, please refer to the PhD entry and English language requirements, and graduate research scholarship eligibility criteria.
Applicants must not already (i) hold a doctoral degree; or (ii) be matriculated for a doctoral degree at the University of St Andrews, Macquarie University, or another institution.
Available to students studying: School of Medicine, St Andrews and Department of Health Sciences, Macquarie.
Domicile for fee status: No restrictions
Schools: Available to faculty members from Medicine
Application assessment: Academic merit
Available to: Prospective students
Mode of study: Full time
Geographical criteria: No restrictions
Application period closes: Monday 9 December 2024
Notification date: The week commencing Monday 13 January 2025
Entry: 2025
Submit an application/Expression of Interest via the University’s online portal.
As this is a St Andrews system, please ensure that you choose School of Medicine and Dr Andrew Blaikie as your principal supervisor.
Applications/Expressions of interest should include the following documents:
Applications for a scholarship will be assessed jointly by the co-supervisors. Following a successful application for the scholarship, candidates may be invited by the co-supervisors to submit a full application to each university for admission into the program and award of the scholarship.
Please indicate in your application that you wish to be considered for this Global doctoral scholarship (Blaikie-Gopinath). Informal enquiries should be submitted to the co-supervisors via email to: Andrew Blaikie, [email protected] and Bamini Gopinath, [email protected]. Any enquiries relating to the application process should be sent to [email protected].
Please contact us should you have any questions regarding the scholarship: [email protected] or [email protected]
Next steps
Successful scholarship applicants will be invited to apply for admission to both universities from mid-January 2025, and then formal outcomes of the position will be made, subject to provision of full application details and materials for entry to the programme on 27 September 2025 (for St Andrews starts) or 1 October 2025 (for Macquarie starts).
Successful scholarship applicants must meet all relevant entry requirements for admission including any immigration requirements that may be in place. Please see the advice on applying for research degree programmes at St Andrews and the PhD application guidelines at Macquarie.
For more details visit: University of St Andrews website.
