PhD Scholarship – What is reproductive wellbeing?

Job No.: 692156

Location: 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne

Employment Type: Full-time

Duration: 3-year fixed-term appointment

Remuneration: The successful applicant will receive a tax-free stipend, at the current value of $37,145 per annum 2026 full-time rate, as per the Monash Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend www.monash.edu/study/fees-scholarships/scholarships/find-a-scholarship/research-training-program-scholarship#scholarship-details

It is desirable for applicants to either be a health care practitioner or psychologist. Successful candidates who meet this criterion will be eligible for an additional stipend of $5000/year (maximum $15,000 for the duration of the scholarship) on top of the current full-time rate for a Monash RTP stipend.

• Be inspired, every day
• Drive your own learning at one of the world’s top 80 universities
• Take your career in exciting, rewarding directions

About the project

Most research in women’s sexual and reproductive health focuses on measurable outcomes such as reducing unintended pregnancy, improving health literacy, or increasing contraceptive uptake. Yet we know far less about how women themselves define reproductive wellbeing or what they believe supports it. This gap means health services risk designing models of care that don’t fully align with women’s lived experiences, priorities, and preferences.

This qualitative PhD project offers the opportunity to explore women’s perspectives on reproductive wellbeing through in‑depth interviews with women of reproductive age across Australia. The insights generated will inform the co‑design of more responsive, patient‑centred health services and contribute to policy initiatives that advance reproductive autonomy and equity. This project is ideal for those who are interested in qualitative research and are passionate about health equity and creating real‑world impact in women’s sexual and reproductive health care.

SPHERE and Monash University

The successful candidate will be part of a multidisciplinary cohort of researchers and students based at the SPHERE NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health in Primary Care.  SPHERE’s focus is on improving access to and the quality of women’s sexual and reproductive health care services particularly in the areas of preconception care, contraception, medical abortion services and endometriosis and pelvic pain diagnosis and management in primary care. For more information about the important work of SPHERE, please visit the website.

SPHERE is located at the Department of General Practice at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and is part of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (MNHS) at Monash University.

Monash University is a member of Australia’s Group of Eight coalition, and is internationally recognized for excellence in research and teaching as one of the world's top 80 universities. Embedded in an ecosystem of health, academia and industry, it delivers the research outcomes, skilled workforce, technology and partnerships to improve human health locally and globally.

Supervisory team

The principal supervisor will be Professor Danielle Mazza AM FAHMS.

Professor Mazza is the Head of the Department of General Practice at Monash University and a nationally and internationally recognised leader in implementation research and knowledge translation in the general practice setting. She has made significant, sustained and ongoing contributions to advance general practice and primary health care in Australia in the field of women’s sexual and reproductive health and as a proponent of evidence-based quality improvement through guideline development and implementation. She leads the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Sexual and Reproductive Health for Women in Primary Care (SPHERE), which aims to improve the quality, safety, and capacity of primary health care services to achieve better outcomes in women’s sexual and reproductive health.

Eligibility Requirements

This opportunity is available to domestic students only. Candidates will need to fulfil the Monash University minimum requirements for admission to a PhD detailed here: www.monash.edu/admissions/entry-requirements/minimum.  

How to apply

For general instructions on how to apply for roles at Monash, please refer to 'How to apply for Monash Jobs'.

To express your interest in this scholarship and PhD research opportunity, we request candidates provide:

• A cover letter describing your research interests and why you would like to undertake a PhD (maximum one page)
• A CV including qualifications, academic achievements, list of publications, work history and references
• A copy of your academic transcript(s)

Enquiries

Please email sphere-cre@monash.edu

Applications Close: Wednesday 29 April 2026, 11:55pm AEST