2024 American Australian Association Sustainable Health Care Funding Scholarship

The Sustainable Health Care Funding (SHCF) Scholarship will fund one American Graduate (Postdoctoral, Ph.D. or Masters) student or researcher to undertake comparative research in the field of health care policy and management. Applicants with specializations, including but not limited to financing and delivery of health care; the organization and management of health care delivery systems; the politics of health care policy reform; the impact of health care policy reform on the delivery of health care; or health care economics are invited to apply. Research focus should include comparisons and lessons learnt from existing Australian and American health care systems. The inclusion of comparisons with New Zealand, Canada or Asian countries is also welcome.

The proposed program of research may be carried out under the auspices of an accredited Australian or tertiary/research institution. Placements or exchanges abroad from your existing university to undertake independent research projects may also be considered on a case-by-case basis. Proposed independent research projects will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The duration of research in Australia should not be less than three-months and should begin within a year from the application closing date.

Rationale for the Scholarship:

Effective and efficient provision of health care is a key measure of every society. However, the rapid development of innovative (and expensive) treatments and the increasing proportion of retirees in the population are straining existing funding systems for health care. Each country has developed multiple approaches to address these funding issues, both at the taxation/insurance level, and at the patient/treatment level. There are also major differences in approach within countries by region, employment status, and/or insurance scheme design.

The purpose of the SHCF Scholarship is to encourage comparative research across countries to identify and develop practical approaches that could lead to more sustainable funding systems in Australia and the USA over the next 10-20 years.

Aim and Benefits

This scholarship will provide support of up to US $40,000 and may be used to support tuition, travel, living expenses and any other associated educational or research costs.

Requirements

Candidate must have affiliation, placement or letter of offer from an Australian or American University/research institution, or agreement from their Australian or American University/institution to undertake the proposed research project;
Candidate must be an US citizen or permanent resident ;
Candidate must have prior knowledge or experience in health care administration, and/or a Master’s Degree in Health Care Management;
Candidate’s references must indicate strong professional promise.

Interview date, Process and Venue

Applicants who fulfill the general eligibility requirements will be assessed on the following criteria:

Knowledge of existing health care funding systems in Australia, the USA and other Australasian countries;
Ability to analyze health care epidemiological, activity or financial data sets;
Applicability of the proposed research topic to health care funding issues in both Australia and the USA;
Practicality of the proposed research project given the time available;
Commitment to make research findings available to American Australian Association and the public.

Documents Required for Application

High-resolution headshot & in-action study field shot (min 1MB, 300 DPI);
Video presentation (max 1 minute – introducing yourself & your planned research/study abroad);
Passport biographic page from USA;
Offer or acceptance letter from your host university or research supervisor, confirming your placement;
Academic transcripts for Graduate and/or Undergraduate study;
Resume (please reduce to 1-page);
Detailed budget outlining expenses and income throughout the year of supported study – please download and use the Graduate Education Scholarships Budget Template as a guide. This is available to download in the application portal;
Three referees to list in the Letter of Recommendation section. Please note: after listing, referees will be automatically contacted to complete a recommendation within the online submission form. This is not viewable to the applicant.