• Centre of Transformative Innovation
• $26,300 ($AUS) annual stipend
• 3 year scholarship based at the Hawthorn campus

In recent years, Swinburne has progressed to become one of the world’s leading universities, ranking as one of the top 400 universities in the world, as assessed by the Academic Ranking of World Universities, and one of the top 75 in the world in physics.

The PhD candidates are expected to develop their own independent research agenda focused on issues related to the economics of innovation under the supervision of Professor Elizabeth Webster, Associate Professor Alfons Palangkaraya and/or Associate Professor Russell Thomson.
Some prospective topics or themes for the PhD candidates to focus on might include the following questions:

• How has global intellectual property system influenced international trade and the globalisation R&D activities?
• How do networks of inventors and scientists collaborate to generate radical scientific breakthroughs?
• What can governments do to foster science, innovation and technological upgrading?

The scholarships would be with the Centre of Transformative Innovation (CTI) at Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology. Swinburne is fast becoming a world leading research university. In fewer than 25 years Swinburne University of Technology has achieved a place in the top 400 universities in the world.

CTI is the largest interdisciplinary academic research body on innovation in Australia which studies knowledge; how it accumulates and how it can be used to benefit all. Economists in the Centre for Transformative Innovation are globally recognised in economics of technology, innovation and intellectual property and have published in prestigious international journals including RAND, Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Law and Economics, Research Policy and American Journal of Agricultural Economics and others.

The hallmark of our Centre is the dedication to using data to explore what works; what is important and what is not. PhD candidates will be provided with excellent research support from Centre’s data scientists and collection of databases including:

• Web of Science (WoS) database of 90 million records and 800 million citations. Swinburne is the only University with access to this data and one of fewer than a dozen worldwide.
• Global intellectual protection application database including patent and trademark.
• Access to unpublished population data of Australian businesses.
• Australian government program recipient database.

Opportunities for international research visits and collaboration
PhD students at CTI are encouraged to take opportunities for mid-candidature exchange and research development to leading universities in the field including Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel; KU Leuven Belgium; and, the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland. Such exchange helps students develop skills and international networks for success as an academic economist, in leading global consulting or at the highest levels of policy development.

Amount awarded
The scholarship provides a stipend of AUD 26,300 per year, is tenable for one year in the first instance, and may be renewed annually for a further two years and in special circumstances up to one additional year subject to satisfactory performance review. There is also an additional scholarship top up per year (up to AUD 10,000) subject to performance review.
The scholarship comes with waiver of any tuition fees payable.

Skills and Experience
The successful candidates would be expected to have a completed Master’s degree in economics or first-class honours undergraduate degree with knowledge in microeconomics and applied econometrics at an advanced Master’s level. Candidates should be highly motivated to conduct independent research, and are should be fluent in English. Applications are open to domestic and international students.
A full list of the selection criteria is available in the position description

The diverse culture within Swinburne is a source of strength. We have an inclusive working environment with employees from a variety of backgrounds. We acknowledge that diversity in the university workforce increases the effectiveness of teams and our capacity for innovation. We welcome applications from Indigenous people, workers of all ages, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTIQ and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

We are proud to be recognised by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality 2015 and of key initiatives such as our Pride@Swinburne Strategic Action Plan and our Reconciliation Action Plan which are integral components of our 2020 vision to be Australia’s leading university of science, technology and innovation.

How to apply
Please send your electronic application in a single PDF file containing:

• A one-page cover letter summarising your academic background, research interests, and motivation for applying.
• A detailed curriculum vita, including the names and addresses of two references.
• A one-page research proposal.
• Degree certificates and grade transcripts (incl. grades for each course)
• GMAT or GRE scores if available
• TOEFL/IELTS scores if from non-English speaking countries or if previous degree qualifications are not from institutions in English speaking countries.

Short listed candidates will be asked to provide reference letters.
Please do not email or send paper applications, all applications must be submitted online.

For further information, please contact Associate Professor Alfons Palangkaraya on +61 3 9214 5826 or .

If you are experiencing technical difficulties submitting your application, please contact the Recruitment team on +61 3 9214 8600 (option 2).

Refer to position number: PHDSCHOL
Applications close: 5pm on 5 September 2016