A PhD scholarship is available to undertake a PhD nested within the Establishing Pathways to Improved Care for Cancer-related Sarcopenia (EPICCS) project. EPICCS is a research program supported by the Medical Research Future Fund. This is an exciting opportunity to understand and influence practice and policy related to screening and treatment of cancer-related sarcopenia, with scope to shape the PhD project according to the selected candidate’s interests.

Cancer-related sarcopenia (i.e. low muscle mass) affects 30 – 50% of people with cancer, leading to reduced capacity to tolerate treatment and contributing to worse survival. Cancer-related sarcopenia is currently unrecognised and untreated due to the lack of a suitable screening tool.

The Establishing Pathways to Improved Care for Cancer-related Sarcopenia (EPICCS) project is a research program supported by the Medical Research Future Fund in partnership with key government and oncology organisations. The project involves three phases: 1) the development and validation of a screening tool for cancer-related sarcopenia, 2) implementation and evaluation of the screening tool at four health services within Australia, and 3) integrating the screening tool into national guidelines and policy.

We have a scholarship available to undertake a PhD nested within the EPICCS project. This is an exciting opportunity to understand and influence practice and policy related to screening and treatment of cancer-related sarcopenia, with scope to shape the PhD project according to the selected candidate’s interests. This PhD will provide the opportunity to work with leading national and international researchers.

Eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must meet Deakin University’s entry requirements and able to enrol full time.
• Bachelor’s degree with Honours or Master’s degree with a research component (or equivalent research experience related to the topic area).
• Fluency in verbal and written English, highly motivated and able to work well in a multidisciplinary team.

Additional desirable criteria include:

• Previous degree or background in nutrition and dietetics or other allied health profession.
• Clinical experience in oncology is highly desirable but not essential.
• Experience and skills in conducting human research will be highly valued.

Benefits:

• Scholarship available over 3 years with an annual stipend of $35,550 per annum tax exempt (2025 rate). Further details on the Deakin University PhD stipend: https://www.deakin.edu.au/study/fees-and-scholarships/scholarships/find-a-scholarship/rtp-and-duprs