PhD Scholarship Demography and Statistics

Australian National University

Scholarship period: three years.
Annual stipend: A$25,627 (tax exempt)

The School of Finance and Applied Statistics (FAS) and The Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute (ADSRI), in conjunction with industry partners Australian Mutual Provident Society and Rice Warner, have been awarded an ARC Linkage grant to undertake the project “Expenditure needs and drawdown of retirement savings during later life: how important are demographic factors and financial resources?” The aim of this project is to examine the shifting importance of demographic factors and private financial resources upon elderly individuals’ needs and preferences in the context of population ageing.

FAS and ADSRI invite applications for an APA(I) PhD scholarship to undertake associated research under a supervisory panel constituted by Chief Investigators in the research team under the rules and policies of ANU. The successful applicant will be directed towards a subset of the research problems, and their work will add to the whole project. Among other academic and research activities, the doctoral student could participate in developing a macrosimulation model for the Australian elderly population for the purpose of projecting consumption needs according to demographic and economic factors and statistical analysis and modelling of relevant cross-sectional and longitudinal expenditure data. This research would suit a scholar with interests in statistics, demography, or actuarial science.

The scholar will be required to have a background in one of the following fields actuarial science, demography, econometrics, or statistics. The successful applicant will be required to have a First Class Honours or high Second Class honours undergraduate degree (or equivalent). The scholarship, which must be taken by 31 March 2008, includes a tax-free annual stipend of A$25,627 over three years (with a possible six months extension) and funding for the thesis production. The possibility of top-up funding exists for exceptional candidates. Funding will also be available for fieldwork, travel and attendance to appropriate conferences. Candidates should preferably be Australian citizens, unless no eligible Australian candidate can be identified, in which case Australian permanent residents will be considered.

Information for applicants at:
http://www.anu.edu.au/graduate/prospective/research.php
Applicants should quote ADSRI APA(I) on their Postgraduate Research Program and/or Scholarship Application

Contact for discussion about the proposed research:
Mr Tim Higgins T: 02 61254507 E: tim.higgins@anu.edu.au

General information on the application process:
Chihyon Meneses, Student Administrator,
T:+61 2 6125 1524 E: Chihyon.Meneses@anu.edu.au