Postgraduate Opportunities

Studying at the Diamantina Institute:

The University of Queensland’s Diamantina Institute has an international reputation for its basic and translational biomedical research. Located within the Princess Alexandra Hospital, we work alongside the hospitals’ clinical staff to address important health and disease issues. Our students are part of this exciting research environment and your research will be contributing to improving health outcomes in Australia and around the world.

We offer the following Research Higher Degrees:

• The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• The Master of Philosophy (MPhil)

Masters and PhD programs at the Diamantina Institute require a Bachelor of Science degree (or equivalent) and either an Honours or M.Sc., or appropriate experience.
On average, the PhD takes 4 years to complete and the MPhil takes 2 years. All PhD students enter the program as provisional candidates for the first year and undergo an oral presentation and interview before they are admitted as full candidates.

Please refer to the UQ Graduate School website for further information on How to Apply?

All Expressions of Interest for the UQ Diamantina Institute should be sent to the Postgraduate Administration Officer - di.pgao@uq.edu.au.

Scholarship Top-ups:

DI provides a number of scholarship top-ups each year on a competitive basis to our RHD students to assist with their expenses.

Support from Leading Scientists:

In addition to the support from your principal supervisor who will guide your development as a research scientist, we also appoint a thesis committee to support you throughout the project. We have a seminar series with regular talks on the latest research topics given by leading scientists from universities across Australia and around the world, as well as by our own research staff and students. The Institute also offers a mentoring program that enables students to connect with people further along the career path who can help you grow in your career.

Professional Development:

We are keen to support our students’ professional development, so we organise workshops on bioinformatics, bioethics, business, scientific writing, scientific presentations and other key areas that will help you grow as a researcher. You also have the opportunity to build your confidence in presenting your science to others by giving regular talks to your research group and Institute colleagues. Our dedicated writing coach can help you with your scientific writing and also individualised English-language support for ESL students.

We offer finishing PhD students information and help on obtaining postdoctoral fellowships and encourage them to visit other labs and attend international conferences to secure a postdoctoral position. Our graduates have gone on to work at labs in the USA, Europe, Asia and around Australia.

Research Seminars:

The UQDI postgraduate program aims to provide students with training beyond the boundaries of their specific research program. This is facilitated by a series of weekly lectures and seminars by both internal and external speakers. The content and structure of this program will evolve and change along with the ongoing evolution of biomedical science and in response to student and advisor feedback.

Exposure to Commercialisation:

With the commercialisation successes at the Diamantina Institute, we are focused on giving our students not only an all-round medical research education but also an introduction to topics such as commercialisation, biobusiness and intellectual property. These are designed to make all students aware of important or current issues at the interface of industry and basic research. Working at the cutting-edge of technology, it is imperative for students to also understand the impact science has on contemporary society.

What to do next?

Step 1 - Find a Research Project

For information on current postgraduate projects that are being offered by different laboratories in the Institute, please refer to the Research section and contact the relevant research leader directly.

Step 2 - Refer to the UQ Graduate School website for information on How to Apply?

Step 3 - All Expressions of Interest for the UQ Diamantina Institute should be sent to the Postgraduate Administration Officer - di.pgao@uq.edu.au.