The doctorate with a difference
Completing a thesis is only one step towards becoming a researcher or academic. The Autism Future Researchers Doctoral Training Program will provide high-quality PhD candidates with the opportunity to develop, practice and refine the skills to become the leading autism researchers of the future.
Located within the School of Education and Professional Studies (EPS), the Autism Centre of Excellence (ACE) has team members with expertise in Education, Clinical Psychology, Education and Developmental Psychology, Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy. This combination of expertise provides an excellent environment for training a new generation of researchers who have a passion to conduct the highest-quality research to improve the lives of individuals on the autism spectrum and the broader autism community.
The ACE team are passionate about supporting Higher Degree Research (HDR) candidates to become the leading autism researchers of the future. Candidates who are accepted into this Doctoral Training Program will not only conduct cutting-edge research which makes a genuine contribution to advancing knowledge, but through the Doctoral Training Programme, will develop the research and transferable skills needed throughout their career.
A pathway to excellence
The Autism Future Researchers Doctoral Training Program will nurture the next generation of autism researchers to develop the skills, assets and networks to conduct and disseminate research which has beneficial impact and meaningful real-world outcomes. Such skills will put ACE’s HDR candidates at the forefront of establishing careers in academia, industry, research or other related positions in Australia and worldwide.
Research in Griffith University’s Autism Centre of Excellence is driven by research priorities set by the autism community and focuses on five themes. All projects within the Autism Future Researchers Doctoral Training Program will focus on one or more of these themes and include active engagement from industry and/or the autism community:
- Autism, education and learning across the lifespan
- Mental health and well-being in autism
- Participation, social and vocational outcomes in autism
- Behaviour that challenges, parent well-being and family supports.
- Strengths, resilience and quality of life for individuals on the autism spectrum
Be part of a career changing, thriving research community
HDR candidates on the Autism Future Researchers Doctoral Training Program will join the active and vibrant research community within the Autism Centre of Excellence. We embrace diversity and welcome neurodiverse applicants.
Potential supervisors include A/Prof Dawn Adams, Dr Kate Simpson and Dr Stephanie Malone. Co-supervision can be also provided by other leading autism researchers at Griffith University, including A/Prof David Trembath (Speech Pathology), A/Prof Marleen Westerveld (Speech Pathology) and Dr Jessica Paynter (Applied Psychology). All supervisors have extensive experience in supervising HDR candidates to successful completion and beyond.
The academic and student-led cohort-focused activities of the Doctoral Program provide a supportive and exciting environment for candidates throughout their PhD. The breadth and strength of the training programme enables candidates to not only build links with each other candidates within their cohort, but also develop interdisciplinary links within and outside of the university and forge lasting links with industry.
Professor Dawn Adams
Director, Autism Centre of Excellence
Emeritus Professor Deb Keen
Emeritus Professor, Autism Centre of Excellence
Emeritus Professor Jacqueline Roberts
Emeritus Professor, Autism Centre of Excellence
Associate Professor Kate Simpson
Associate Professor in the Postgraduate Autism Studies Program
Dr Stephanie Malone
Senior Lecturer
Interested?
Check your eligibility and then contact us to find out more.
To be eligible to apply for a PhD at Griffith University, you’ll need
- A bachelor’s degree with first- or second-class honours (Division A) or a GPA of at least 5.5 on a 7.0 scale, or
- A master’s degree incorporating a significant research component with equivalent grades (i.e. a GPA of at least 5.5 with a GPA of 6.0 for the research component on a 7.0 point scale).
Griffith University offers competitive PhD and research degree scholarships for full-time students which can cover tuition fees, overseas student health cover, living allowances paid as stipends and relocation allowances. The selection of applicants for the award of higher degree research scholarships at Griffith University involves consideration of both academic merit and research background. Applicants for scholarship must have completed, or expect to complete, a Bachelors degree with honours equivalent to H1(E) class honours or a Masters degree incorporating a significant research component with an equivalent grade.
More information to doctoral programs is available from the Griffith Graduate Research School. For scholarship information please see the research degree scholarships website.
If you don’t meet these requirements but are keen to study a Higher Degree by Research, please use the form below to contact us about Masters qualifications which can lead into a PhD .