UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) has announced the 2025 Global Challenges PhD theme is ‘Drugs inspired by nature’.
PhD candidates can now receive extra financial support as they find new solutions inspired by nature to current global challenges.
Looking to soil and marine microbes, nutrients, and venoms from plants and animals, scholars will work with some of the world’s leading researchers to develop drugs that cross the blood brain-barrier and treatments for cardiovascular disease, UTIs, breast tumours, dementia, malaria, antimicrobial resistance and much more. Explore projects here.
Why apply for a Global Challenges top-up?
The IMB Global Challenges PhD top-up scholarship offers successful candidates $5,000 per year on top of the UQ Graduate School Scholarship of $35,000 per year – all tax free. Over the duration of the program, there is also $5,000 support available for an industry placement opportunity and $2,000 as part of the IMB Student Development fund.
The goal of IMB’s Global Challenges projects is to give PhD scholars the opportunity to deep-dive into a specialised topic of global significance where solutions are urgently needed. Projects are also undertaken as part of a gold-standard cohort-style training program offering support throughout the person’s candidature and a chance for collaboration and enhanced opportunities.
The program includes training in drug discovery methods, research techniques, tailored transferable skills training and support to conduct an industry placement with the goal of creating job-ready graduates.
There are multiple Global Challenges top-up scholarships on offer and they are open to Domestic and International (onshore) candidates. PhD applications open 15 July 2024 and scholars commence Research Quarter (RQ) 1, 2025.
How to apply
Explore IMB's list of Global Challenges PhD projects and to be considered, please complete the expression of interest form by 1 September 2024. For more information on applying for a PhD at UQ, please see the UQ website and consider subscribing to IMB’s PhD alerts to stay up to date on the application process.
Researching at IMB
IMB is Australia’s #1 research institute according to the Nature Index and is leading the way in harnessing nature to improve global health and wellbeing.
At IMB, you will be surrounded by world-leading researchers who are at the cutting-edge of discovery and translation. You will have access to first-class facilities, benefit from a collegial, supportive advisory team and create connections with other students through the Student of IMB Association (SIMBA).
For a full list of our available PhD projects at IMB, please visit the IMB website.
