Postgraduate Research Scholarship in First Nations People, Mental Illness and the NDIS

This Scholarship has been established to provide financial assistance to a Masters by Research or PhD student who is undertaking research in First Nations people, mental illness and the NDIS. The scholarship is funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and provides funding for research on the needs and/or experiences of First Nations people with psychosocial disability (mental illness) and the NDIS. It is part of a broader project that aims to address serious deficits in the operation of the NDIS for one of its largest participant groups: people with psychosocial disability. Working in partnership with the National Disability Insurance Agency, who run the NDIS, this broader project aims to develop new data on scheme outcomes, cost-effectiveness and participant experiences to develop an appropriate and implementable program to improve supports for this group. The project topic has been developed in partnership with First People's Disability Network (FPDN), and applicants may choose from several suggested research topics or develop their own research topic within this broad area. Topics include exploring the needs of First Nations people with mental illness entering the NDIS, barriers preventing access, design improvements, workforce development, use of administrative data for outcomes analysis, community and family funding models, and alternative commissioning models.