Students
Supporting and developing the next generation of work health and safety researchers and professionals
About the Academic Studies Program
The Centre for Work Health and Safety’s Academic Studies Program is designed to support the development of students and graduates looking at careers in work health and safety (WHS).
Through internships, placements and co-supervision opportunities, the program supports students in different disciplines with strategic career planning and skill development in WHS related professions.
What’s involved?
The Academic Studies Program is designed for anyone studying in any field. We have worked with students in research disciplines, marketing, psychology, and data analytics. And we are open to all other fields of study.
To make sure that the experience is tailored to the individual, the program is split into two streams:
Research
We offer co-supervision for students in the early stages of their research.
Whether it is a PhD, Masters, or post-Bachelor Honours research, we work with students and their supervisors to design research projects that explore current and emerging gaps in the WHS environment.
Placement and Internship
Unique opportunities for people studying and looking to work in different areas, including (but not restricted to) business, data analytics, engineering, education, arts, IT, and health sciences.
We pair them with mentors from our multidisciplinary team to work on focused projects within the WHS space.
We work with postgraduate, undergraduate, technical and further education students, as well as graduates at any stage of their academic/professional careers.
Program benefits
Increase skills and knowledge
- Gain the skills necessary to succeed in an evolving WHS job market.
- Develop research skills that will build knowledge and foster innovative solutions to current and emerging WHS problems.
Collaborate and network
- Engage in research co-design to drive inventive solutions to WHS issues.
- Access rare opportunities to collaborate with workers, industry, government, and the NSW community in WHS research.
- Learn within a collegial research environment that offers interactions with a range of intellectual perspectives.
Career development
- Foster personal and professional success in a busy working environment.
- Create lasting impact for the WHS of commercial businesses that look impressive on a CV.
- Gain access to a broader range of supervisor expertise and experience.
Who can apply for the program?
We are open to expressions of interest from:
- Graduate students
- PhD students
- WHS students (tertiary education and technical and further education students)
- Students studying other disciplines
- Digital and data science students
- Occupational health and safety professionals already working in the field and looking for internship opportunities.
Project design
If you are interested in a placement, internship, or co-supervision opportunity, your project must be aligned to the Centre’s priorities.
They can be found via the:
- Centre for WHS Blueprint (An all-in approach to WHS; A changing world of work, Futureproofing against ongoing and re-emerging risks)
- Centre for WHS Strategic Plan (Knowledge, Credibility, Collaboration, Behaviour Change)
- SafeWork NSW Health & Safety Roadmap targets (Fatalities, Serious Injury & Illness, MSD)
Expressing interest
We accept expressions of interests from students individually, however formal engagement must be done via their academic institution. We also accept expression of interest from academic institutions who are looking to set up internship and placement opportunities for their cohorts.
Once submitted, our Governance Committee will appraise the proposal against the Centre’s availability and alignment to its priorities. We will inform students and their academic institutions of the outcome as soon as possible.
Students
To express your interest in being a part of the Academic Studies Program, please email [email protected] using the subject line ‘Expression of Interest in Academic Studies Program’.
Please ensure to include the following information in your email:
- What stream you are interested in i.e. Research Stream or Placement and Internship Stream
- Why you are interested in applying for the Program
- What you hope to gain from the experience
- Your area and level of academic study
- Your skills and areas of expertise
- Your CV
- Your contact details
- Your availability
Our Governance Committee will appraise proposals to engage with the Academic Studies Program based on the Centre’s availability and alignment to its priorities.
Program partners
If your institution is interested in becoming an Academic Studies Program Partner, please email [email protected] using the subject line ‘Academic Studies Program Partner’.
Please ensure to include the following information in your email:
- What your academic institution hopes to gain from the experience
- What academic study area/s may be applicable
- What stream your academic institution is interested in i.e. Research Stream or Placement and Internship Stream
- Your contact details
- Any other pertinent information
Have any further questions?
If you have any questions or if you would like to discuss potential proposal options, please contact us via email, [email protected]
The Academic Studies Manager will reach out you as soon as possible.