JCU’s New PhD Program Working Towards Better Future
James Cook University has launched a new PhD program, PhD@Work, that will help drive innovation and development that supports North Queensland’s economic growth.
The PhD@Work program emphasises integrating professional experience with traditional academic research and allows candidates to advance their careers without interrupting their current employment.
Candidates develop a portfolio of advanced and relevant research projects, rather than a single thesis like conventional PhD programs.
The Dean of Graduate Research & Researcher Development Stephan Riek said he’s excited about the future of the program.
“This initiative will provide a massive boost for research and development in regional Northern Australia by integrating professional experience with academic rigour,” Professor Riek said.
“Industries such as mining and resources, agriculture, tourism, rural and regional health, and environmental management play a crucial role in our regions and the PhD@Work program can drive innovation and development in these areas.
“Embedding within these industries ensures that the research conducted is directly relevant and beneficial to our region and the challenges we face.”
There has already been strong demand for the program, including from Miranda Mears, the Managing Director of Australian Impact Group (AIG), a Queensland-based organisation dedicated to driving strategic innovation, business transformation, and industry resilience.
Miranda Mears also serves as president of the Townsville Chamber of Commerce and her PhD will focus on quantifying connectivity markers for participation and enablers and its importance for community resilience during natural disasters, an area of which she has already undertaken significant research for a Queensland Government project.
“I heard about the PhD@Work program from a number of sources and found that it really aligned with what I wanted to achieve, while I still maintain my existing work,” she said.
“So, I really was drawn to that flexibility and the fact that it did take into consideration previous research and previous experiences in industry. It was really tailored to industry participation and wasn’t just purely academic, which really appealed to me.
“One of the reasons why the PhD at Work program works is because I think most of the people that would be attracted to the PhD program already have been working on identifying solution or problems.”
Cairns-based participant Kim Bender is the CEO and Founder of Iotis, which focuses on product development for electronics and advanced solutions in the rapidly evolving domains of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Kim Bender, a JCU Engineering alumnus who runs his startup out of the JCU Founders-in-Residence, praised the flexibility of the PhD@Work program, which allows him to pursue his PhD dream.
“I’ve always been interested in the idea of doing a PhD, but doing a traditional PhD and staying another four years at university didn’t really suit me,” he said.
“I started at JCU as a mature age student and my degree took around six years as I was working part time. Spending more years studying and taking time off work while having young kids at home was just never going to happen.
“So, the opportunity to be able to do it through my work is amazing and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Fellow PhD@Work program participant Matt Steine currently leads CSIRO’s global engagement team, with his research to focus on the potential for AI driven ‘digital twins’ to answer fundamental questions about Australia’s environmental, economic, and national security.
“I had been considering a PhD for a number of years, though I needed to pursue one that integrated with my focus for large scale impact and ability to pursue that commercially at the same time,” he said.
“JCU’s key program staff have deep experience in driving the commercialisation of innovation in global markets, which is essential to lead a program like this.
JCU’s HDR Innovation & Industry Lead Dr Samantha Horseman is co-designing a customised research roadmap for the program, with over 30 candidates set to embark on their PhD journey at their workplace and during work-time.
“Candidates who have already joined our first pilot are from various sectors addressing research across these industries: renewables, artificial intelligence, robotics, social impact, agriculture, climate change, food security, digital twins … and much more,” Dr Horseman said.
“Whether you are candidate, who has always dreamed about embarking on a PhD journey, or an organisation with industry challenges teamed with talented employees, we can curate and co-design the research roadmap with you.”
For more information on JCU’s PhD@Work program click here or email [email protected].
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https://www.jcu.edu.au/news/releases/2025/april/jcus-new-phd-program-working-towards-a-better-future