Understanding psychosocial contributors to chronic neck pain to enhance treatment

About this project

Help find novel ways to address chronic pain

If you are keen to launch your career in the allied health industry and passionate about developing better ways to address chronic pain, the University of South Australia – Australia’s University of Enterprise – is offering a hands-on project-based PhD with real-world outcomes within the IIMPACT in Health research concentration.

Our project explores how psychological and social factors can influence people’s experiences of chronic neck pain. Specifically, we will evaluate whether (and if) these factors may underpin how a new treatment called “Fit for Purpose” training provides clinical benefit. This knowledge will help inform how we may further improve this new treatment.

Our project also aims to create new tools to evaluate the pain beliefs of people who have neck pain and to guide how we, as clinicians, might better validate people’s pain experiences in our clinical encounters. These new tools will allow us to quickly translate clinical results to positively benefit clinical practice.

You will be based in the IIMPACT in Health research concentration and be part of the Persistent Pain Research Group (PPRG), located at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. PPRG is a vibrant, dynamic group of experts in a wide range of disciplines, from physiotherapy and psychology to exercise and sports science.

The PPRG’s research projects span experimental to clinical science, so you will have the opportunity to learn about numerous other types of study designs and research areas beyond your own. It has a collegial and supportive atmosphere, and it hosts internationally recognised pain researchers each year. This environment is the ideal platform upon which to start building your professional network and honing your skills as a collaborative researcher.

What you’ll do

In this project-based research degree, you will get to work with field leaders in pain science research and validation research, but also consumers who have lived experience of neck pain, and clinicians who treat neck pain.

You will be part of a large government-funded clinical trial evaluating an entirely new intervention for chronic neck pain. Depending on your clinical background and training, you may also have the opportunity to be involved in treatment provision in the clinical trial.

There are opportunities for you to attend at least one national and one international conference. These activities are often paired with a visit to a research lab of another field-leader in pain science. Both will help you develop sophisticated skills and confidence in communication and networking.

Where you’ll be based You will be based in IIMPACT in Health. Persistent pain, stroke recovery, persistent breathlessness, child health and the rural health inequity are now recognised as grand health challenges. They are multifactorial and complex. Solving them will require innovation, collaboration and whole of community involvement.

IIMPACT in Health brings together internationally renowned research groups intent on understanding and solving real-world problems, and fast-tracking our discoveries to bring about effective and sustainable improvements in health outcomes Financial Support

This project is funded for reasonable research expenses. Additionally, a living allowance scholarship of $35,200 (2025 rate) per annum is available to eligible applicants. An additional top-up scholarship with a value of $10,000 per annum will be offered to the preferred applicant. Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants will be eligible to receive an increased stipend rate of $52,352 (2025 rate) per annum. A fee-offset or waiver for the standard term of the program is also included. For full terms and benefits of the scholarship please refer to our scholarship information for domestic students or international students.

Eligibility and Selection

This project is open to applications from both Domestic and International applicants.

Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for entrance into a PhD. Additionally applicants must meet the project selection criteria:

• Hold a relevant clinical degree such as Honours or Master in Physiotherapy, Exercise and Sports Science, Osteopathy or a similar field
• Have previous clinical experience working with patients with musculoskeletal pain (including neck pain)
• Have training in pain science education (desirable)

All applications that meet the eligibility and selection criteria will be considered for this project. The successful applicant is expected to study full-time and to be based at our City West campus in the heart of Adelaide.

Essential Dates

Applicants are expected to start in a timely fashion upon receipt of an offer. Extended deferral periods are not available. Applications close on Monday, 25 November.