Sustainable Shared Mental Health Coverage
Building a Sustainable Framework for Shared Mental Health Coverage
Published on the 08 October 2026 by UNSW Scientia PhD Project
This project is part of the UNSW Scientia PhD Scholarship Scheme
Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend and a one-off Global Mobility Grant to conduct international engagement activities.
Australia is experiencing an increasing number of workers permanently leaving employment or taking extended absences due to mental health conditions. The impact is particularly pronounced among individuals aged 30-40, creating significant socio-economic costs and placing unprecedented pressure on workers' compensation schemes, life insurers, and government support systems. This project addresses this challenge by developing evidence-based insurance and risk management solutions for work-related mental health disorders. It will generate novel methods for identifying and quantifying workplace and demographic risk factors, enabling the design of more sustainable, equitable, and targeted insurance products.
Through advanced actuarial modelling, the project develops mechanisms for effective risk sharing between workers' compensation schemes and life insurance providers, accounting for differences in age, occupation, and population characteristics. In addition, the project establishes a coordinated claims management framework for strengthening long-term sustainability of insurance schemes with mental health coverage and inform future policy and legislative reform.
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- Residency: Domestic applicants only.
- Degree program: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
You must meet the minimum requirements below to apply:
- An appropriate Bachelor degree with first or upper second class Honours from UNSW: OR
- A completed Master by Research, with a substantial research component and demonstrated capacity for timely completion of a high-quality research thesis; OR
- a qualification from another tertiary institution at a level considered equivalent by the Faculty Higher Degree Committee (HDC)
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Eligible applicants must contact the Primary Supervisor, Jonathan Ziveyi - z3342158@ad.unsw.edu.au. If he agrees to supervise you, you will be invited to submit a formal application to UNSW.
Your email should include:
- CV
- Official academic transcripts
- A brief introduction about you and why you are qualified for this project.
- What interests you about this project and the supervisor(s) expertise.
Research project overview
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Scholarship value
$39,991 per annum (2027 rate) stipend for 3.5 years
$25,000 Global Mobility Grant (one-off) -
Supervisory team
Associate Professor Jonathan Ziveyi (UNSW, Primary Supervisor)
Associate Professor Andres Villegas (UNSW, Co-Supervisor)
Dr. Ayse Arik (UNSW, Co-Supervisor)
Associate Professor Justine Gatt (Tilt Your Life, Co-Supervisor)
Professor Jan Dhaene (KU Leuven, Co-Supervisor)
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Global research partner
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Candidate residency
Domestic
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Degree program
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
UNSW School | Research area
UNSW Business | School of Risk and Actuarial Studies
Impact focus area
Pillar 9: Strengthen societal resilience, security and cohesion
Learn more
Supervisors
Do you have questions?
The UNSW Graduate Research School manages all postgraduate research applications and scholarships. Get in touch with our team to discuss your research interests and the next steps.