David Smerdon

PhD scholarship opportunity in economics at The University of Queensland , based in the School of Economics and linked to an ARC DECRA project led by Associate Professor David Smerdon . The project sits at the intersection of applied microeconometrics , behavioural economics , health economics , and quantitative research on decision-making and cognitive performance . The research agenda examines how sleep, exercise, diet, and environmental conditions shape real-world behaviour using de-identified WHOOP wearable data , Chess.com game data , and environmental data. Possible thesis directions include sleep quality and circadian disruption, exercise and recovery, environmental shocks, heterogeneous effects, and causal machine-learning approaches for personalised behavioural recommendations. Applicants should have strong skills in applied microeconometrics , causal inference , panel methods, difference-in-differences, two-way fixed effects, instrumental variables, and experimental or quasi-experimental design. Strong R or Python capability is especially valued, along with reproducible coding, version control, and AI-integrated research workflows. Experience with behavioural data, wearable/sleep data, or large health datasets is desirable but not required. This is a domestic Australian PhD scholarship only. Funding includes a living stipend of $37,500 per annum tax free (2026 rate, indexed annually) and tuition fees covered . Applicants must commence no later than Research Quarter 4, 2027 , and should submit an expression of interest (EOI) for the PhD program. In the EOI, select the advertised project option and use scholarship code CHESS-SMERDON . For questions, contact Associate Professor David Smerdon at d.smerdon@uq.edu.au . The project is not available to international students.