Global PhD in therapy innovation for lung cancer

This collaborative PhD project will develop and test a new inhaled treatment platform for lung cancer using boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT).

National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan and Macquarie University (MQ) in Australia are pleased to offer a scholarship jointly funded by both institutions to support an exceptional student undertaking doctoral research.

Project ID: 20258050

Full title: Inhaled therapy innovation for lung cancer treatment scholarship

About the project

The PhD candidate will develop expertise in aerosol flow and investigate how BNCT agents can be efficiently deposited in the lungs using novel experimental platforms and computational models.

The developed designs will be evaluated through laboratory experiments and, where appropriate, animal models to determine:

how effectively boron can be delivered to tumours
the safety and potential effectiveness of the treatment when combined with neutron irradiation.

The overarching goals of the research are to:

improve tumour targeting
reduce whole-body exposure
help bring this next-generation treatment closer to clinical application.

Working under the joint supervision of researchers from NTHU and Macquarie University, the successful candidate will receive interdisciplinary training at the interface of engineering, medicine and health sciences.

Supervisors

Associate Professor Shaokoon Cheng, Macquarie University
Email: shaokoon.cheng@mq.edu.au
Associate Professor Chi-Shuo Chen, National Tsing Hua University
Email: chen.cs@mx.nthu.edu.tw

Availability

The scholarship is available to candidates eligible to undertake a direct-entry PhD program at both Macquarie University and National Tsing Hua University on a full-time basis, commencing in:

February or September 2027, if beginning on campus at NTHU
1 October 2027, if beginning on campus at Macquarie University.

Applicants must meet the admission and scholarship requirements of both institutions:

For NTHU, please refer to the application procedures and admission requirements.
For Macquarie University, please refer to the PhD entry and English language requirements and graduate research scholarship eligibility criteria.

Desirable/project-specific criteria

Applicants should preferably have:

a background in biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, medical physics or a related discipline
a background in mechanical engineering and a strong interest in acquiring knowledge and experience in tissue and animal research
experience with computational modelling, such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), particle tracking, or airflow and aerosol simulations
familiarity with lung or respiratory biomechanics, aerosol science, or inhaled drug delivery through coursework or research
some experience with laboratory experiments, such as fluid mechanics testing, imaging or cell assays, and an interest in learning new experimental techniques
demonstrated ability to work in an interdisciplinary team, ideally at the interface of engineering and health or medical research
strong written and verbal communication skills, with an interest in publishing and presenting research findings.

Applicants who are already enrolled in a doctoral degree at NTHU or Macquarie University may be considered if they have at least 24 months remaining in their PhD candidature at the time of joint enrolment in September or October 2027.

Applicants must not already:

hold a doctoral degree
be enrolled in a doctoral degree at an institution other than NTHU or Macquarie University.

Scholarship components

The period of joint enrolment at both universities must be no less than 24 months and no more than 36 months. Students must spend at least 12 months on each university campus, with their on-campus periods divided approximately equally between the two institutions.

Macquarie University components

An iMQRES tuition fee scholarship for international students, or a tuition fee offset for Australian domestic students, for the duration of enrolment at Macquarie University until the expected thesis submission date, subject to the applicable scholarship conditions.
A living stipend of AUD 39,700 per annum at the 2026 rate, tax exempt and paid pro rata while the student is located on the Macquarie University campus.
An airfare allowance of up to AUD 4,000 for travel between Taiwan and Sydney, subject to Macquarie University’s travel policy.

National Tsing Hua University components

An NTHU tuition fee scholarship for the duration of the student’s enrolment at NTHU, subject to the applicable scholarship conditions.
For a Macquarie-home student: NTHU will provide a Dual PhD Degree Scholarship of NTD 15,000 per month while the student is studying at NTHU, for up to 24 months.
For an NTHU-home student: NTHU will provide a Dual PhD Degree Scholarship of NTD 11,000 per month while the student is studying in Australia, for up to 24 months. While studying at NTHU, the student may apply for other sources of funding. Please contact the relevant department directly for further information.

How to apply

The deadline for submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) is Sunday, 31 January 2027.

Applicants should email their EOI documents directly to both supervisors:

Associate Professor Shaokoon Cheng: shaokoon.cheng@mq.edu.au
Associate Professor Chi-Shuo Chen: chen.cs@mx.nthu.edu.tw

Please use the following email subject line:

Inhaled therapy innovation for lung cancer treatment scholarship

The EOI must include:

a curriculum vitae, including information about publications
transcripts from the applicant’s most relevant or recent degree programs
information about the thesis component of the applicant’s previous degree, including the thesis mark, word count, and its weighting or length relative to the overall degree
a statement explaining the applicant’s suitability for the project, limited to 500 words
confirmation that the applicant meets the English language requirements for admission to a PhD program at both universities, or an indication of their willingness to obtain the required English proficiency test results.

Formal application

The preferred candidate will be invited to submit a formal application to both institutions.
For NTHU, the candidate must submit the Application Form for the Global NTHU–MQ PhD Program to the NTHU Office of Global Affairs at gac@my.nthu.edu.tw.
For Macquarie University, the candidate must apply for admission to the PhD program and the cotutelle/joint PhD scholarship through the Macquarie University online application portal.
Following submission of the formal applications, the Macquarie Global Programs team and the NTHU Office of Global Affairs will prepare and finalise the individual student agreement.
Enrolment is subject to the issuance and acceptance of formal offers and the finalisation of the student agreement.
The successful candidate must meet all applicable admission and immigration requirements of both institutions.

Contact information

NTHU Office of Global Affairs
Email: gac@my.nthu.edu.tw

Macquarie Graduate Research Academy
Email: gr.globalprograms@mq.edu.au

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