Some of Our Parts

Interested in Applying for a Graduate Program in the Communications and Arts Sector?

Applications for the Department of Communications and the Arts 2020 Graduate Program open on 25 March 2019.

We are committed to supporting the employment and career development of people with disability. Our mission is to create an environment in which all Australians have access to high quality communications services and diverse artistic and cultural experiences.

Our participation in the Affirmative measures – disability scheme means we will progress an applicant with a disability to a further stage in the recruitment process, where they apply into the scheme and meet the minimum requirement of the vacancy. A guide for applicants about the disability affirmative measures can be found at http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications-and-media/current-publications/disability-employment-guide-for-applicants

Further information about our 2020 graduate program and the application process see https://www.communications.gov.au/who-we-are/careers/graduate-program  and the attached the 2020 Graduate Job Information Pack – Affirmative Measures – Disability Employment document.

Please note applications for our graduate program close 29 April 2019. 

If you would like any further information or would like to discuss our program please email GraduateMailbox@communications.gov.au .

The Graduate Team

Patricia Hood

Senior Adviser /  Capability and Careers / Human Resources Branch

Department of Communications and the Arts

P +61 2 6271 1159

MedHACK: ENABLED 2019 – Call For Co-Designers

The MedHack 2019 team would like to extend an invitation to students to join them as a co-designer for this year’s hackathon.

The Event

MEDHACK: ENABLED is a 2.5 day hackathon where interdisciplinary teams of students, will come together to develop innovative solutions, that will address challenges faced by individuals experiencing disability within the Monash community.

This year’s theme, assistive technology, aims to open the conversation around disability, whilst allowing participants to learn about the topic, and in the process co-create solutions with you, the co-designer that will create positive social impact.

Your Contribution

As a co-designer, you will play a central role in this event. With your insight, teams will aim to develop, and tailor their solutions to challenges that you put forward.

Your role will be to introduce yourself and the challenges you face on a day to day basis, or that you are personally aware of and are happy to discuss; we will then proceed to match you to 2 teams (composed of 4-5 individuals), which will use your feedback and experience, to come up with the best possible solution that will address one, or a couple, of your identified challenges.

The judges will proceed to select the most innovative, and feasible ideas, which the MYMI team will go on to develop into potential prototypes by the end of the year. The ultimate aim, is for you, or the person you are supporting, to be able to use and employ these solutions.

Venue and Schedule

Being in a central location, only a couple of meters away from Southern Cross Station, The Goods Shed North, will be home to this year’s hackathon. What is usually a place of innovation and entrepreneurship for many medtech based startups, will serve as a source of inspiration for the developers, as it becomes the headquarters for MED_HACK 2019.

Whilst there is no allocated parking on site, paid parking can be easily found in the surrounding streets. We highly recommend taking public transport, with Southern Cross station being only a 2 minute walk away, and with a trams 11 and 48 stopping opposite the entrance to the venue on Collins St.

The hackathon will be spread over 2.5 days, starting on the evening of Friday 3rd of May, through until Sunday 5th of May. The commitment we need from you is the following:

• Friday evening (2hrs)– Introduce yourself, and share your experience (or personal knowledge) of living with a disability as regards the challenge from your brief, with the hackathon participants
• Saturday (2hrs)– join us for lunch! After which we’d like for you to meet the teams addressing your identified challenges, answer their questions and provide feedback on their ideas.
• Sunday (2hrs)– the last opportunity for teams to obtain your thoughts on their solutions, and test out some prototypes or concepts. Hang around to see the teams pitch their developments and the winner to be announced!

*MEDHACK is supported by the Monash Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME), Monash Engineering Faculty, MedTech’s Got Talent (Australia’s largest MedTech Startup Competition) and The Actuator (Australia’s Largest MedTech Accelerator Program).

Your Role As a MedHACK Participant:

• Be available for a minimum of 6 hours over 3rd – 5th May 2019 in the CBD
• Have a willingness to talk about the challenges you may face on a day to day basis, or that you are personally aware of and are comfortable with describing, with fellow members of the Monash Community, and guide our peers in co-designing a solution that will fit the person’s potential needs.

Interested? Fill in the online Google form – or if you would like more information and just want to grab coffee, email co-founders Darren Rajit or Santiago Beltran Diaz at medhack@mymi.org.au.

*Please note: this event has undergone appropriate risk assessments, and the gathering of personal information (with consent) has been approved the University’s Data Protection and Privacy Office.

Students With Disability Scholarship Opportunity: Applications Open May 6th 2019

Professor Jamie Rossjohn, ARC Australian Laureate Fellow, Head of the Infection and Immunity Program at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute within the Faculty of Medicine, is offering Monash undergraduate students who have a disability, the opportunity to apply for a scholarship in his laboratory. The scholarship program will equip students with valuable skills and experience in either laboratory research work or office administration.

Laboratory work may include assisting with the operation and maintenance of technical equipment and services, the preparation of solutions and experimental design, and other laboratory tasks.

Administrative duties may include clerical and book keeping tasks and other office duties pertaining to the running of the office and laboratory including assisting in the preparation and management of documentations and coordinating the routine back-up of laboratory research and administration data.

These scholarships are generally of one month duration and provide flexible work hours and the stipend is equivalent to other Monash student vacation scholarship programs.

This opportunity is anticipated to provide students who have a disability with work experience and skills that will increase their post university employment prospects.

Students who have a strong work ethic, are currently studying in a science related discipline or in office administration, and have a strong motivation to work in this field are encouraged to apply.

These scholarships will align with the winter and summer research scholarship programs – see link: https://www.monash.edu/students/scholarships/current/summer-winter

It is an online application and expected to open on May 6th.

Winter applications: Monday 6 May – Friday 24 May

• Notice of outcome: mid-June

Summer Round 1 applications: Monday 8 July – Friday 26 July

• Notice of outcome: early September

Summer Round 2 applications: Monday 9 Sep – Friday 4 Oct

• Notice of outcome: mid-November

Project dates:

• Winter: 1 July – 26 July 2019
• Summer (Rounds 1 and 2): 25 Nov 2019 – 21 Feb 2020

Jamie will be offering 2 projects:

Further information about the Rossjohn lab:

The academic research program within the laboratory is focused on defining the key molecular interactions underlying receptor recognition events that are
the primary determinants of immunity.

The laboratory’s research has provided an understanding of the basis of peptide, metabolite and lipid presentation – events that underpin protective immunity and deleterious immune reactivity. The team’s research on anti-viral immunity has provided an understanding of the factors that shape MHCrestriction (e.g. Nature Immunology 2015; Immunity 2016; Nature Rev Immunol 2018), while also demonstrating how the pre-TCR, a receptor crucial for T-cell development, functions by autonomous dimerization (Nature 2010).

In relation to aberrant T-cell reactivity, our team has provided insight into alloreactivity (Immunity 2009), Tregs and autoimmunity (Nature, 2017) Celiac Disease (Immunity 2012, NSMB 2014), rheumatoid arthritis (JEM 2013) and HLA-linked drug hypersensitivities (Nature 2012). Regarding innate and innate-like recognition, the team has shed light into how Natural Killer cell receptors interact with their cognate ligands and viral immunoevasins (Nature 2011; JEM 2016; NSMB 2017; Cell 2017; PNAS 2018).

Further, we have provided fundamental insight into TCR recognition of lipid-based antigens in protective and aberrant immunity (e.g. Nature 2007; Nature Immunology 2016; Nature Communications 2016; Nature Immunology 2018). Most recently, our team identified the long sought after ligand for MAIT cells, namely showing that MAIT cells are activated by metabolites of vitamin B and can also respond to commonly prescribed therapeutics (Nature 2012, 2014; Nature Immunology 2016, 2017).

Our research program uses numerous biochemical and biophysical techniques including protein expression and purification, surface plasmon resonance and three-dimensional structure determination with the use of the Australian Synchrotron.

Further, cellular immunology techniques are taught within the laboratories of the collaborators of the Rossjohn laboratory. The industrial research program of the laboratory includes a close collaboration with Janssen, for the development of new therapies to treat psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The laboratory is funded by the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Australian Research Council (ARC), the ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Cancer Council Victoria, National Institutes of Health, Worldwide Cancer Research, Wellcome Trust and Janssen (of Johnson & Johnson pharmaceuticals).

For more details on the research themes, fellowships awarded and publication
outputs see, http://research.med.monash.edu.au/rossjohn/

6 and ½ Years on a Dunghill: Life in Specialist Disability Accommodation

New Book by Monash Alumnus Peter Gibilisco

Peter Gibilisco’s aim in this book is to affirm vital principles that must be better understood and implemented if the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is going to be of benefit and fulfil its mandate; so that care doesn’t become careless.

He wants to encourage people to keep on pushing the case for disability justice! His book is aimed at those providing a service to people with disabilities with high support needs.

Peter wants to address all who are involved in disability care: professionals, social workers and especially those managing facilities that look after communities and groups of people.

Reviewer’s comments:

“Peter Gibilisco writes of his experience living with a disability and fighting for his rights. It is a remarkable insight into the frustrations of dealing with bureaucracies for those with disabilities. Peter describes his experiences and his views on how the lives of those with a disability can be improved by changing processes and removing barriers.”

Prof. Martin Delatycki, Med. Dir., Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, Dir. Friedreich Ataxia Clinic, Monash Medical Centre, Co-Dir., Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

“This book will strike a chord with people who have disabilities everywhere, especially those with severe physical disabilities living in shared supported accommodation facilities. With great intelligence and integrity it describes the mental torture associated with a disintegration of control and individuality worsened by factors as fundamental as a lack of empathy and continuity in the caring relationship. It gives voice to serious shortcomings in a system that is failing many in the provision of truly individualised care.”

Jenny Williams, BA BSW MSW, Social Worker, Friedreich Ataxia Clinic, Monash Medical Centre 

Ordering: 

Six and a Half Years on a Dunghill can be purchased from Amazon as a paperback or in kindle ebook format. It can also be purchased from Fishpond for Australians.

You can also order directly from Peter Gibilisco.

Internship Applications Closing on 7th APRIL 2019

The Australian Network on Disability runs the Stepping into Program twice a year. Stepping Into is a paid internship program designed specifically for university students with disability to assist them to gain meaningful work experience in the area of their study, to assist them to transition into employment once they complete their degree.

Students learn about the recruitment process, job interviews and if successful, gain exposure to degree-relevant work in a forward-thinking organisation

Internships generally last four to eight weeks (with the opportunity for flexible work hours to manage your disability or other commitments).The AND programs team are available throughout the entire process for support, advice and guidance on how to ensure your internship is a success.

This Winter cohort we have a variety of organisation participating

To view the current positions available, please visit our website. www.and.org.au/pages/current-internships.html

Opportunities are based in:

• Canberra
• Sydney
• Melbourne
• Brisbane
• Adelaide
• Newcastle

Am I eligible?

• Applicants must be in the penultimate year of their degree – this means due to graduate either middle or end of 2020
• Applicants must identify as having disability
• International students may apply pending they have full time working rights within Australia
• Applicants from all degree areas are encouraged to apply

How do I apply?

To be considered for the program, Apply Here before midnight Sunday 7^th April 2019

• Please keep your Stepping Into application form generic.
• The team at AND will contact you to arrange your Skype/ phone/ face-to-face Interview
• The team at AND will inform you of the outcome of your application May 2019.

For previous applicants and still eligible

• If you have previously applied and still eligible for the program please email us so we can copy your application to the Winter cohort.
• There is no need for you to complete another interview if you have attended an interview for the last 12 months.
• Submit your 3 preferences before or by 7^th April 2019 by EMAIL. Click here for the list of opportunities for Winter 2019 internships.

Who do I contact if I have more questions?

If you’d like to find out more, please visit the AND website, email applications@and.org.au, or call 1300 36 36 45 to speak to a member of the Stepping Into team.

• 100% of your entry fee goes to spinal cord research, and even though Wings For Life have already revolutionised early spinal cord treatment, there is still a long way to go to find a cure.

The Victorian Government Graduate Program Disability Pathway is Now Open

Applications for the Victorian Government graduate program are now open until Sunday 24 March. The Disability pathway for graduates is a new feature of the program designed to support Victorians with disability during their application for the Victorian Government graduate program and ensures consistent, personalised support in their career in the public service.

What is the Victorian Government graduate program?

The Victorian Government graduate program is the flagship graduate program of the Victorian public service.

Now in its 36th year, our program is a year-long opportunity for graduates to experience public service, grow their potential and gain new skills. It includes 3 rotations in different departments, development opportunities, and a permanent job for all graduates who successfully complete the program.

What is the Disability pathway?

The Disability pathway provides graduates with disability access to safe and inclusive support and adjustments from a dedicated resource. It enables us to better understand graduates as an individual and assists with equitable access throughout the entire process. It can also include support during the graduate year.

The Disability pathway is consistent with Getting to Work, Victoria’s disability employment action plan.

Graduates choose which supports they want to take advantage of, but the pathway can include:

• regular contact with a dedicated person who supports graduates with disability;
• support in accessing workplace adjustments;
• support in accessing flexible working arrangements;
• connections with peers with disability;
• access to mentors with disability; and
• respect for your choice to share or not share information about your disability

Applications to the graduate program can be made through grads.vic.gov.au

Amanda Lawrie-Jones, our Disability Liaison Officer, would welcome a call from anyone who wants to learn more about the pathway. You can reach her at (03) 9651 2016 or at amanda.lawrie-jones@vpsc.vic.