The University of Notre Dame Australia Careers

The University of Notre Dame Australia is a Catholic university with campuses in Fremantle, Broome and Sydney. The Objects of the University are the provision of university education within a context of Catholic faith and values and the provision of an excellent standard of teaching, scholarship and research, training for the professions and the pastoral care of its students.

Indigenous PhD scholar Research Training Program (RTP) (Full-Time, $50,000 p.a., for 3.5 EFTSL, Starting Semester 2, July 2026).

About the Scholarship

The University of Notre Dame Australia is offering an RTP Stipend Scholarship to support research in ‘Rethinking Water Governance: Forever Economies and Industries of Wellbeing’. This research opportunity is part of the ARC DECRA project.

*The standard duration of the candidature is Three Years full-time load (3 EFTSL); the maximum duration of the scholarship is six months (full-time) longer and will be automatically extended if a candidature extension is approved. 

• Stipend valued at $50,000 per annum (tax-free), for 3.5 years,
• Tuition Fee: Offset scholarship for domestic students valued at approximately $20,000 per annum.
• Budget for research travel expenses such as flights and accommodation.
• The PhD scholar will be based in Broome (negotiable).

Eligibility

Applicants must identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person to be eligible for this scholarship.

Applicants are required to have completed an undergraduate degree in a related field, usually including a previous short dissertation (such as an Honours thesis). Specific eligibility criteria for a PhD can be found here: notredame.edu.au/hdr

2026 applications for Semester 2 start

To submit an EOI, please email [email protected] by COB Monday 23rd March 2026:

1. Your CV.

2. Summary of your proposed research (1-3 pages). See requirements below.

3. Academic transcript (for all tertiary degrees).

After the EOI, an applicant will be invited to apply for the scholarship through the formal Notre Dame Graduate Research process.

Why choose the Notre Dame?

The Nulungu Research Institute is a Kimberley-based organisation of collaborating Aboriginal and non-Indigenous researchers, each with extensive practical and theoretical knowledge. Nulungu’s vision is ‘to conduct exceptional and collaborative research, which is transformative, decolonising and of value to Aboriginal people’. More on the Nulungu Way. Professor Anne Poelina is Nulungu’s Chair of Indigenous Knowledges and the Chair of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council (MFRC). Associate Professor Stephen Kinnane is the Chair of Indigenous Research. Nulungu’s Director is Associate Professor Melissa Marshall.

The project lead of the DECRA is Dr Kat Taylor, Research Fellow at the Nulungu Research Institute. From time to time, the PhD scholar will be asked to provide the research collaborators, the MFRC, with research updates. See www.martuwarra.org

The project ‘Rethinking Water Governance: Forever Economies and Industries of Wellbeing’ aims to address significant gaps in Australia’s water governance by linking water reform to the development of sustainable, locally grounded economies known as forever economies (examples: bush foods, tourism, carbon, nature repair market). The research will evaluate the water needs of these economies and propose innovative policy reforms for equitable water access for regional and remote communities. Expected outcomes include tailored policy recommendations that support healthy ecosystems, economic diversification, and social equity. Ultimately, the project enhances water governance, promoting a holistic approach that benefits communities and fosters environmental stewardship. The Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council (MFRC) are collaborators in this research.

Your PhD research proposal. The proposal must be strongly aligned with the project description above, addressing an aspect of the research that fits with your prior experience in a relevant field. Suitable themes include political economy, biocultural and bioregional governance, forever economies, water policy and water law reform, water sovereignty, just transitions to low-carbon economies, climate finance, etc. This project might suit an applicant with a background in water management, decolonial theory, political science/ diplomacy, sustainable economies, human geography, or policy.

Funding for the research project comes through an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant under the Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme. The PhD stipend comes from Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP). 

Enquiries: [email protected]