La Trobe Creating Safer Sport Communities PhD Scholarship 2026

La Trobe Rural Health School is offering a fully funded doctoral project scholarship as part of the Australian Research Council Discovery Project "Creating Safer Sport Communities from Rural to Urban Australia." (Safer Sport)

The Safer Sport project aims to examine and address gender-based violence across Australian sports communities. The project expects to develop an in-depth understanding of the gendered nature of violence in this context and how communities can address such violence. Using an interdisciplinary approach, mixed methods and collaborative co-design, the project’s expected outcomes include a new evidence base, enhanced international interdisciplinary collaborations, and practice guides to improve the capacity and response of sport communities across Australia to address gender-based violence.

The successful candidate will be based within the La Trobe Rural Health School under the primary supervision of Associate Professor Kirsty Forsdike and co-supervised by one or two members of the Safer Sport research team. For First Nations Australian applicants, the supervisory panel may include Prof Julie Andrews. First Nations Australian applicants will also be able to be based in the Gabra Biik Wurruwila Wutja Indigenous Research Centre.

The successful PhD candidate will conduct research that complements and informs the work of the Safer Sport Project, culminating in a doctoral thesis that makes a substantial contribution to the field.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Interview Process
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineFebruary 28, 2026
• ValueFully Funded
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorLa Trobe University
• Eligible CountryAustralia , New Zealand

Benefits

• A stipend scholarship for three and a half years, with a value of $34,000 per annum to support your living costs
• A fee relief scholarship for up to four years
• $5,000 across the lifetime of the scholarship for research expenses, which can include conference attendance

We would especially welcome applications from First Nations Australian applicants for this project. Qualifying applicants will be considered for a Dennis McDermott Research Scholarship which has a stipend top-up valued at $10,000 per annum and additional research support. 

Requirements

To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, applicants must:

• meet the entrance requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy
• not be receiving another scholarship greater than 75 per cent of the stipend rate for the same purpose

In selecting successful applicants, we prioritise applications from candidates who:

• will be enrolled full-time and undertaking their research at a La Trobe University campus
• have completed a Masters by Research or other significant body of research, such as an honours research thesis or lead authorship of a peer-reviewed publication, assessed at a La Trobe Masters by research standard of 75 or above

Successful applicants must be able to commence their studies by 2026. Flexible start dates may be considered.

Selection Process

Selection will be based on

• academic merit and/or research experience,
• quality of the research proposal, and
• demonstrated expertise of relevance to the project

Priority will be given to applicants with a demonstrated interest in gender-based violence in sport, or research in rural and regional areas, and who meet eligibility criteria.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

To express your interest in this project and scholarship, please follow the steps outlined below:

In the first instance, applicants should confirm their eligibility for the Doctor of Philosophy.

Once eligibility has been confirmed, contact Associate Professor Kirsty Forsdike via email to [email protected] with the following details:

• name and contact information
• evidence of eligibility having been confirmed by the La Trobe University’s Graduate Research School
• a CV that contains relevant academic qualifications and experience (up to 4 pages)
• an Expression of Interest Letter (max 300 words) explaining the applicant’s interest in joining the Safer Sport project
• a Research Proposal (max 1,000 words) outlining the research objectives, methodology, and potential contribution to knowledge

The applicant may be asked to attend an interview.

The applicant will need to hold, or be willing to obtain, a working with children's check.

The preferred applicant will be asked to submit a full application for candidature and scholarship for assessment.

Contact: Associate Professor Kirsty Forsdike, [email protected]

For more information, kindly visit La Trobe University scholarship webpage.