UTS Doctoral Scholarship in Law (Elder Law) 2026

UTS is offering a funded PhD (Law) scholarship for a candidate interested in socio legal research on ageing, decision making and law reform. The candidate will join a multidisciplinary ARC Discovery Project Solo Agers and Decision-Making: Promoting Choice and Control ARC DP260101085 that investigates how to better support ‘solo agers’ – older adults who lack trusted family or friends to act in statutory decision roles (e.g., enduring power of attorney, enduring guardian). These individuals face a heightened risk of decisional isolation, which can lead to state appointed guardians or administrators making decisions about their finances, living arrangements, services and care. The project will generate new knowledge to expand meaningful options for solo agers by examining alternative decision role models, including appointments of peers, volunteers and/or professionals.

Within the context of this project, the PhD research will focus on doctrinal and socio legal research, including on legislation and implementation models in other countries that enable non kin appointments to statutory decision roles. This may include comparative legal analysis and empirical research with legal and policy experts in selected jurisdictions. The doctoral research will contribute to law reform, elder law scholarship and national and international initiatives to promote the rights of older people.

Table of Content

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

Summary

• Application DeadlineApril 15, 2026
• Value$39,000
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorUniversity of Technology Sydney
• City to studyNew South Wales
• School to studyUniversity of Technology Sydney
• Course to studyLaw
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Requirements

Applicants should:

• have a background in law, ideally in elder law and wills/estates
• have completed a Bachelor Degree with First Class Honours or Second Class Honours (Division 1), a Masters of Research degree, or be regarded by the University as having an equivalent level of attainment
• be accepted into a UTS PhD degree in the Faculty of Law
• commence the PhD degree program in the year in which the scholarship commences.

Selection Process

• Academic merit in previous undergraduate and/or postgraduate study  
• Research and other relevant experience of the applicant, especially experience in doctrinal and socio-legal research methods
• Quality of the research proposal and its relevance to the ARC Discovery Project.

Application Documents

Pre-Assessment of your application can only occur once you have provided the Faculty of Law ([email protected]) with the following documents:

• Academic transcripts
• CV using the UTS CV template (DOCX, 54.5KB)
• A short outline (500 words) of your proposed topic
• A cover letter
• A one page statement that outlines your experience, training and expertise relevant to this project, and
• contact details for two referees 

Students currently completing Honours or Masters degrees should list academic results to date, and the likely date for completion (which must be before the PhD degree application dates mentioned above). 

Application Deadline

How To Apply

Applicants must follow the application process for entry to the UTS Faculty of Law PhD Program:

• Step one: Submit a Pre-Assessment Application to the Faculty of Law as explained below, then, if approved
• Step two: Submit a Central Application to the UTS Graduate Research School by the relevant scholarship deadline and note on the form that they wish to apply for the UTS Doctoral Scholarship in Law (Elder Law).

Pre-Assessment of your application can only occur once you have provided the Faculty of Law ([email protected]) with the relevant application documents.