Victoria University PhD Scholarship on Violence and Social Repair 2027

This project provides a unique opportunity to contribute to impactful scholarship on violence and social repair and participate in international networks. 

This interdisciplinary project focuses on the afterlives of political violence, colonial violence, and war, and the possibilities of social repair. It aims to explore themes including:

• the enduring impacts of large-scale deaths, disappearances, and displacements for human and more-than-human worlds
• how centring vernacular and Indigenous practices of resistance, memory, and care might generate new languages of social repair
• how this might become a resource for re-imagining peacebuilding, reconciliation and transitional justice frameworks grounded in western, liberal ways of knowing.

Proposals are invited from scholars with backgrounds including but not limited to:

• peace and conflict studies
• anthropology
• development studies
• memory studies
• socio-legal studies
• Indigenous studies
• critical psychology. 

We are especially interested in projects geographically focused on Asia and the Pacific, and settler-colonial Australia. 

Qualitive and ethnographic projects are particularly welcomed, especially those incorporating critical, decolonial, feminist, or First Nations theories and methods. 

Table of Content

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

Summary

• Application DeadlineJuly 31, 2027
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorVictoria University (VU)
• City to studyVictoria
• School to studyVictoria University
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• Tuition fees offset
• Stiend 
• Overseas health cover
• Additional awards, allowances and stipends: Holders of Scholarships may be in receipt of minor award, allowances or other earnings which are supplementary to a scholarship, or derived from part- time work within the policies of Victoria University.

Requirements

To be eligible for this scholarship, Domestic applicants must:

• Australian residents (all domestic students including Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, New Zealand citizens and holders of permanent Australian humanitarian visas)
• Meet the minimum academic entry and English language requirements for admission to the degree - click here for further details
• Not already have completed a research degree at the same or higher Australian Quality Framework (AQF) (or equivalent for overseas institutions) 

To be eligible an International applicant must:

• Be a citizen of any country other than Australia or New Zealand
• Meet the University’s academic entrance requirements for enrolment into a research degree 
• Meet the University’s English language proficiency requirements for enrolment in a research degree. 
• Be enrolled in a Doctoral degree on the Project
• Enrol onshore (in person) as a full-time student

You are NOT ELIGIBLE for if you:

• Have previously held an IPRS, VUIPRS or OPRS (unless it was for a Masters by Research degree, and you are applying for a scholarship to undertake PhD studies).
• Are currently studying, or have recently studied, on an AIDAB or AUSAID scholarship and are applying for an IPRS immediately following the AIDAB/AUSAID funded studies.

Priority will be given to:

• Applicants without an equivalent level degree.

You MAY NOT be eligible if you have already enrolled for more than one semester in the degree for which you are applying for scholarship funding. Please contact the Research Scholarships team via [email protected] if this is your situation.

Selection Process

• Eligibility:  All applications are assessed against the Eligibility criteria for the scholarship scheme. Those applications deemed ineligible for a scholarship will not be processed any further and ineligible applicants will be notified of the result.
• Ranking against the selection criteria: The Project Supervisor will rank eligible applications on the basis of academic merit, relevant research experience, publications, relevant work experience, referee reports and may identify applications which are not for further consideration (NFFC).
  The Project Supervisor may contact an applicant directly for more detail regarding their application.
  The Project Supervisor may conduct an interview with one or more applicants to further determine their suitability.
• Final Ranking: The Project Supervisor/s, together with the Institute Associate Director (Research Training), will determine the preferred applicant.
• Appeals: A request to review a scholarship decision must be lodged in writing [email protected] within 10 University business days of the applicant being informed of the decision.
  A review of a scholarship decision is available in circumstances where unsuccessful applicants believe there was a breach of process in the handling of their application; 
  The Dean, Graduate Research will undertake, or arrange a review if there is a conflict of interest, of the decision and a written outcome will be provided within 10 University business days of the date that the request was received by VU. If there are any delays to the timeline for any outcome, the Dean, Graduate Research will advise the applicant the reason for the delay and the date that they may receive an outcome of the review.

Application Documents

• 500-word research proposal
• Academic transcripts
• Qualification certificates
• 200-word personal statement – include your reasons for wanting to undertake this research, and your academic path or trajectory
• Up-to-date CV

Successful applicants will be required to submit a formal application through the Victoria University Admissions portal and meet all University requirements for admission and enrolment.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

• Expressions of interest should be submitted to Associate Professor Lia Kent via Email: [email protected].

For more information, kindly visit the VU scholarship webpage.