The successful applicant will examine an aspect of the history of colonial rule and/or resistance against empire in Micronesia and the Pacific under the supervision of Dr Kristie Patricia Flannery. A focus on the Spanish empire is preferred but not essential.

The PhD candidate will join a dynamic, cross-institutional team of scholars researching great power projection in Micronesia, and the resilience, adaptation, and resistance of nations and communities in the region. The team includes Professor Matt Fitzpatrick, Dr Prudence Flowers, and a PhD candidate at Flinders University in Adelaide, Professor Tomoko Akami at the ANU in Canberra, and Mr Desmond Doulatram at the College of the Marshall Islands. Our collaborative approach allows us to analyse continuities and ruptures across the colonial regimes constructed by Spanish, German, Japanese, and the US from 1688 to 1990. This study is supported by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project grant.

The PhD candidate will also be integrated into ACU's Melbourne-based Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (IHSS).

How to apply

Applications close: Wednesday 1 October 2025, 11.59pm AEDT

Eligibility

• This opportunity is open to domestic and international applicants.
• The eligibility criteria for the PhD program at ACU can be found in the Higher Degree Research Regulations.
• The eligibility criteria for research scholarships can be found in the ACU Research Training Program Scholarship Policy.

Requirements

In addition to the PhD eligibility criteria, the successful applicant should have:

• experience doing original archival research on site or online
• experience working with materials preserved in Spanish colonial archives is preferred but not essential
• familiarity with the scholarship that is most relevant to their proposed PhD investigation.

Application process

To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must submit all documentation required for an application to the PhD program at ACU, as detailed in the How to Apply instructions, plus:

• A CV detailing relevant academic and practical experience; and
• A cover letter detailing demonstrated interest and/or experience in the program of research described.

When completing the PhD application form, please indicate that you are also applying for a stipend scholarship and include the name of this project "Pacific Powers: Imperial Competition and Cooperation in Micronesia".

Before you apply

Interested candidates should contact Dr Kristie Flannery before applying for the PhD program and scholarship.

kristie.flannery@acu.edu.au