What you'll investigate

Reading Climate is an interdisciplinary project exploring the relations between Indigenous knowledges and literatures, social and climate justice, and school English. More information: https://literaryeducationlab.org/projects/reading-climate/  

The successful applicant will be supported to develop a PhD project informed by the one or more of the disciplinary streams of Reading Climate, as shaped by their own interests and expertise.

The candidate may use existing Reading Climate data, including teacher book club discussions of Alexis Wright’s Praiseworthy and recorded discussions by the research team and advisers about Indigenous climate fiction and Country. These could support a thesis on reading and literary interpretation, or on Indigenous literatures and climate justice. Alternatively, the candidate may develop their own topic connected with the core themes and impetuses of Reading Climate.

The project’s focus and approach will be developed with the supervision team:

Professor Larissa McLean Davies (Faculty of Education and Arts, ACU)

Professor Melitta Hogarth (Faculty of Education, the University of Melbourne).

The broader Reading Climate project team, including Sandra Phillips (University of Melbourne), Sarah E. Truman (University of Melbourne), Clare Archer-Lean (University of the Sunshine Coast) and Marcia McKenzie (University of Melbourne), will act in an advisory capacity to support the PhD student, depending on the topic.

Scholarship package

The successful applicant will be awarded a scholarship package consisting of:

Your research community

Principal supervisor

Professor Larissa McLean Davies

Professor Larissa McLean Davies is Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education and Arts at Australian Catholic University and co-convenor of the Literary Education Lab. She leads the ARC Linkage project Reading Climate. Her research connects English education and literary studies, with a focus on teaching literature for justice and sustainability.

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Professor Melitta Hogarth

Professor Melitta Hogarth is Professor of Indigenous Education and Associate Dean (Indigenous) in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. She directs Ngarrngga, an Indigenous-led project developing curriculum resources and professional learning in collaboration with Indigenous Knowledge Experts. Her research examines Indigenous education policy and curriculum, with a focus on equity and social justice.

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Faculty 

Faculty of Education and Arts

Research at ACU's Faculty of Education and Arts explores the transformative power of learning, culture, and creativity. Through interdisciplinary inquiry in education, humanities, and the arts, our researchers address social and cultural challenges, inform policy and practice, and contribute to a more inclusive and reflective society.

Visit the faculty research website   

Affiliation

Depending on the proposed project: 

National School of Education

or

National School of Arts and Humanities

Industry partner

Reading Climate partners with the Stella Prize, the Australian Association for the Teaching of English and Feral Arts.

The Stella Prize

How to apply

Applications close: Monday 11 January 2026, 11:59 pm AEDT

Step 1: Assess your eligibility

Eligibility

Before you apply, confirm you meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Indigenous domestic candidates only.
• The eligibility criteria for the PhD program at ACU can be found in the Higher Degree Research Policy.
• The eligibility criteria for research scholarships can be found in the ACU Research Training Program Scholarship Policy.

Requirements

Submit a 1–2-page Expression of Interest outlining your proposed PhD project, including:

• Your proposed research question.
• Your proposed research approach.
• How your proposed project connects to Reading Climate or takes inspiration from it in a new direction, and how it builds on your interests and expertise.

Shortlisted applicants may be invited to an interview or informal conversation with the supervision team to discuss their proposed project.

Conditions

By applying, you acknowledge and accept the following conditions:

• The scholarship package is subject to satisfactory progress and full-time study mode.
• The scholarship conditions align with the ACU Research Training Program Scholarship Policy.
• The successful applicant will be required to assign their intellectual property (IP) to ACU as a condition of enrolment.

Step 2: Express your interest

Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Professor Larissa McLean Davies prior to applying for the PhD program and scholarship, to express their interest and discuss the project in detail.

Email: [email protected] ,CC: [email protected]@acu.edu.au

Step 3: Submit your application

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 outlining 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 scholarship-support project scholarship and include the name of this project: "Reading Climate: Indigenous literatures for climate and social justice".