Ursulines Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD Scholarship

Ursulines Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD Scholarship $30,000 p.a. (full-time)

About this Scholarship

Established by the Ursuline Community in 2017, the scholarship supports a female Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student to commence a PhD through the Institute for Positive Psychology (IPPE) at Australian Catholic University.

Significant progress is being made in raising the educational achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in secondary school and undergraduate studies, particularly females. However, a relatively small number study at doctoral level, and consequently there are few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics teaching in Australian Universities. Through this scholarship, support for living expenses will be provided to the recipient to complete a three-year PhD program.

The Ursulines were founded in Brescia, Italy, in 1535 by Angela Merici. The Australian Ursulines have been committed to the education of girls in Australia since the late 1800s, founding primary schools and colleges in New South Wales, Queensland, and Australian Capital Territory. In 2017, Australian Catholic University and the Ursuline Sisters established a partnership to create opportunities to build capacity for women.

About the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education 

The Institute for Positive Psychology and Education (IPPE) is led by its Director Professor Rhonda Craven. IPPE is ranked 1st in Australia for Educational Psychology research and 7th in the world (Fong et al., 2022). According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities, ACU is ranked in the top 100 Young Universities, worldwide. In the last Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) assessment, research at ACU was ranked above (4/5) or well-above world-average (5/5) for ten fields of research in Australia.

IPPE conducts world-class qualitative and quantitative research to identify the research-derived drivers that enable Indigenous children, youth and communities to not just succeed but thrive. IPPE employs: A positive psychology strengths-based approach founded upon identifying, building upon, and augmenting Indigenous success; excellence in research to integrate and leverage in new ways Indigenous research methods with advances in international research that are based on Western scientific approaches; and prioritising the voices and agency of Indigenous children, youth, and communities. Current research themes include but are not limited to: Indigenous children and youth wellbeing; literacy, oral language, and numeracy interventions; positive parenting; Indigenous youth-devised technological innovations; and capitalising on the voices and agency of Indigenous youth. These research themes are embedded in IPPE’s Indigenous Game Changers Program. 

Value 

• A stipend for living expenses of $30,000 per annum for three years.
• An Australian Government Research Training Program Fees Offset Scholarship (that is, a tuition fee waiver).

Eligibility criteria

• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin
• Australian citizen
• Female
• Undertaking a PhD full-time or part-time
• Eligible for Commonwealth Supported Scholarships
• Eligible to commence a PhD through the Institute for Positive Psychology (IPPE) at Australian Catholic University on a topic aligned to the Ursulines mission and IPPE’s research

Scholarship-specific Selection Criteria

Applications are assessed based on the strength of the following:

• Meeting eligibility requirements
  • Quality of the research proposal
  • Alignment to the Ursulines mission and IPPE’s research
  • Commitment to the research approach employed in the Indigenous Game Changers Program
• Ability to contribute to a team
• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• High level verbal and written English proficiency
• Commitment to the Mission and Values of ACU

Ongoing or Other Requirements

The successful applicant will be required to regularly communicate progress to the donor and to submit letters of appreciation to the donor explaining how the scholarship has assisted them. A letter should be submitted at the time of Confirmation of Candidature, on completion of milestones and accomplishments, and at Graduation with the donor invited to graduation. The successful applicant will also be required to present to and meet with the donor as required.

Acknowledgement of the Australian Government’s contribution

The successful applicant will be offered an Australian Government Research Training Program Fees Offset Scholarship for the duration of their candidature. The Award holder must acknowledge the support provided by the Australian Government when, at any time during or after the completion of the degree she or her supervisors or any other party, publishes or produces material such as books, articles, newsletters, reports or other literary or artistic works which relate to the research project carried out by the Award holder.

Application closes

• Currently Open until ideal candidate is found.

How to Apply: 

This scholarship is open to domestic applicants only.

Interested candidates should contact Dr. Jiesi Guo (jiesi.guo@acu.edu.au), Director of Graduate Research Program at IPPE, before submitting an application for the PhD program and this scholarship.

Please visit study-with-us web page for more information about various research projects and support for higher graduate research provided by IPPE.
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 on the ACU Research Web Page, plus:

• Proof of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander identity
• A cover letter of no more than three pages outlining your interest in the scholarship, and providing evidence of how you meet the scholarship-specific criteria listed above.
• A written statement of 300 words outlining:
  • how the Scholarship will assist you to contribute to your local/professional community in accordance with the spirit of the Ursulines; and
  • commitment to the Mission and Values of ACU.

Please ensure you clearly state that you wish to apply for the Ursuline Scholarship in the scholarship section on the application form.

Contacts:

• Professor Alex Yeung, Professor and Program Lead, Indigenous Game Changers Program, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education
• Dr Georgia Durmush, Indigenous Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Indigenous Game Changers Program, Institute for Positive and Education

For general candidature enquiries, email Candidature Services on res.cand@acu.edu.au, with the subject line ‘Ursuline Scholarship’.