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The Australian National University is currently offering a PhD scholarship for a student to work on an ARC Discovery project entitled 'Living apart together: How mobile work is transforming Australian homes'.

The project is being led by Dr. David Bissell (ANU) with Dr. Andrew Gorman-Murray (Western Sydney University). It is investigating the mobile working practices which are an increasingly essential but under-explored part of Australia’s economy. The result is a labour force away from their homes for days, or even weeks at a time. What is not well understood are the social impacts on personal and family wellbeing. This project will investigate the changes wrought by different sorts of mobile work on household life in Australia, with specific attention to personal and family wellbeing. It will undertake qualitative research with stakeholders and households to identify the kinds of enhanced multi-faceted support that might be required for this practice to flourish without negative impacts.

This PhD scholarship is designed to be an integral but self-contained part of the project. There is sufficient conceptual and methodological flexibility within the project to enable the PhD student to develop an original contribution along avenues of their choosing. This studentship therefore offers an exciting opportunity to develop an innovative methodology for investigating household transitions. Appropriate fieldwork methods, sampling strategy and analytical techniques suited to drawing out the transition events of this living arrangement will be developed during the first year of the candidature.

Nationality

• Australian citizen
• New Zealand citizen

Value

The successful candidate will receive a stipend of $26,288 (2016 rate) per year which will be indexed annually for the duration of the award. The duration of the award shall be for three years with a maximum possible extension of up to six months (assessed on a case by case basis).

Eligibility

To be eligible, a student must have completed a Bachelor Degree with First Class Honours, or be regarded by ANU as having an equivalent level of attainment; and intend on undertaking a full time higher degree by research by June 2016.

How to apply

Expressions of interest are sought from applicants with a background in sociology, human geography, anthropology, cultural studies, critical theory or related disciplines, who have an interest in the intersection of mobilities, changing work practices and social theory.

Please send an expression of interest and your CV to Dr David Bissell at david.bissell@anu.edu.au.

Applications close: 12pm Monday 14th December