PhD Scholarship in the Study of Islamophobia in Australia

PhD Scholarship in the Study of Islamophobia in Australia

Job No: 698677

Location: Clayton campus

Employment Type: Full-time

Duration: 3.5 years fixed-term appointment

Remuneration: The successful applicant will receive a Research Living Allowance, at current value of $37,145AUD per annum 2026 full-time rate (tax-free stipend), indexed plus allowances as per RTP stipend scholarship conditions at: https://www.monash.edu/graduate-research/future-students/scholarships/scholarship-policy-and-procedures. A tuition fee scholarship and Single Overseas Health Cover (OSHC) will be provided for a successful international awardee.

The Opportunity

This PhD scholarship is funded as an important part of an ARC funded project Tracking Islamophobia and its Impacts on Australian Muslims’ Lives (LP250100022), conducted by Dr Susan Carland, Professor Kerry O’Brien, Dr Zarina Vakhitova, and Associate Professor Matteo Vergani.

The project will establish Australia’s first national longitudinal cohort study of the drivers and consequences of Islamophobia. It will examine environmental drivers (e.g., social and traditional media messages, international events) of Islamophobia over time, and how experiences of Islamophobia affect the lives and outcomes for Australian Muslims. The project will be conducted with Muslim community and industry partners, and government. The PhD candidate will have the opportunity to work on different aspects of the project and will receive excellent training as well as opportunities to be co-author on resulting publications (minimum 3) from their PhD studies.

Undertaking this PhD as part of a larger project has several advantages. First, the successful PhD candidate will be integrated into an established research program funded by the Australian Research Council, with access to a large longitudinal dataset and to funding for qualitative fieldwork, publications, and conference attendance. Second, the PhD candidate will benefit from expert supervision from research leaders in sociology, psychology, criminology and computational social sciences. Third, there is the potential for the candidate to undertake an industry placement with one of the project’s partner organisations, and to gain applied research and industry experience alongside university research training. Finally, the candidate will benefit from publication mentoring co-authorship on publications related to the PhD project. They will also be able to participate in funded symposia, community engagement events, and potential future grant applications.

Monash University is the largest university in Australia and consistently ranks in the top 100 universities worldwide. Monash has six globally networked campuses and international alliances in Europe and Asia. The applicant will be based at the Clayton campus in Melbourne. Social Science at Monash is diverse and vibrant, including research expertise in geography, sociology, politics and sustainability transitions. We have a strong and supportive research culture, led by internationally recognised scholars successful in attracting national and international competitive funding.

Candidate Requirements

The successful applicant will have an excellent academic track record in a relevant Social Sciences discipline (e.g., empirical Sociology, Psychology, Criminology or other related cognate disciplines). Demonstrable experience in conducting research with, or working alongside, Australian Muslim communities, and strong familiarity with the experiences of those communities. Proficiency with quantitative and/or qualitative research methodologies is required.

Highly competitive applicants will hold an Australian (or equivalent international) Honour’s or Master’s (with research thesis) degree (both in a relevant field), with a significant research component and with first-class honours/H1 awarded.

Details of eligibility requirements, including English-language proficiency skills, to undertake a PhD in the Faculty of Arts are available at https://arts.monash.edu/graduate-research/application-process/.  Applicants should ensure they familiarise themselves with these requirements before deciding whether they should apply.

Scholarship holders must be enrolled full-time and on campus. Please note: applicants who already hold a PhD will not be considered.

The successful applicant will be expected to enrol by 2 February 2027. There may be some flexibility as to the date of commencement.

Enquiries

Dr Susan Carland, School of Social Sciences, Email: susan.carland@monash.edu

How to Apply

Applications shall comprise:

• A cover letter that includes a brief statement of the applicant’s suitability
• A brief Research Proposal that fits within the broad project aims and objectives, and demonstrates some understanding of the area of research
• A curriculum vitae, including a list of any published works, conference presentations and relevant work experience
• A full statement of academic records, degree certificates and official grading system (if available), supported by scanned copies of relevant certified documentation
• English language proficiency test results (if applicable)
• Names and contact details of 2 academic referees

Please submit your application via My.App and upload all supporting documentation in pdf format:

• Select Admission Only as the Application Type
• Select ‘Yes’ to indicate that you are applying for a scholarship for this research and enter “Tracking Islamophobia PhD Scholarship” as the scholarship name under Research Program Funding of the application.
• Select Dr Susan Carland as the proposed main supervisor (final supervision arrangements to be confirmed upon appointment).

Applications Close: Sunday 1st November 2026, 11:55 pm AEST