Description

We are seeking an outstanding candidate for a PhD scholarship (including an overseas student fee waiver) based at Flinders University for an ARC Discovery Project entitled: Pacific Powers: Imperial Competition and Cooperation in Micronesia. This exciting project is a partnership between Flinders University, the Australian National University, the Australian Catholic University and the College of the Marshall Islands. 

The PhD candidature will be based at Flinders University (Principal supervisors Prof. Matthew Fitzpatrick, Dr Prudence Flowers). It is intended to support a project related to the history of great power projection in the Pacific and the resilience, adaptation, and resistance of nations and communities in the region. 

Project proposals might focus on the history of empire, maritime history, cultural history, social history, military history, the history of religion, health, politics, anthropology or trade, or other associated fields. The Flinders based supervision team have expertise in German, British, and US histories of empire in the Pacific but also welcome projects exploring other case studies in the region during the 19th, and 20th centuries.

Benefits

The scholarship includes:

• A stipend to the value of  A$36,000* per annum tax free for 3 years (annually indexed)

• A Research Training Program Fee Offset Scholarship to cover tuition fees for Australian Citizens, NZ Citizens and Permanent Residents.

• An international student fee waiver if required

Eligibility

To be eligible for the scholarship a student must: 

• Be an Australian citizen; or New Zealand citizen; or have been granted permanent resident status; OR be an international citizen eligible to apply for a student visa in Australia; and

• meet PhD admission requirements including: have an Australian Honours degree Class 1 or 2A or equivalent qualification, including a research component of at least 6 months’ full-time study achieving Distinction (75%) OR including evidence of equivalent research experience; and

• be available to commence as a full-time PhD student at Flinders University in semester 1, 2026; 

• Candidates from the Pacific region are especially encouraged to apply

• Candidates able to work with source materials in languages other than English are especially encouraged to apply

Application information

Those who apply for the scholarship opportunity but who have not already applied for admission to the PhD programme at Flinders University must also apply for admission to this programme.  Instructions on how to apply for admission can be found here: https://www.flinders.edu.au/study/apply/apply-research-degree/how-to-apply 

By lodging this separate application, applicants acknowledge: 

• The ‘Supervisor confirmation’ must refer to the application for this scholarship

• The application for PhD admission will only be assessed where:

  • The applicant is successful in being awarded the scholarship 

Prior to submitting an application for the scholarship, prospective applicants are advised to contact the Project lead, Professor Matthew Fitzpatrick via email (matthew.fitzpatrick@flinders.edu.au) to discuss your interest and eligibility in the opportunity.  The Project lead may then invite you to apply, requesting a project proposal, a writing sample, and a copy of your CV together with a brief covering letter outlining your relevant qualifications and research experience. 

Outcomes will be released by 1st November 2025.  

The successful candidate will ideally begin by 1 February 2026, subject to negotiation (and not later than 28 February 2026)