The PhD project forms part of an ARC Discovery Project “Living Together: New Approaches to Multispecies Conflict and Coexistence” exploring the social and political dimensions of human-animal-environment relationships. A raft of social and ecological problems (climate change, species extinction, urbanisation) and a shift in social and political attitudes with regard to human impact on the nonhuman world call for the development of a new conceptual and methodological framework to address this emergent more-than-human politics. A thoroughgoing critical analysis of frameworks of environmental governance is needed, alongside the development of new concepts more adequate to the intricacies of multispecies configurations—moving beyond traditional framings around rights, justice, cosmopolitanism, deliberation, sovereignty and citizenship.

Working in an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional team, the successful candidate for this scholarship will help to clarify and advance the new interrogation of the political invited and enabled by the emergence of the environmental humanities. This PhD project in particular will support a generative reinterpretation of the history of political thought and/or recent biopolitical and cosmopolitical philosophy through the lens of this problematic.

• Future Students

• Faculty of Humanities

• Higher Degree by Research

• Australian Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident
• New Zealand Citizen
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa
• International Student

• Merit Based

This scholarship provides a living stipend of $37,500.00, indexed annually, for up 3 years, with the potential to apply for a 6-month extension. 

1

Doctor of Philosophy (Humanities or Social Sciences or Media, Culture and Creative Arts)

• Essential: English language IELTS level of 7.5 or above (minimum of 7.5 for Reading and for Writing), or equivalent.
• Essential: Successful completion of a 4th-year Honours research program (First class), or a Masters programme with a research component (First class equivalent), or a Masters degree by research
• Essential: Strong grounding in a field relevant to the project (for example, Continental philosophy, political philosophy, cultural theory, posthumanism, biopolitics, science and technology studies, animal studies, and/or the environmental humanities)
• Essential: Capacity to conduct research on a full-time basis
• Desirable: Ability to read / translate from French, German or Italian

To express your interest, please submit an EOI form nominating Dr Robert Briggs (Faculty of Humanities) in advance of the closing date (8 April 2025) with the following information/documents:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Academic transcripts
3. A brief covering letter (no more than 2 sides A4) that addresses the eligibility criteria. The letter should explain why you are interested in the project and how your skills, experience and disciplinary background make you a good candidate for this scholarship.
4. A sample of academic writing (e.g., excerpt from Honours or Masters thesis or a published article).

Early expressions of interest are encouraged.

The recipient must remain enrolled on a full time basis and reside in Perth, Western Australia, for the duration of the scholarship, and must complete Milestone 1 (project confirmation) of the PhD program within 6 months of enrolment .

Please contact Associate Professor Robert Briggs via email r.briggs@curtin.edu.au