Anti-Racism, RESPECT, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voices

School of Social Sciences

Lead Researcher: Prof. Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews

About the project

This project is a call for a future Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander scholar to commit to a post-graduate research project that will investigate and critique the development of a new anti-racism educational initiative (RESPECT e-resource) to ensure it respects and honours the voices, and the living and lived experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. You will be given the opportunity to be trained in an Indigenous Research Methodological approach that will ethically engage with leading Indigenous teachers and scholars who have combatted racism throughout their careers. Your studies will be supported by not only the Western Sydney University (WSU) Yarramundi Post-Graduate Research Scholarship (at $52,353 tax-free per annum), but also project funding from an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant (RESPECT Against Racism: Advancing new anti-racist educational e-modules - LP240100299) done in partnership with the University of Sydney, Western Sydney University (WSU), University of Technology Sydney, and The Cool Australia Trust.

You will be located within the Division of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Leadership at WSU and will be supervised by D'harawal scholar and Director of Indigenous Research, Professor Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews. Additional supervisory support will be offered by respected scholars Professor Fiona White (University of Sydney) and Professor Nida Denson (WSU).

For more information, please contact Professor Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews at g.bodkinandrews@westernsydney.edu.au

What does the scholarship provide?

• A full-time Yarramundi Scholarship of $52,353 per annum. per annum for up to 3 years to support living costs, supported by the Research Training Program (RTP) Fee Offset.
• Support for conference attendance, fieldwork and additional costs as approved by the relevant School/Institute and the ARC RESPECT Against Racism Research Team.

Eligibility criteria

We welcome Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants who have undergraduate and/or post-graduate (e.g., Honours/Masters) experience in Indigenous Studies, Psychology, Cultural Studies, Education, Sociology, Social Work or any other aligned discipline.

The successful applicant should:

• Be a person of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage who can meet Western Sydney University's confirmation of identity requirements.
• Hold qualifications and experience equal to one of the following (i) an Australian Bachelor’s degree either completed or in the process of completion this term with a strong GPA, or (ii) an equivalent overseas qualification and GPA.
• Demonstrate a passion for fighting racism and discrimination.
• Demonstrate strong communication skills and an ability to collaborate.
• Adhere to the highest stands of Indigenous Research Ethics and Protocols.
• Complete the requirements of the Western Sydney University MRes, MPhil, DCA and/or PhD application process.

How to apply

1. Review the project’s eligibility criteria. You will need to provide in your application a document which explains how you satisfy the projects eligibility criteria.
2. Contact the lead researcher listed to discuss your eligibility, the project’s requirements and your intention to apply. You should email them to introduce yourself, describe your qualifications and experience, and express your interest in their research project. If they are interested, you may want to arrange a phone call, video call or meeting to discuss your application. You will need to request a letter of support from the lead researcher to support your application for the scholarship.
3. Submit an online application for the project by logging into the Online Portal and selecting 'Project Scholarship'. Note: You do not need to submit an application for Doctor of Philosophy or Research Scholarship.

Incomplete applications or applications that do not conform to the above requirements will not be considered.

For questions and advice about the research project, please contact the Lead Researcher;
Professor Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews at g.bodkinandrews@westernsydney.edu.au

For questions and advice about the scholarship application process, please submit your scholarship enquiry:

• Currently enrolled WSU HDR candidate, please submit your enquiry here
• Not currently enrolled WSU HDR candidate, please submit your enquiry here

Applications close 31 August 2025

*Applications close at 11.59pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).

Scholarship reference code: PS2025_CS0542477_SoSS