Scholarships and prizes

Our valuable relationships with industry and the community play a key role in enriching the future of our students.

RMIT and VCOSS PhD scholarship

The RMIT/Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) PhD Scholarship aims to generate new evidence to benefit the community services sector and the people who use their services.

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The Jewish Holocaust Centre, Wilson Family Student Prize

In memory of William Cooper, this is an annual cash prize awarded to an Indigenous Vocational Education (VE) student in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies.

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RMIT and VCOSS PhD scholarship

The RMIT/Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) PhD Scholarship aims to generate new evidence to benefit the community services sector and the people who use their services.

Aims of the scholarship

Specific aims of the RMIT/VCOSS PhD Scholarship include:

Increasing the community sector evidence base
Conducting research based on the priority themes identified by RMIT and VCOSS
Generating new knowledge that can support sector workforce development, service system reform, policy development and advocacy

Research themes

The inaugural RMIT/VCOSS PhD Scholarship will focus on community services sector sustainability. Community services are a sub-set of human services that provide support to people experiencing poverty, social disadvantage, social distress and hardship. These vital services also offer emergency relief and seek to advance the position of disadvantaged groups.1

The research topic of the scholarship holder must be directly relevant to one or more of the priority themes outlined below:

Place-based approaches to overcoming poverty and disadvantage
Local area governance arrangements needed for better outcomes for those facing poverty and disadvantage
Creating integrated service models across universal, secondary and tertiary systems to address and overcome poverty and disadvantage
The future workforce needs of the community services sector
Victoria’s changing demographic and the implications for the community services sector
Effective outcomes measurement to demonstrate the value of services for those facing poverty and disadvantage
Consumer directed service delivery (e.g. National Disability Insurance Scheme) and its impacts
Co-design of services with vulnerable service users

What’s on offer

The RMIT/VCOSS PhD Scholarship is comprised of:

A university research stipend scholarship for domestic students; /or
An RMIT scholarship covering stipend and tuition fees for international applicants;
A top up of $10,000 per year from VCOSS

Further advice and information

We strongly encourage you to contact the following RMIT staff to discuss your application if you wish to be considered for the RMIT/VCOSS PhD Scholarship:

Associate Professor Martyn Jones
Telephone: +61 3 9925 3788; Email: martyn.jones@rmit.edu.au
Associate Professor Paul Ramcharan
Telephone: +61 3 9925 3084; Email: paul.ramcharan@rmit.ed.au

You are also invited to discuss your research proposal with the following VCOSS staff:

Mary Sayers
Telephone: +61 3 9235 1000; Email: mary.sayers@vcoss.org.au

1 Productivity Commission, Contribution of the Not-for-Profit Sector, Research Report, Canberra, 2010, p. 23

Selection Criteria

Meets the entry requirements for a Doctor of Philosophy as outlined by RMIT and be competitive in obtaining a scholarship in the RMIT research scholarship rounds.
The research proposal contains explicit linkage to the research theme(s) identified for the scholarship. Applicants should follow the guidelines provided by RMIT regarding the preparation of a research proposal.
The research proposal provides a rationale as to how the community services sector in Victoria will benefit from the research and how the proposed outcomes will have broad community sector applicability.
The candidate demonstrates understanding of and commitment to the objectives and values of VCOSS.

How to apply

Applicants must apply for the RMIT/VCOSS PhD Scholarship through RMIT’s research scholarship rounds, which are awarded through a competitive process. For more information on the application process, please refer to research scholarships.

When preparing your application it is important that you indicate on your application that you wish to be considered for the RMIT/VCOSS Scholarship.

As part of the selection process, applicants short-listed for the Scholarship will be invited to interview in early November. The interview panel will consist of staff from RMIT and VCOSS.

The Jewish Holocaust Centre, Wilson Family Student Prize

In memory of William Cooper, this is an annual cash prize awarded to an Indigenous Vocational Education (VE) student in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies.

The prize is facilitated by the Jewish Holocaust Museum and Research Centre on behalf of a donor and it recognises a student's commitment to their learning and community work.

This prize is in honour of the Yorta Yorta man William Cooper, a human rights activist who dedicated his life to fight for Indigenous rights. In December 1938 he led a protest to the German Consulate in Melbourne condemning the treatment of Jews under Nazi rule.

The prize reflects just one aspect of the long-standing relationship between the School, the Jewish Holocaust Centre and the Koorie community.

The prize consists of a cash sum of $3000 and an opportunity for voluntary or project work with the Jewish Holocaust Centre. This prize has been gifted for three years; in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

A recipient for the prize is determined by the prize selection committee, which consists of school program managers, the Ngarara Willim Centre and is chaired by the Deputy Dean, VE Programs. The selection committee will meet in May to shortlist and select a beneficiary. Selection is based on a combination of academic engagement and community contribution.

The prize will be awarded at a ceremony in June, hosted by the School and Ngarara Willim Centre.

If you would like further information regarding the prize or have any questions, please email guss.academic.services@rmit.edu.au and use “Wilson Family Student Prize” in your subject line.