PhD scholarship in ARC Discovery Project Making histories: Young people as visual historians of changing cities

This PhD scholarship is attached to the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery project 'Making Histories: Young People as Visual Historians of Changing Cities'.

This PhD scholarship is attached to the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery project ‘Making Histories: Young People as Visual Historians of Changing Cities’.

‘Making Histories’ engages with counter-histories of Naarm (Melbourne) and Djilang (Geelong) that reflect young people's diverse experiences of social change in these two cities. The project draws on decolonial and intersectional frameworks to generate critical and relational approaches to history-making on unceded lands.

We are seeking applicants to undertake a PhD project alongside the ARC project focused on decolonial and intersectional approaches to making histories in the arts, humanities and/or social sciences.

We are particularly interested in projects that explore one or more of the following areas:

Counter-historical practices in contemporary art and visual cultures
Counter-histories and urban history-making on unceded lands
First Nations histories and counter-historical practices
Counter-histories in education and public pedagogies
Histories of minoritised or underrepresented urban communities in Australia
Counter-histories in documentary filmmaking and photography
Counter-histories in museological, curatorial, and archival studies

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A stipend of $36,245 per annum pro rata (full-time study) will be provided for up to 3.5 years. This amount is subject to indexation annually.

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This scholarship is open to only domestic applicants. To be considered for the PhD Scholarship, applicants must hold or be currently completing one of the following:

a Master's by research
a Master's by coursework with a significant research component graded as high distinction, or equivalent
an Honours degree achieving first class honours
a 4-year bachelor's degree achieving a GPA of 4 or equivalent (80% or above).

If you do not hold one of the above qualifications, you will only be considered for a scholarship if you have previous publications or significant research experience.

Applicants must also meet the HDR eligibility criteria as described on Research Stipend Scholarships page

15 August 2026

Before applying for the scholarship, contact Associate Professor David Rousell to establish if your research is aligned.

All applicants should email the following to A/Professor Rousell:

1 page cover letter detailing the reason for your interest in the topic
your Curriculum Vitae, and a two-page research proposal.

Your proposal should be divided under the following headings:

title and topic
research questions you plan to investigate in the context of existing research/literature in the area
significance and impact of the research
methodology/research tasks required to undertake the research
relevance to the ARC project.

You can find all information and links to the portal on the How to apply page.

Expertise or experience in decolonial theory and qualitative research methods is desired. This scholarship opportunity will close upon approval of a successful application.

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

Learn more about our commitment to Indigenous cultures

PhD scholarship in ARC Discovery Project Making histories: Young people as visual historians of changing cities