Reproductive Justice PhD Scholarship Opportunity 2025
A new scholarship is being offered to research topics relevant to reproductive justice.
This Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship is provided by the Melbourne Social Equity Institute in collaboration with the Reproductive Justice Hallmark Research Initiative at the University of Melbourne.
Overview
For this PhD scholarship opportunity, Melbourne Social Equity Institute is inviting interested candidates to develop and submit their own research project proposal on a topic related to reproductive justice.
The candidate's research project proposal should be interdisciplinary in nature and include supervisors from at least two different disciplines (e.g. sociology and obstetrics and gynaecology) at the University of Melbourne. Cross-Faculty supervision arrangements are encouraged but not essential. Please get in touch if you would like some assistance in identifying a second supervisor.
Background
In 2024, the University of Melbourne established the Reproductive Justice Hallmark Research Initiative. The Initiative seeks to build a unified national research and advocacy agenda to progress reproductive justice in Australia.
Reproductive justice seeks to ensure all people have rights to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children and parent children in safe and healthy environments. This PhD scholarship opportunity will contribute to the research agenda of the Reproductive Justice Hallmark Research Initiative and Melbourne Social Equity Institute.
Projects which are related to reproductive justice and closely aligned with the Melbourne Social Equity Institute’s research priority areas of Inclusive and Distributive Economies, Gender Equity, Health Equity and Migration and Mobility will be highly regarded. Reflecting the nature of social inequities, many of the Institute's research initiatives engage at the intersections of these priorities.
Due to funding restrictions, this opportunity is open to domestic students only.
Scholarship Benefits
The scholarship benefits include:
- Full exemption from payment of student fees at the University of Melbourne;
- A stipend of $38,500 per annum (2025 full-time rate, tax-free) for 3.5 years;
- Allowances as per the Graduate Research Scholarship Terms & Conditions.
Melbourne Social Equity Institute will also provide an additional $2000 per annum (a maximum of $6000 during candidature) in research support funds.
The successful candidate will also receive automatic entry into the Institute’s Doctoral Academy.
Supervision
As part of the Expression of Interest process, candidates are asked to identify a proposed PhD supervisor at the University of Melbourne. Supervision from a member of the Steering Group of the Reproductive Justice Hallmark Research Initiative is strongly encouraged.
If you are unable to identify a suitable and/or available supervisor, please contact social-equity@unimelb.edu.au and we will do our best to assist you.
Eligibility
The scholarship is only available to Australian and New Zealand citizens or Australian permanent residents. The scholarship is conditional upon acceptance into a PhD program at the University of Melbourne. Applicants must be eligible for acceptance by the University of Melbourne into a PhD program.
Successful applicants must be available to commence their studies in the second half of 2025. Applicants should have completed tertiary studies that are at least equivalent to a 4-year honours degree at an Australian university with a minimum result equivalent to a first-class Honours (80%). However, for students from an underrepresented or disadvantaged background seeking access and equity considerations, a minimum result equivalent to a second-class Honours Division A (75%) will be accepted.
Applicants should possess excellent interpersonal skills and cross-cultural community skills, the ability to work independently as well as part of a team and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
People with lived experience of reproductive injustice are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applications
Please complete the Expression of Interest form and include the following:
- Curriculum Vitae (up to 2 pages);
- A brief research proposal (up to 4 pages). Outline preliminary ideas, key research questions, methodologies, relevant conceptual and theoretical approaches;
- Academic transcripts; and,
- If applicable, include Masters / Honours thesis examiners’ reports
- Evidence of in-principle support from a proposed supervisor (e.g. copy of an email);
Following an initial short-listing, you may be invited to attend an interview.
Selected candidates will then be invited to submit a full, formal application to the relevant faculty. Any decisions based on this Expression of Interest and subsequent interviews will be conditional on meeting all of the University’s eligibility requirements.
All Expressions of Interest must be received by 5.00pm AEST on Monday 11 August 2025. Please send your completed form to social-equity@unimelb.edu.au.
Enquiries
If you have any questions about the PhD opportunity or the EOI process, please contact Dr Bronwen Merner, Academic Convenor of the Reproductive Justice Hallmark Research Initiative via bronwen.merner@unimelb.edu.au.
For queries regarding this webpage or the EOI form, please contact social-equity@unimelb.edu.au.