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Scholarship-supported research project
Australian Catholic University (ACU) is offering one full-time PhD scholarship package to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidate to undertake research into improving driving outcomes for young First Nations drivers.
The successful applicant will work on a National Road Safety Action Grants Program project to develop a first of its kind virtual reality training program for young First Nations drivers. The PhD project will be aligned with the broader project but can be designed to investigate i) understanding the barriers and facilitators to driver licencing for young first nations peoples, ii) evaluating the efficacy of the training intervention, iii) developing educational materials for young first nations peoples to support licence attainment and maintenance.
The PhD candidate will be integral to the broader project and work collaboratively with the Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation and the research team that includes Dr Joanne Bennett (Senior Lecturer, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre), Professor Rhonda Craven (Director, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education), Dr Thomas McGuckian (Senior Lecturer, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre), Professor David Greene (Head of School, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences ACU), Professor Herb Marsh (Institute for Positive Psychology and Education), Associate Professor Jonathan Duckworth (RMIT), and Associate Professor Li Ping Thong (RMIT). Opportunities for methodological and theoretical mentoring and collaborative publishing will be facilitated.
| Study mode | Full-time for up to 3.5 years |
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| Location | North Sydney or Strathfield campus |
| Commencing | 2025 |
| Principal Supervisor | Dr Joanne Bennett |
| About your academic unit |
Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre and Institute for Positive Psychology and Education The PhD candidate will be situated in the Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre (HBMRC) and the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education (IPPE). HBMRC is comprised of 35 members, including 15 staff members and over 20 research students at Honours, Masters and PhD level. We are a multi-disciplinary team who make significant contributions to mental health, participation, and well-being by integrating cutting edge research expertise and technology spanning neuroscience, addiction science, clinical psychology, developmental psychology, and rehabilitation science to improve the understanding, prevention, and treatment of mental health, brain-related and developmental disorders. The Development and Disability over the Lifespan (DDoL) research stream within the HBMRC strives to enhance the lives of individuals by increasing their participation and inclusion across various life stages and has a particular focus on road safety. It takes a multi-disciplinary approach to enhancing the road safety skills and physical, cognitive, and psychological wellbeing of vulnerable road users with the aim of improving their safety and mobility within the community. Research at IPPE capitalises on the positive psychology revolution sweeping social science research worldwide. Working collaboratively with scholars across the world, our researchers drive and achieve tangible success in international research in positive psychology. We are recognised for substantive and methodological advances in research into physical and psychological well-being, resilience, and self-concept, for developing psychometrically sound measures of important psychosocial outcomes, and for achieving synergistic blends of rigorous quantitative, qualitative, and applied research. IPPE is:
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| Industry partner/s | The Wonnarua people are Traditional Landowners in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. The Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation was established in 1999 and represents the Wonnarua people. It focuses on nurturing the history and culture of the Wonnarua Nation, improving the health and education of its members, and managing investments to sustain the Corporation's work. A specific initiative of the Wonnarua Community Corporation is to support the Health and Education of the community, which aligns with the current project's goal to improve education of young drivers to improve driver safety (health). Laurie Perry as the Chief Executive Officer of the Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation (WNAC) will be the First Nations lead on this project. |
| Eligibility | Open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates only. |
| PhD eligibility criteria |
ACU PhD eligibility criteria can be found in the Higher Degree Research Regulations. |
| Scholarship criteria |
In addition to the PhD eligibility criteria, the successful applicant should have:
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| Scholarship package |
The scholarship package is subject to satisfactory progress and full-time study mode. The scholarship conditions align with the ACU Research Training Program Scholarship Policy. |
| Application closing date | Friday 2 May 2025, 11:59 pm AEST |
| How to apply |
To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must submit all documentation required for an application to the ACU PhD program, as detailed in the How to Apply instructions, plus:
When completing the PhD application form, please indicate that you are also applying for a stipend scholarship and include the name of this project, "Deadly safe driving: A virtual reality rural driving hazard perception training program for young First Nations drivers". |
| Before applying |
Interested candidates should contact Dr Joanne Bennett before applying for the PhD program and scholarship. |
| Why choose ACU? |
ACU develops innovative solutions to issues impacting human dignity and the common good. Our interdisciplinary and collaborative research seeks to enable people to develop intellectually, spiritually, physically, socially and emotionally, to enable flourishing lives, foster thriving communities and build an ethical future. Our research and enterprise activities embrace the full life cycle of research, from knowledge creation to its translation and application towards outcomes of social, cultural, environmental and economic benefit. ACU research rankings
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