New PhD Scholarship Opportunity
Updated: Aug 31
The Legal needs, access to justice and intersecting inequalities PhD scholarship is part of the interdisciplinary ARC DECRA Project Advancing access to justice: identifying the causes of legal problems and is offered in partnership with the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW.
This is a unique PhD opportunity to develop impactful research across academic and industry settings to advance social justice. It aims to contribute theoretical and applied knowledge to better understand inequalities in people’s experiences of legal problems and the opportunities for meaningful reforms that address intersectional disadvantages.
There is flexibility as to the precise focus of the PhD thesis. The proposed project should align with the aims of the two partners, but can focus on a particular affected population, type of legal issue, experience of legal need, specific context, aspect of the legal assistance sector’s work or other relevant topic interesting to you.
Experience in human-centred service delivery or policy making in human services or legal assistance contexts (highly regarded but not essential). We welcome applicants with a disciplinary background in sociology, law, human geography, anthropology, psychology, public health, social work, cultural studies or other relevant fields.
The candidate will be based at the Institute for Culture & Society (ICS), located at Western Sydney University's Parramatta South campus. ICS offers a strong collaborative academic and social environment for doctoral students, access to research training, interdisciplinary supervision and professional development opportunities. The PhD candidate will also work with the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, whose research contributes to the development of a fair and equitable justice system that addresses the legal needs of the community.
Candidates will receive a tax-free stipend of $45,188 per year to support living costs (including a $10,000 per year top-up from the Foundation). The PhD project will commence on 4 January 2027.
Download the information sheet below.
Contact: Dr Catherine Hastings, c.hastings@westernsydney.edu.au
NEW CLOSING DATE: Applications close 31 October 2026. EOIs due by 12 noon on 22 October 2026.
