PhD Scholarships

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness (PMCS) welcomes applications from suitably qualified scholars for a place in the Melbourne Law School’s (MLS) PhD program for commencement in 2025. The successful candidate will be working under a supervisory team which will include PMCS academic staff, MLS academic staff affiliated with the Centre, and/or a co-supervisor from another University of Melbourne faculty if appropriate.

Applications are particularly encouraged from people with lived experience of statelessness.

Applications close on Friday 26 July

The successful candidate will be embedded in the Centre on Statelessness and benefit from its research intensive and collegial environment. The candidate will be expected to take part in the life of the Centre, and attend seminars, workshops, and reading groups.  There may be the opportunity for successful candidates to undertake paid part-time work with the PMCS during the PhD.  Melbourne Law School offers a collegial environment for PhD students, including a comprehensive orientation program, a weekly Research Support Program, three graduate research colloquia per year and an active Graduate Students Association. Involvement in the University of Melbourne’s interdisciplinary PhD program in Migration, Statelessness and Refugee Studies provides another support network in a multi-disciplinary environment. Successful candidates may also apply for a competitive MLS Teaching or Research Fellowship, which includes teacher training and mentoring, teaching and administrative experience.

General information on studying the Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) in Law at Melbourne Law School can be found here.

Doctoral Project

Research proposals should identify an innovative research question relevant to the themes of the Centre on Statelessness. The work of the Centre encompasses a wide range of research methodologies, and proposals may outline conventional legal techniques of analysis, propose theoretical projects or projects based on empirical study (or a combination of these methods).  Interdisciplinary project proposals are welcome. Proposals are invited on a wide range of topics.  You can view current doctoral projects here.

Stipend and Benefits

Scholarship recipients undertaking a doctoral degree at the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness will be awarded:

  • Full fee offset for up to four years
  • An annual stipend of AUD $38,500 (tax free) (2025 full-time study rate). The scholarship is available for a maximum period of 3.5 years pro rata. The living allowance may be indexed annually and includes limited paid sick, maternity and parenting leave.
  • A relocation allowance of AUD $2,000 may be granted for candidates who need to move from outside Victoria or AUD $3,000 for candidates who need to move from outside Australia.
  • Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) Single Membership for international students who require a student visa to study in Australia.

Details on terms and conditions of this scholarship can be found here.

Furthermore, scholarship recipients will be eligible to apply for up to AUD $7,500 research support funding (for example to support fieldwork and conference travel) over the course of their candidature and a host of other MLS initiatives.

Eligibility

Applicants must be eligible for acceptance by the University of Melbourne into a PhD program. This scholarship is conditional upon acceptance into the PhD program at the Melbourne Law School, and the applicants need to meet the entry requirements of the Law School PhD program which can be found here. Applicants must also:

  • have not completed a PhD previously.
  • be able to commence their PhD in 2025   – with a preferred start date in February 2025.

Application Process

Applications for the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness PhD scholarship must be submitted with clearly identified titles as listed below by Friday 26th of July:

  • Curriculum vitae, including publications, if relevant
  • All prior undergraduate and graduate academic transcripts (must include grading scale)
  • Research proposal, including methodology, adhering to the guidelines listed here
  • Statement outlining reasons for seeking to participate in the Peter McMullin Centre's program at Melbourne Law School (maximum 250 words)
  • Information on prior research completed (eg. Honours thesis, Masters thesis)
  • Evidence of meeting the University’s English language requirements, if required
  • The details of two referees. To maintain confidentiality, the details of your chosen referees must be sent to law-graduateresearch@unimelb.edu.au who will contact the referees directly.

Address your completed application to Professor Michelle Foster, and submit it here.

Successful candidates will be instructed to submit their final application paperwork through Melbourne Law School by Friday 4th October 2024.

Important Dates

Monday 29 April 2024:

PhD Scholarship application submission opens

Friday 26 July 2024:

Application submission closes

Monday 9 August 2024:

Shortlist of applicants created

Monday 12 - Friday 23 August 2024:

Shortlist interviews

Friday 30 August 2024:

Successful candidate notified and requested to submit University of Melbourne Graduate Research Application Form online

Friday 4 October 2024:

Successful candidate submits University of Melbourne GR Application online

Late November 2024:

Formal offer

February 2025:

Candidature commences

Enquiries

You can find further information about applying for a PhD through Melbourne Law School here.

Direct enquiries about the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness to: law-statelessness@unimelb.edu.au

Direct enquiries about the application process to: law-graduateresearch@unimelb.edu.au

Please submit your application here.