Expressions of interest are sought for two PhD scholarship positions to carry out field research in Indonesia on community, environment and local governance issues.
The successful candidates will work with a team of experienced researchers – Dr Greg Acciaioli (UWA), A/Prof Anton Lucas and Dr Jim Schiller (Flinders), Dr John McCarthy (ANU), and A/Prof Carol Warren (Murdoch), as well as collaborating researchers in the Netherlands and Indonesia on an Australian Research Council Discovery Project entitled `Social Capital, Natural Resources and Local Governance in Indonesia`. The project will focus on case studies of local decision-making on environmental issues in the context of conservation and development programs in different regions of Indonesia. It aims to improve understanding of contemporary community dynamics in a range of cultural and ecological settings, as well as the practical implications of local participation and capacity building interventions for achieving equity and sustainability outcomes.
The two candidates will be based at Flinders University in Adelaide and Murdoch University in Perth respectively, with location and supervision determined by the focus and site of each student`s component of the project. It is anticipated that one student will work in a coastal community where marine conservation issues are the focus of research, while the second student will focus on a primarily agrarian research site in which World Bank / AusAID / NGO local capacity building, conservation and development projects are being conducted.
Essential criteria include:
* a first-class Honours or Masters degree with a thesis component in a relevant social science field
* advanced fluency in Indonesian language
* field research or other equivalent community/overseas experience
* ability to work independently and as part of a team
Potential applicants should send an initial expression of interest (2 pages) addressing the following points:
a) personal details – name, birth date, citizenship status, address, phone and email
b) academic qualifications – degrees, major areas of study, undergraduate grade point average, honours result
c) title of honours thesis or other significant piece of research, and a brief account of the main argument and approach/methodology adopted
d) level of competence in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods
e) level of proficiency in the Indonesian language
f) study, work or volunteer experience in Indonesia
g) research interests
h) contact information for two referees who can comment on your academic background and suitability for undertaking this research project
Each scholarship is for a three-year period with a stipend of $25,118 per annum (tax free) and up to $10,000 of additional funding for fieldwork in Indonesia. A relocation allowance will be provided where a move to Adelaide or Perth is required to join the project.
A shortlist will be determined by the research team in September, at which point applicants will be requested to submit full formal applications and documentation to either Flinders or Murdoch University. The successful candidates are expected to take up their appointments no later than February 2009.
Please forward initial expressions of interest as outlined above by email to:
Professor Carol Warren,
Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University
c.warren@murdoch.edu.au
