Architecture, media and tourism

Degree type

PhD

Closing date

1 February 2024

Campus

Launceston

Citizenship requirement

Domestic / International

About the research project

Architecture plays important and varied roles within the social practices of visiting and tourism. Architects produce not just buildings but also images that direct gazes and shape media practices. In turn, visitors to tourist places engage with built environments in a variety of ways, with iconic buildings both providing content matter for photography and encouraging other media and tourist behaviours.

As a ‘tourist destination’, Tasmania’s built environment has many examples of architecture designed explicitly to support the media-oriented social practices of visitors. For example, Dove Lake Viewing Platform, by Tasmanian Architecture practice Cumulus Studio was recently dubbed the “most Instagrammable spot in Tasmania”.

This project will focus on the intersection between contemporary architecture, media and tourist practices, using multiple case studies from within Tasmania as the basis of analysis. Your PhD work will be situated in the Mediated Constructions Research Lab, which studies the interrelation of practices of architecture, media, and place. You will be supported in authoring a chapter or section of a book and will contribute to an established publication stream. Project methods could be qualitative or quantitative, depending on your skill set and project focus. Proposals should take a comparative case study approach, identifying Tasmanian architecture that connects with themes of tourism and media practices. The aim is to situate issues affecting Tasmania and its architecture within local and global contexts.

Interested applicants should email the primary supervisor before September to discuss possible case studies and project focus.

Primary Supervisor

Meet Dr Georgia Lindsay

Funding

Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:

  • a living allowance stipend of $32,192 per annum (2024 rate, indexed annually) for 3.5 years
  • a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
  • a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)

If successful, international applicants will receive a University of Tasmania Fees Offset for up to four years.

As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.

Other funding opportunities and fees

For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees of undertaking a research degree, please visit our Scholarships and fees on research degrees page.

Eligibility

Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.

Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.

Selection Criteria

The project is competitively assessed and awarded.  Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.

Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:

  • An existing skillset in one of the following areas:
    • Architectural theory and visualisation
    • Data analysis programming (For instance, Python, R)
    • Media studies
    • Social sciences (especially sociology)

Application process

  1. Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
  2. Contact Dr Georgia Lindsay to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
  3. In your application:
    • Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
    • Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
  4. Apply prior to 1 February 2024.

Full details of the application process can be found under the 'How to apply' section of the Research Degrees website.

Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.

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