Student housing: Infrastructures of care

Student housing: Infrastructures of care and the transformation of university campuses

Degree type

PhD

Closing date

27 March 2023

Campus

Hobart

Citizenship requirement

Domestic

About the research project

This project is part of a suite of research about how the University of Tasmania's campus transformation program is being shaped by, and in turn is shaping, urban settings and ideas about people's rights to the city, to basic needs such as housing, and to ideas about how the provision of dwelling space is also about the provision of what geographers are calling infrastructures of care. To be contextualised in the literature on university transformation processes internationally, the project may focus on three questions - although others are possible:

(a) What approaches has the University taken or will it take in relation to the provision of student housing prior to the mid-2000s, from the mid-2000s to the present, and for the period planned to 2030?

(b) How has the University accounted for, and how will it continue to account for regenerative and sustainable design principles in the provision of student housing?

(c) How does the University's approach to student housing compare with that taken by select universities in other regional and island settings with similar jurisdictional and governance arrangements involving local, state or provincial, and national governments?

A central argument that could be tested is that universities can and should be leaders in the provision of student housing as infrastructures of care. The significance of the work is that it will add to a growing international literature on universities as anchor institutions in their communities and provide timely and specific insights on the University of Tasmania's own transformation processes.

Primary Supervisor

Meet Professor Elaine Stratford

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 $31,500 per annum (2023 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.

Eligibility

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

Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:

  • Applications are open to Domestic applicants.
  • Applications are open to applications from human geography, sociology, planning, urban design and related discipline backgrounds.
  • Applicants must be able to undertake the project on-campus.

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 essential selection criteria specific to this project:

  • Background in human geography, sociology, planning, urban design and related disciplines.
  • High levels of English literacy.
  • Capacity to work with diverse groups of people in varied urban settings.

Application process

There is a three-step application process:

  1. Select your project, and check you meet the eligibility and selection criteria;
  2. Contact the Primary Supervisor, Professor Elaine Stratford to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
  3. Submit an application by the closing date listed above.
    • 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.
    • As part of your application, you will be required to submit a covering letter, a CV including 2 x referees and your project research proposal.

Following the application 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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