Unlocking the power of community-based management in Cambodia

About the research project

Community protected areas are a governance arrangement that aim to deliver benefits to nature and people in biodiverse and cultural landscapes. Cambodia has a unique community protected area network that enable communities to exercise their rights to manage, protect and benefit from local forests and fisheries. Located within the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, Cambodia contains some of the world’s most irreplaceable and threatened biodiversity globally, is experiencing high population growth and rapid economic transformation. To safeguard biodiversity, Cambodia has 40% of land protected. This PhD will explore the features of community protected areas in Cambodia and analyze their potential to deliver meaningful conservation, and socio-cultural impacts. Both quantitative and qualitative program impact evaluation and pathways to impact approaches will be developed to critically examine the extent to which community protected areas are already achieving impact and assess their potential to deliver desired benefits to participating communities and more broadly. The selected candidate will be required to work closely with project partners in the Mekong Region to improve the design of community protected area programs by contributing to workshops, training sessions, and conferences with collaborating institutions and stakeholders. This includes completing an embedded internship with ICEM during their candidature.

Specific areas of research will be designed with supervisors Dr Vanessa Adams (UTAS) and Dr Victoria Graham (UTAS), in line with the broader Protected Areas and Development (PAD) Program III, with supervisory support from ICEM. Potential research areas could cover program impact evaluation, sustainable financing approaches of CPAs, governance/management planning and effectiveness, and intersectionality, gender and equity. The PAD III project is funded by the Australian Government through the Mekong-Australia Partnership, implemented from 2025 to 2029 by ICEM, in collaboration with IUCN, the University of Tasmania, and Landcare Australia with support from National NGOs and government departments.

Primary supervisor

Meet Professor Vanessa Adams

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 funded by University of Tasmania of $34,315 per annum 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)

A tuition fee offset may be offered to eligible international applicants following competitive assessment 

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 for 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 essential selection criteria specific to this project:

• Honours or Masters in relevant discipline, or equivalent research experience.
• Interest in protected areas, development and equity.
• Willingness to travel to Southeast Asia and collaborate with local partner institutions, government and communities.

Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:

• Spatial, programming or impact evaluation skills.
• Social research skills.
• Understanding of conservation policy landscape.

Application process

1. Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
2. Contact Professor Vanessa Adams 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 December 2025.

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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