Understanding unhealthy food and beverage advertising in Tasmania, Australia

About the research project

The commercial determinants of health refer to factors affecting health that originate from profit motives, particularly the strategies used to market and encourage products or behaviours that are harmful to individuals. Advertising is a key strategy through which commercial entities exert their influence on consumer behaviours. Specifically, unhealthy food and beverage advertising directly undermines the public health and health promotion messaging that aims to encourage healthy dietary patterns and prevent chronic disease. Yet unhealthy food and beverage advertising remains common in Australia, including on and in government-owned and operated assets, which further contradicts and undermines public health goals. In Tasmania, little is known about the level of unhealthy food and beverage advertising on and in government-owned and operated assets, and we have a poor understanding of how best to limit unhealthy advertising. This project seeks to document unhealthy food and beverage advertising and identify strategies to support local and state governments to reduce the amount of unhealthy advertising. It may consist of a number of projects and objectives:

• To document unhealthy food and beverage advertisements on and/or in Tasmanian state and local government-owned and/or operated assets
• To examine the content of unhealthy food and beverage advertisements on and/or in Tasmanian state and local government-owned and/or operated assets
• To explore with Tasmanian stakeholders the benefits and disadvantages of unhealthy food and beverage advertising
• To explore with the Tasmanian community the benefits and disadvantages of unhealthy food and beverage advertising
• To develop recommendations for Tasmanian state and local governments when developing guidelines for advertising on government-owned and/or operated assets

This is a mixed-methods project and would suit candidates who are interested in developing skills in both quantitative (e.g., audits, observations, surveys) and qualitative (e.g., interviews) research approaches. It may involve analysis of existing data and collection of new data.

Primary supervisor

Meet Professor Verity Cleland

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 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.

Additional Funding

n/a

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.

Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:

A relevant first class Honours degree, Masters by Research, or substantial evidence of research experience including publication of academic manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals.

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:

Qualifications in public health, nutrition, consumer behaviour, marketing, education, psychology, or other field of relevance to the project.

Ability to communicate at a high level with a diverse range of stakeholders from non-government organisations, government bodies, and the community. 

High level of attention to detail.

Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:

Experience in both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Experience publishing academic manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals.

Experience working with government and non-government stakeholders.

Application process

1. Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
2. Contact Professor Verity Cleland 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 October 2026.

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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