PhD Scholarship: Social Marketing Processes and Practices: Preventing Indigenous Youth Sexual Viole…

Job Description

This project is dedicated to addressing the urgent issue of youth sexual violence in the Toowoomba community through innovative, culturally grounded solutions. By collaborating closely with local Indigenous elders and community members, we aim to co-design impactful interventions using the co-creation (CBETM) framework. The goal is to develop, evaluate, and test solutions such as a bystander training initiative, a Safe and Respectful Relationship website and app, and a campaign tailored specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth. This project not only seeks to create positive behavioural change but also fosters a deeper understanding of community engagement and program evaluation.

You will identify and test a solution that can be applied in Toowoomba to reduce or eliminate the amount of Youth Sexual Violence in the Toowoomba Community. Your solution will be co-designed with elders from the Jagera, Giabal, and Jarowair people and local community members. The co-creation (CBETM) framework pioneered by Professor Rundle-Thiele will be applied in this project. The Toowoomba project will implement a mixed-method research design (design thinking, co-design, reviews, surveys, expert interviews, and stakeholder workshops). The research will uncover a behavioural change, a new bystander program, and a solution for testing.

Your project aims to identify one or more solutions for rapid testing. Your solution will be evaluated and, if successful, iterated and scaled up during your three-year PhD project period.

The student will be supervised by Dr Jessica Harris and Prof Sharyn Rundle-Thiele (GU), and also work with Prof Patrick O’Leary. The project team also includes a second PhD based at GU and a project manager to ensure the project succeeds. The Indigenous Discovery Project team will deliver integrated research outcomes, including but not limited to:

• Develop and evaluate an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander bystander training initiative to educate the local community gatekeepers and natural support networks,
• Develop and evaluate a Young People’s Safe and Respectful Relationship Website and App,
• Develop and evaluate a campaign for all young people with specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander messaging that promotes safe and respectful relationships.

Qualifications

The selection of applicants for the award of higher degree research scholarships at Griffith University involves consideration of your academic merit and research background. To succeed in this role, you will be able to work within a larger team. You will gain skills relevant to behavioural change, community and stakeholder engagement and process, and outcome and impact evaluation. This PhD project will help you establish a track record relevant to youth sexual violence and behavioural change and develop and implement programs and program evaluation. It also provides an excellent opportunity to work in one regional Australian community.

• Expressions of interest are welcome from domestic and international applicants with preference given to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent applicants, who identify themselves as such, and are accepted by the community with which they are associated with as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
• Applicants must have completed, or expect to complete, a bachelors degree with honours equivalent to a Bachelor Degree (AQF 8) with First Class Honours (Class I)/Second Class (division A) honours or a Masters degree (AQF Level 9) incorporating a significant research component of a standard comparable to a bachelor honours degree or be regarded by Griffith University as having an equivalent level of attainment in accordance with Schedule One of the HDR Scholarship Procedure.  For further information on the eligibility requirements for the program refer here.

International applicants should ensure that English Language Proficiency requirements for the program are met before formally applying. Applicants to research programs will need to show they meet:

1. A minimum overall band score of 6.5 on the IELTS (Academic) with no band score less than 6.0 OR
2. A minimum score of 575 on the paper-based TOEFL including a score of no less than 5.0 on the TWE OR
3. A score of 79 on the internet-based (iBT) TOEFL with no sub-score less than 19