Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

We are seeking applicants to undertake a PhD as part of the ‘Youth Empowerment Project’.

Social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) is an Aboriginal-developed concept that reflects holistic and relational understandings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing. SEWB recognises the role of social, cultural, historical, and political determinants of health for individuals, their families, and their communities.

Approaches that reflect SEWB are recognised as best practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention, and SEWB is identified as a priority target and outcome in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. Culturally safe SEWB service delivery and programs are imperative to advancing holistic health outcomes, practice, and policy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Strengthening the SEWB of Aboriginal children and young people has been identified as a key focus within Indigenous-led, holistic frameworks for Aboriginal empowerment and government policy, including Closing the Gap. The YEP project aims to make a meaningful and significant contribution to strengthening the SEWB of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people by building the evidence base for innovative models of holistic health research and practice, and through the development and piloting of a feasible, scalable, and adaptable youth empowerment program.

Specific aims include:

• Articulating the expressions and experiences of SEWB from Aboriginal children and young people’s lived experiences and perspectives, including cultural roles and responsibilities;
• Identifying the enablers and barriers to strengthening SEWB in Aboriginal children and young people, and conceptualising the system supports required to strengthen SEWB and facilitate empowerment;
• Recognising, learning from, translating, and disseminating effective strategies to support individual and collective SEWB, and developing a program that implements these strategies;
• Empowering the next generation of researchers by building the capacity of youth researchers within community.

The project is supported by MRF2035953.

Dr Rama Agung-Igusti at rama.agung-igusti@uwa.edu.au, and Dr Kate Derry at kate.derry@uwa.edu.au

This PhD opportunity is open only to applicants who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

The successful applicant will ideally have:

1. A strong interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing, youth empowerment, participatory research, or community-led research.
2. An interest in Indigenous methodologies, creative methods, qualitative research, or participatory action research.
3. Strong relational, communication and organisational skills.
4. A willingness to travel and work respectfully with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, young people, families and communities.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a program of independent, supervised research that is assessed solely on the basis of a thesis, sometimes including a creative work component, that is examined externally. The work presented for a PhD must be a substantial and original contribution to scholarship, demonstrating mastery of the subject of interest as well as an advance in that field of knowledge. 

Visit the course webpage for full details of this course including admission requirements, course rules and the relevant CRICOS code/s.