Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

This HDR project will explore communication within and by transdisciplinary teams. It is located with a broader project that aims to bring together Western science, Western social science, and Indigenous (Yawuru) perspectives to i) to inform sustainable management of Yawuru Saltwater Country by providing joint management partners with critical data and an innovative set of management tools; and ii) to demonstrate and advance the process of two-way science to improve cross-cultural understanding and realise improved ecological, cultural, and recreational benefits in co-managed marine parks. 

The project will identify how social, cultural and conservation values are distributed in space and time, while developing a framework for knowledge exchange and identifying management actions that support co-existence of different values and perspectives. To achieve this goal, the YJJNB is structured around three main axes: i) the natural sciences, concerned with understanding the population dynamics of dugong (nganarr) and green turtle (gurlibil); the social sciences, set out to map the different values associated with the YNRBMP; and iii) the communications and evaluation branch, which seeks to explore how transdisciplinary teams form and navigate the various challenges that arise in the YJJNB project and to determine how best to communicate research outputs to the key stakeholders to achieve project outcomes related to ongoing connection to Country for Yawuru and increased community understanding of the cultural values associated with YNRBMP. This last aspect is the focus of this HDR project. 

The successful applicant will have a background in science communication and ideally additional background in conservation biology.

Send your CV and expression of interest to Dr Heather Bray heather.bray@uwa.edu.au

Apply via the UWA HDR application portal

Heather Bray heather.bray@uwa.edu.au