Thrive: Next Generation Graduates – MRes – Social Science and Policy

Join us to make a difference!

A highly competitive scholarship to develop policies, programs and supports to improve the educational outcomes and engagement of all students in NSW, focusing on disadvantaged ones.

You will work with top researchers in data science (UTS) and social sciences (WSU and ANU) to develop statistical machine learning solutions for social good. This master’s by research project focuses on addressing social disadvantage in education through data-driven methods. Throughout your research, you will build substantial new cross-disciplinary capacity and knowledge in data-driven discovery for socio-technical systems to address the substantial and challenging problems posed by social disadvantage in the context of education.

This program offers students a 3-month placement with our industry partner to gain real-world experiences and be job-ready. Beyond a generous stipend, this scholarship provides students with additional funds for training and travel. Additional allowances are available to support students experiencing personal hardship or other educational barriers that can make it difficult to access and succeed in tertiary education.

• Australian citizen, or
• Australian permanent resident, or
• New Zealand citizen, or
• Bridging or Humanitarian visas – to be considered.
• Applicants must be eligible for enrolment as a master’s by research student at UTS.
• Applicants must be studying full-time. 

The decision panel will consider the following criteria:

• Highly motivated and capable of independent work
• Team player with an ability to work with a diverse range of people and within established collaborative teams.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Social science, cultural studies, education, policy or similar.
• A strong interest in addressing equity and inclusion challenges faced by individuals from remote or rural communities, socially disadvantage backgrounds, living with a disability or similar. 
• Students with lived experience are encouraged to apply.

To apply, please forward your CV along with a brief statement outlining your motivation and interest in joining this project to [email protected] . 

Should you have any inquiries, please contact the Thrive Student Liaison Officer at [email protected] .

Shortlisted candidates will be advised with further details.

Email: [email protected]

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those with lived experience of social disadvantage, including those without a traditional science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) background. 

All students will participate in preliminary program coursework to gain proficiency in key topics.