PhD Scholarship: Blue Economy

About the opportunity

The Griffith Business School is calling for potential candidates to apply for a PhD scholarship to undertake research on a Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre’s funded project. The PhD research is part of a wider project to develop innovative integrated reporting tools that capture interlinkages and dependencies between economy, society and environment. Tailored to blue economy businesses, these tools can be used to manage and track their environmental footprints and disseminate information to the public to enhance social licence and support sustainable management of ocean resources.

The aim of the PhD research is to estimate positive and negative values associated with the intellectual, human, social and relationship capitals and their distribution. The PhD project will thus involve among others, systematic quantitative and/or qualitative literature review and synthesis, survey development and implementation for internal and external data collection (i.e. using two survey instruments: Q-method and Delphi expert elicitation) and field visits. Thus, the overarching research question is:

How can innovative social science methodologies be adapted to quantify and report on sustainable value creation through Blue Economy investment in intellectual, human, social and relationship capitals with particular regard to social licence?

About us

Griffith Business School is home to world-class research and teaching in subjects spanning business, management, commerce, economics, governance and public policy. The Business School has over 8,100 current students and over 45,000 connected alumni, and undertakes teaching and research across campuses located at South Bank, Nathan, Logan, and Gold Coast.

Griffith Business School is an accredited member of AACSB International — The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB Accreditation is known, worldwide, as the longest standing, most recognised form of professional accreditation an institution and its business programs can earn. Additionally, the School is an active partner in the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative, a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education and the UN Global Compact. This engagement demonstrates the School's strong commitment to sustainable enterprise development and corporate responsibility.

The successful candidate will be based at Griffith University’s Nathan campus (Brisbane).

The supervisory team for this PhD research is:

The wider project within which the PhD will sit is a collaboration between Griffith University and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) researchers, Tassal Group Limited, Tasmanian Oysters Research Council Limited, Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, and Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. The project has two case study locations within Australia that will be determined in consultation with project collaborators and partners. The PhD will focus on at least one of these locations and may involve frequent travel and working in community. The precise scope of the PhD project is yet to be designed and the successful candidate will be expected to co-design their PhD project in collaboration with the supervisory team and partner organisations.

About you

The selection of applicants for the award of higher degree research scholarships at Griffith University involves consideration of your academic merit and research background.

Expressions of interest are welcome from domestic and onshore international applicants and international applicants willing to apply for a travel exemption to commence the program onshore. If you are an international applicant who is currently offshore, please consider the viability of applying for a travel exemption including associated quarantine and travel costs before submitting an expression of interest. Please see the FAQs  web page for requirements for offshore international applicants.

Applicants must have completed, or expect to complete, a bachelors degree with honours equivalent to second class 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. For further information on the eligibility requirements for the program refer here .

A background in environmental economics, social science, environmental management or sustainability is desired, as is a background in qualitative, participatory social science research.

This scholarship is for those wanting to undertake full-time study and reside in Brisbane. The successful candidate will be expected to begin their PhD program in Intake 2 (26 April 2022).

About the scholarship

This Blue Economy stipend scholarship has an annual stipend of $30,000 for a period of up to three and a half years of full-time study.

A successful International applicant will also be awarded a Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship to cover tuition fees for up to three and a half years. Please see the GUIPRS Conditions of Award  for more information.

EoI process

Please do not select the “APPLY” button. All expressions of interest must be submitted to Serena Gent, Institute Manager, [email protected]  containing:

• Statement addressing your suitability for the project/scholarship
• Evidence that you have completed a program with the required grades as detailed in the scholarship eligibility criteria A curriculum vitae (CV)
• Names of two referees

The closing date for expressions of interest is: 5pm AEST, 16 January 2022

What Griffith offers

As a scholarship holder, you will study with a University that ranks among the top 2% worldwide and spans across campuses in South East Queensland. At Griffith University, we’ve worked hard to create a culture that will challenge you to be curious, creative and courageous. We also support the professional and personal development of all our HDR candidates and invest in the skills of our people.

Griffith University values diversity, inclusion and flexibility and we encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and people of all backgrounds to apply. Griffith's strategic goals are to also increase the proportion of women in senior academic and administrative roles and in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM).

Further information

For project related enquiries please contact:

Professor Christopher Fleming Phone: (07) 3735 9744 Email: [email protected]

For administration enquiries please contact:

Griffith Graduate Research School Phone: (07) 3735 3817 Email: [email protected]