The Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is seeking applications from prospective PhD candidates to join a multi-disciplinary research project investigating the history of private property ownership in Australia. A PhD scholarship is funded by the Australian Research Council for research that will generate new knowledge of settler-colonial property creation from 1788 onwards. The larger project to which the PhD candidate will contribute is using historical records to develop a digital map that shows the initial transfer of every parcel of land in New South Wales from Crown ownership into private hands. The research team have outlined the project aims and methodology in Geographical Research. PhD candidates may propose to work on a discrete topic within, or intersecting with, these larger aims.
Working under the supervision of Dr Jasper Ludewig and Professor Charles Rice, the successful candidate will make a central contribution to the wider project in keeping with their research background and ambitions, and in conversation with the following themes: colonial dispossession and the alienation of Indigenous land; settler-colonial governance and techniques of land administration; material practices of improvement and the architecture of agriculture; Indigenous resistance and “frontier” conflict; property, Whiteness and white supremacy; or settler-colonial urban history. Candidates may discuss potential topics with Dr Ludewig.
The PhD position presents a unique opportunity to develop important knowledge in an overlooked and highly topical field of research, including substantial financial support and access to a lively academic network. The project team comprises scholars of architectural history (Professor Andrew Leach, University of Sydney), legal theory (Associate Professor Amelia Thorpe, UNSW), urban geography (Associate Professor Dallas Rogers, University of Sydney) and planning theory (Dr Laurence Troy, University of Sydney), offering the successful candidate further access to mentoring and supervision in line with the project focus. The doctoral candidate will be based at the School of Architecture at UTS in an engaging intellectual environment under the leadership of Professor Daniel Barber as Head of School.
Preference will be given to graduates of history, whether in architecture, urban studies, geography, planning or cognate disciplines experienced in working with archival and historical source material.
Position Details
Applicants must meet the conditions of entry into the PhD program at UTS with research experience in a relevant field of study to the project. The position is fully funded, attracting an annual stipend of $32,000 AUD. Support for research travel, equipment and relocation costs will be provided. The successful applicant will commence their candidature on 1 January 2025.
How to Apply
Applications must include the following items and be submitted to Dr Ludewig by 31 July 2024:
– Outline of a proposed research project grounded in the objectives of the wider study, including research questions, key literature and a provisional plan of activities (refer to the DAB Research Proposal template)
– CV (max. three pages)
– Short writing sample (approx. three pages)
– Names and contact details for two referees
A preferred candidate will be guided through the formal UTS PhD application process.
deadline: Jul 31, 2024
more info: Please direct any enquiries and submit final applications to
Dr Jasper Ludewig (jasper.ludewig@uts.edu.au).
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