GENDER AND SPORT: DEGENDERING IN SPORT AND SOCIETY

Co-funded PhD scholarship opportunity:  international applicants= welcomed (international students should plan to spend at least 1 year in Canberra, Australia).

Online trolling and e-safety: Women athletes and women working in the sports industry

Co-funded by the University of Canberra and Sport Integrity Australia, the project will support a PhD scholar to complete a doctoral research program that will seek to identify mechanisms to reduce the insidious and increasing levels of toxic abuse online and cyber hate directed at women involved in the sport industry. In this project, we broadly define cyberbullying as hurtful messages that are threatening, humiliating, or intimidating to individuals. Cyber-hate and trolling are specific types of cyberbullying that are often experienced by women in sport, and more prevalent against women of colour and women with a disability.

We seek to undertake research which seeks to understands the nature and impact of online harm such as cyber-hate and trolling upon elite female athletes. The research will also canvass and make recommendations for change. The negative impact of cyber-hate and trolling upon women in other industries has been identified as a barrier to entry and retention.  We believe solution focused research in sport is transferable to other industries and will have a significant impact in progressing gender equity.

For more, please see the article by Ginger Gorman here: https://www.broadagenda.com.au/2022/want-to-do-a-phd-about-cyberhate-against-female-athletes/

Brief description of the candidate required

• Masters (or Undergraduate qualifications with Honours) in any of the related fields: media/journalism; law; psychology; sociology; cyber security; criminology and policing
• Experience in/ knowledge of sport desirable.
• Excellent problem-solving, strategic thinking and analytical skills.

Project objectives

The research will build on the limited literature examining a range of possible solutions:

• Collecting data on the extent and nature of cyber bullying of women in the sports industry
• Examining the existing criminal legal framework to determine effectiveness to hold offenders and social media/ website platforms accountable for causing reasonable foreseeable harm to victims of cyber bullying
• Assessing prevention strategies for the sport cyber-bullying space
• Strategies to minimise the impact of cyberbullying through education and counselling

EOI Deadline: using the attached Flyer, please email UCSportStrategy@canberra.edu.au (including academic transcripts) by 30 October 2022.

PhD to begin: February 2023

Domestic and international applicants welcomed: international students should plan to spend at least 1 year in Canberra, Australia.

Scholarship Amount

• The three-year full-time scholarship is $90,000 (AUD) ($30,000 (AUD) per year). The stipend is not indexed annually and will remain as $30,000 (AUD) each year
• The scholarship is tax-free for full-time candidates
• The scholarship is paid fortnightly to the candidate through the University of Canberra Finance area

Eligibility

You must:

• Have completed a Bachelor degree with First Class Honours, or be regarded by the University as having an equivalent level of attainment;
• Be enrolled, or seeking to enrol, as a full-time candidate in a PhD at the University of Canberra; and
• Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen; or an Australian permanent resident; or an international student eligible to study in Australia on an international student visa.

Scholarship Selection

• Selection of the scholarship candidate will be undertaken on the basis of academic merit and research potential, by a selection panel and approved by the Faculty of Health;
• A scholarship will not be awarded if there is no candidate of sufficient merit; and
• The selection panel may request an interview process should there be more than one suitable candidate.

Further Information for International Students:

Information for international students wishing to study at UC can be found at - https://www.canberra.edu.au/future-students/study-at-uc/international.

For information on Visas to Study in Australia for international students, please refer to the Commonwealth Home Affairs website about studying in Australia - https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder/study. As an international student you will need to cover the costs of the Visa.  The scholarship does not include this cost.

You will also need to organise your own flights and accommodation, as well as overseas health insurance. For accommodation at the University, please see: https://www.canberra.edu.au/future-students/life-at-uc/accommodation.

Expressions of Interest via the attached Flyer to UCSportStrategy@canberra.edu.au – by Sunday 30 October 2022

Dr Catherine Ordway
Associate Professor (Sports Management)

Sport Integrity Research Lead
Faculty of Health
University of Canberra | 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, ACT 2610, Australia
e: catherine.ordway@canberra.edu.au
Twitter: @catherineordway