Title
Wicked Problems Scholars - PhD Scholarship
College
Opening date
01-04-2026
Closing date
30-04-2026
Scholarship value
$36,061 per annum
Scholarship duration
3.5 years
Payment term
fortnightly
Description
At Flinders University, we are committed to addressing the wicked problems and big issues of our time—complex, interconnected challenges that matter deeply to society and cannot be solved by single disciplines alone. That is why, through the Flinders Wicked Problems ReportTM, Flinders University has engaged with over 30,000 Australians to understand what matters most to them. Solving wicked problems will require a transdisciplinary and collaborative research approaches to generate impactful, solutions‑focused outcomes. We are recruiting six PhD candidates to work as part of a cohort on this ambitious program, supported by access to the Wicked Problems dataset.
The Projects are:
| Lead Supervisor | Project Title |
Dr Jake Robinson (jake.robinson@flinders.edu.au) |
Growing Resilience: Biodiverse food-growing and Dirty Play as systems-level interventions for Australia’s Wicked Problems. |
Dr Asara Senaratne (asara.senaratne@flinders.edu.au) |
AI-Driven Policy Informatics: Modelling Wicked-Problem Data to Predict How Cost-of-Living Pressures Shape Health Care Access. |
Dr Sarah Hunter (sarah.hunter@flinders.edu.au) |
Active Fatherhood: Co-Designing an Exercise Program Infused with Mental Health and Self-Care Promotion for New Dads to tackle Australia’s Wicked Problems. |
Prof Sally Robinson (sally.robinson@flinders.edu.au) |
Mainstreaming Marginalised Young People’s Perspectives: Wicked Problems and Policy Blind Spots. |
Dr Angela Rong Yang Zhang (angela.zhang@flinders.edu.au) |
Caring Under Pressure: A Computational Social Science Study of Healthcare Access and Social Connection in the Wicked Problems Dataset. |
A/Prof Selina Tually (selina.tually@flinders.edu.au) |
Broadening our lenses on housing (in)security: a holistic exploration of the factors influencing workable housing outcomes for young people in a highly competitive housing market. |
Eligibility
To be eligible for the award of this scholarship a student must:
Those who apply for the scholarship opportunity that have not already applied for admission to a relevant HDR must also apply for admission. Instructions on how to apply for admission can be found here: https://www.flinders.edu.au/study/apply/apply-research-degree/how-to-apply
By lodging this separate application, applicants acknowledge:
Prior to submitting an application for the scholarship, prospective applicants must contact the supervisor of the specific project they are interested in (email addresses above) to discuss their interest in, and eligibility for, the opportunity. The Project lead may invite you to apply and request a copy of your CV together with a covering letter outlining your relevant qualifications, experience, research experience and reasons for applying for the scholarship. N.B. applications for a scholarship must be submitted directly to the relevant lead supervisor (via the supervisors email address above).
The successful candidate will ideally begin by 30th June 2026, subject to negotiation (and not later than 30th September 2026).
![]()
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
Global | Online
CRICOS Provider: 00114A TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12097 TEQSA category: Australian University