Entries open for CGEPS PhD Program (Australia)

Objectives

• The objects of the Act are:
  • To promote, encourage and facilitate the achievement of gender equality and improvement in the status of women; and
  • To support the identification and elimination of systemic causes of gender inequality in policy, programs and delivery of services in workplaces and communities; and
  • To recognize that gender inequality may be compounded by other forms of disadvantage or discrimination that a person may experience on the basis of aboriginality, age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation and other attributes; and
  • To redress disadvantage, address stigma, stereotyping, prejudice and violence, and accommodate persons of different genders by way of structural change; and
  • To enhance economic and social participation by persons of different genders
  • To further promote the right to equality set out in the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Focus Areas

• Specific research priorities for the Commission include, but are not limited to:
  • Research that draws on or investigates the workplace gender audit data, progress reports, gender impact assessments and/or Gender Equality Action Plans reported under the Act.
  • Research that supports the monitoring and evaluation of the Act.
  • Research that builds the evidence base for effective interventions to promote intersectional gender equality.

Benefits

• Participation in the program will also prepare the successful applicant for a rewarding career in research, the public sector, government policy making or industry. Specifically, the successful applicant will be provided with:
  • The opportunity to develop research which will be translated to actionable outcomes to drive progress towards a gender-equal Victoria;
  • Access to regular meetings with the Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner throughout their candidature;
  • Access to PhD supervision from a qualified member of CGEPS staff. The Commission will contribute up to 20% external research supervision to the successful applicant’s supervisory panel;
  • Access to a desk space in the office of the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector in the Melbourne CBD;
  • The opportunity to build knowledge and capability regarding public sector regulation and policymaking;
  • Access to the Commission’s data and facilitated access to key stakeholders, including defined entities and inter-governmental partners;
  • Exposure to the Victorian public sector and government policy making;
  • Potential to apply for a small professional development grant to be used for fieldwork, research translation activities and/or conference attendance.

Eligibility Criteria

• To participate in the CGEPS PhD Program applicants must be:
  • Enrolled, or in the process of enrolling, in a PhD program at an Australia based university.
  • Able to self-fund their research.

Assessment Criteria 

• Project quality, viability and alignment with the goals and values of the Act and the Commission:
  • Your application must demonstrate your ability in academic writing and provide a cohesive project design which demonstrates your understanding of the research question to be explored.
  • Your application must demonstrate the alignment between your project, the core principles of the Gender Equality Act 2020, and the role of the Commission and Commissioner. Your project must clearly align with the publicly stated goals and values of the above and demonstrate clear links to the Victorian context.
  • Your proposed project must apply a structural gender lens in its approach and address relevant questions of intersectionality.
• Track record and capability:
  • You must demonstrate the relevant expertise to successfully execute your proposed project. You will be assessed based upon your prior academic performance, and, if relevant, your professional qualifications and experience.
  • You must demonstrate gender equality expertise and ideally a sound understanding of workplace gender equality. Evidence of your understanding of intersectional gender equality will be looked upon favorably.
• Motivation and capacity to complete candidature in a timely manner:
  • If not already secured, your application must demonstrate your competitiveness for enrolment in a PhD course at an Australia-based university in 2025.
  • Your application must demonstrate your ability to self-fund your research and/or your competitiveness for an Australian Government Research Training Program scholarship.

Application Requirements

• Applicants must submit, as a single PDF:
  • The CGEPS PhD Program 2025 Application Form, available here;
  • A full academic transcript;
  • A CV (maximum 2 pages);
  • A short writing sample (maximum 5000 words). Please provide a sentence outlining the context, i.e., whether the sample is taken from your Honors or  Masters thesis, or a recent essay or paper demonstrating your academic abilities.

For more information, visit CGEPS.