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About this scholarship

 

Applications are invited for a PhD scholarship in literary studies. The scholarship is supported by the Australian National University (ANU) and is part of an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA). 

Audiobooks and Digital Book Culture: Australian Books and Publishing at a Time of Global Disruption is an ARC supported study of contemporary Australian audiobooks and their social, cultural, economic and technological contexts. One of the study’s major contributions is a comprehensive database of Australian audiobook titles. The database will be produced in collaboration with and integrated into AustLit, the national database of biographical, bibliographical, and critical information about Australian writing. This data will be combined with library circulation data, sociological studies with authors, narrators and general and vision-impaired readers, and close reading of select audiobook titles, to provide a rich and nuanced understanding of how audiobooks are changing practices of reading, publishing and writing. 

The PhD candidate will develop an independent project within this larger context, and will be encouraged to make use of the project’s title database and library circulation data, alongside other sources of data including print bibliographic data collated by AustLit, Australian public library holdings, and ISBN databases. 

Possible areas for investigation might include:

  • Australian audiobooks produced for vision impaired and print disabled readers; 
  • The history of Australian audiobook publishing, circulation and/or reading in the twentieth century; or
  • Computational or data-rich approaches to the study of audiobooks. 

The PhD will be supervised by Dr Millicent Weber at the ANU together with an interdisciplinary team of researchers as appropriate to the specific focus of the PhD project, with the PhD thus offering skills training in critical thinking, writing, digital humanities, data analysis, and bibliography, as appropriate. The successful candidate will be affiliated with the School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics (SLLL), which has a thriving English program and interdisciplinary research culture including expertise across these areas, and the ANU Centre for Australian Literary Culture (CALC), Humanities Research Centre (HRC), and newly formed ANU Digital Hub.

The successful applicant will also have the opportunity to work closely with the project’s industry partners, which include the Australian Publishers’ Association (APA); Small Press Network (SPN); Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA); Vision Australia (VA); and the Australian Sound Recording Association (ASRA).

Applicants are encouraged to contact Dr Millicent Weber at millicent.weber@anu.edu.au to discuss their research proposal prior to applying.

SUMMARY

VALUE

$ 36,652

per annum

1 on offer

APPLICATION PERIOD

07-Aug-2024 to 18-Sep-2024

  • Student types

    Domestic, International, Current, Prospective
  • Student levels

    Postgraduate research
  • Number of scholarships awarded

    1 on offer
  • Selection bases

    Academic merit
  • Ongoing eligibility

    Continuation based on academic performance
  • Extension duration

    6 month extension available.

Field of study

 
Any field relevant to the goals of the project including but not restricted to Literary Studies, Media Studies, Digital Humanities, Cultural Sociology, and Archival or Information Sciences

Eligibility

 

Applicants must have:

  • A first-class Honours (H1) or equivalent degree in literary studies or a related humanities field; and 
  • Experience with or an interest in audiobooks, Australian publishing or reading history, or digital methods, as appropriate for their chosen topic; and
  • Demonstrated excellent capacity and potential for research; and
  • Fulfil the entry requirements for admission into the PhD program  within SLLL at ANU, which can be found at:  https://cass.anu.edu.au/study/higher-degree-research/applications

Note: The recipient of this PhD Scholarship must undertake study on a full-time basis.

Additional information

 
  • Scholarship for 3.5 years
  • Travel and removal allowances for students relocating to Canberra to commence their research program
  • Thesis allowance
  • Dependant Child allowance (International students only)
  • Paid medical and parental leave

Please send a full CV, academic transcripts for all degrees, a research proposal (2 to 5 pages), and a sample of academic writing (e.g.: an essay or thesis chapter) by email to Dr. Millicent Weber (millicent.weber@anu.edu.au)

Use contact details to request an alternative file format.

Contact Dr. Millicent Weber 

(millicent.weber@anu.edu.au)

Website link

Contact us:

icon_human Dr. Millicent Weber