• Investigate wellbeing outcomes within the aquatic and recreation industry in Australia
• Open to Australian and New Zealand Citizens, Permanent Residents of Australia and International students
• Qualified candidates will be eligible to receive $28,092 per annum (2020 stipend rate) over 3 years in scholarship support

About the scholarship

UniSA Business is seeking applicants interested in pursuing a PhD to investigate wellbeing outcomes within the aquatic and recreation industry in Australia. This project aims to investigate the impact on individual wellbeing through use of public aquatic and recreation centers in Australia. Through the use of mixed methods across multiple locations, the project expects to generate new knowledge on the effect on users of different management and service models for the provision of aquatic and recreational infrastructure. Expected outcomes include a quantifiable measure of social and emotional wellbeing that can be utilised by center management and government. This will help assessment of best practice for maximizing community wellbeing and can guide investment decisions by state and local government.

Specific project aims are:

• Develop a measure for the impact of PARCs on their community’s wellbeing
• Determine how different governance and management models impact wellbeing outcomes
• Identify the types and patterns of usage that lead to specific wellbeing outcomes
• Understand the role of user experience and employee engagement in shaping wellbeing outcomes
• Investigate whether the benefits to public aquatic and recreation centre users are unique compared to those provided by similar sport and leisure outlets in the non-profit and private sectors.

This dissertation will involve collecting archival, interview and focus group data. The PhD will commence in 2021 and conform to UniSA’s general requirements. A Bachelor’s degree in Business, Social Science, Health, Sport Management or a related field is necessary.

Candidates are especially encouraged to apply if they have:

• Interest in sport management or wellbeing in the community setting,
• Some experience with qualitative or quantitative data collection.

The candidate will be supervised by a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Ian O’Boyle of CERM PI. The PhD research will be undertaken as part of a larger research program funded by the Australian Research Council.

The exact details of the thesis topic will be developed by the interested candidate in close consultation with the supervisory team. CERM PI and UniSA Business have strong research environments and are deeply committed to world-class research performance. It is expected that the individual selected for this position will be highly competitive in the academic job market after completing this program.

Eligibility

The scholarship is open to Australian and New Zealand Citizens, Permanent Residents of Australia and International students.

A Bachelor’s degree in Business, Social Science, Health, Sport Management or a related field is necessary.

Applicants must meet the entry criteria for the award of a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of South Australia.

Value

Qualified candidates will be eligible to receive $28,092 per annum (2020 stipend rate) over 3 years in scholarship support.

How to apply and closing date

Interested candidates should apply at the following link: UniSA online no later than 31 October 2020 for domestic students.

If you have any queries regarding this opportunity please contact: A/Prof Ian O’Boyle (08) 8302 5159 or email ian.oboyle@unisa.edu.au.

For further information about research degrees at UniSA and the general application process please visit:

https://www.unisa.edu.au/research/degrees/scholarships/