Western Sydney University is a modern, forward-thinking, research-led university, located at the heart of Australia’s fastest-growing and economically significant region, Western Sydney. Boasting 11 campuses – many in Western Sydney CBD locations – and more than 200,000 alumni, 49,500 students and 3,500 staff, the University has 14 Schools with an array of well-designed programs and degrees carefully structured to meet the demands of future industry.

The University is ranked in the top two per cent of universities worldwide, and as a research leader, over 85 per cent of the University’s assessed research is rated at ‘World Standard’ or above.

The Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) carries out research on the transformations in culture and society in the context of contemporary global change. It operates as a leading international centre for interdisciplinary, engaged and collaborative scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences for a digital age. Research at the Institute for Culture and Society is organised around an integrated program of research focusing on a number of broad themes including: Automated Worlds; Cultural Infrastructures; Borders and Diversity; Environment and Technology; and Urban Futures.

ICS is looking to appoint a full time Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)-funded ‘Building the evidence base on the impacts of mobile financial services for women and men in farming households in Laos and Cambodia’ project, assisting Chief Investigator Professor Heather Horst and the project leads.

Responsibilities will include undertaking primary research, gathering of research materials and data, writing reports and publications, data analysis, day to day project management, tracking budgets maintaining relationships with key stakeholders in Laos and/or Cambodia. There may also be opportunities for designing workshops, teaching and the training of students, internal and external stakeholders.

About the Research Project: ‘Building the evidence base on the impacts of mobile financial services for women and men in farming households in Laos and Cambodia’.

This project aims to develop an evidence base on the economic and social impacts of mobile financial services for women and men in farming households with a particular focus on Laos and Cambodia. It has the following goals:

Goal 1. Scientific. Build and analyse an evidence base for the social and economic impact of mobile financial services on women and men in farming households;

Goal 2. Scientific. Identify gaps in the evidence and potential flaws in evaluation methods; carry out mixed methods research to fill these gaps in the contexts of Laos and Cambodia and extrapolate these lessons to South East Asia and, where relevant, other global contexts.;

Goal 3. Capacity building. Build the capacity of local partners in qualitative and quantitative impact evaluation rationale and methods. Produce knowledge products that help stakeholders better understand the impacts of financial services on women and men in farming households.; and

Goal 4. Innovation and next users. Present knowledge in such a way that stakeholders can use this evidence to
a) make better decisions about how they engage with women and men in farming households;
b) design and deliver more effective policies, programs, and products, and
c) conduct more robust and context-relevant evaluations of the impact of financial services.

For further information please refer to the attached Position Description.

The position will be based at Parramatta South campus.

Remuneration Package: Academic Level B $125,306 to $147,860 p.a., (comprising Salary of $105,885 to $125,030 p.a., plus Superannuation and Leave Loading).

Position Enquiries: Professor Heather Horst, via email h.horst@westernsydney.edu.au

Closing Date: 8:30pm, Tuesday 20 April 2021

To be eligible to apply for this position, you must provide evidence of your full-time Working Rights in Australia at time of application.