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What you'll investigate

The PhD will explore how schools can enhance student physical and sexual safety through prevention, early identification, and/or effective responses to safety concerns. Within this framework, the candidate may choose to examine topics such as:

• building whole-school cultures of safety
• strengthening student voice and protective participation
• addressing new and/or emerging risks to safety
• embedding trauma-informed, inclusive or healing-centred approaches or
• improving how schools recognise and respond to early signs of harm or distress.

The project may also focus on engaging parents, families and carers in safeguarding efforts; strengthening cultural safety and ensuring approaches are adapted for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and families, as well as those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; or examining how safeguarding practices can be embedded into broader wellbeing, inclusion and school improvement initiatives.

There is scope to use participatory or youth-centred research methods, working directly with students, educators, families and school communities to co-design practical strategies and tools.

Scholarship package

The successful applicant will be awarded a scholarship package consisting of:

Your research community

Principal supervisor

Associate Dean Tim Moore

Associate Dean Tim Moore is Deputy Director at the Institute of Child Protection Studies. Since commencing as a researcher at ICPS in 2005, Tim has conducted a series of research projects, predominantly with children and young people who have experienced childhood trauma or maltreatment or who brush up against the child protection and child, youth and family sectors. His research has explored issues such as homelessness, youth justice, child protection, residential care, young carers, and child sexual abuse prevention.

Faculty

Faculty of Education and Arts

Research at ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø's Faculty of Education and Arts explores the transformative power of learning, culture, and creativity. Through interdisciplinary inquiry in education, humanities, and the arts, our researchers address social and cultural challenges, inform policy and practice, and contribute to a more inclusive and reflective society.

Visit the faculty research website

Affiliation

Institute of Child Protection Studies

The Institute of Child Protection Studies aims to enhance outcomes for children, young people and families through quality research, evaluation, training and community education. Our research strengths include promoting children's participation, strengthening service systems, informing practice, and supporting child-safe communities. Established in 2005, we have built a strong reputation for our expertise in research excellence, building workforce capacity, child protection, and abuse prevention. Our partnerships with government agencies, service providers, and community organisations have helped create safer environments for children across Australia.

Visit the ICPS website

Industry partner

MacKillop Family Services

MacKillop Family Services is a national child and families services organisation providing a rich practice environment, offering access to practitioners, school partners and professional learning teams. The organisation is passionate about working with communities so children can thrive and partnering in research to build knowledge and practice. Services begin at supporting families so they can build on their strengths, and create an environment where children can develop to their potential.

How to apply

Applications close: Monday 11 May 2026, 11:59 pm AEST

Step 1: Assess your eligibility

Eligibility

Before you apply, confirm you meet the following eligibility criteria:

• This opportunity is open to domestic applicants only.
• The eligibility criteria for the PhD program at ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø can be found in the .
• The eligibility criteria for research scholarships can be found in the .

Requirements

In addition to the eligibility criteria, the successful applicant should have:

• Experience working in a child safe organisation
• Experience in writing for an academic audience
• Capacity to write practice-oriented outputs

Conditions

By applying, you acknowledge and accept the following conditions:

• The scholarship package is subject to satisfactory progress and full-time study mode.
• The scholarship conditions align with the .
• The successful applicant will be required to assign their intellectual property (IP) to ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø as a condition of enrolment.

Step 2: Express your interest

Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Associate Dean Tim Moore prior to applying for the PhD program and scholarship, to express their interest and discuss the project in detail.

Email: tim.moore@acu.edu.au

Step 3: Submit your application

To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must submit all documentation required for an application to the PhD program at ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø, as detailed in the How to Apply instructions, plus:

• A CV outlining relevant academic and practical experience; and
• A cover letter detailing demonstrated interest and/or experience in the program of research described.

When completing the PhD application form, please indicate that you are also applying for a stipend scholarship and include the name of this project "Strengthening Safeguarding Capability in Schools".