Project summary
- Program
- PhD
- Location
- St Lucia
- Research area
- Environmental sciences, Indigenous studies, Language, communication and culture
Project description
Indigenous Ecological Knowledge (IEK) is critical for the health of Country and people. Indigenous languages are key to accessing and understanding IEK and bridging the divide between IEK and Western science.
You will join a team including Professor Felicity Meakins, two postdocs, and other PhD students in a project that aims to show how Indigenous languages are shaped by Country, structure knowledge about Country, and encode social dynamics of Indigenous groups over time.
This project is funded by an Australian Research Council Laureate project and includes a scholarship, and fieldwork and conference costs.
Research environment
The University of Queensland (UQ) is a globally recognised research-intensive institution ranked among the world’s top 50 universities.
UQ is renowned for its research excellence across diverse disciplines, including in language, communication, and culture, in which UQ is rated “above world standard” (2018 Excellence in Research for Australia assessment).
Linguistics at The University of Queensland was ranked 63rd in the 2025 QS World Rankings.
For Indigenous applicants, you will be joining two postdocs and three other Indigenous students under the supervision of Professor Felicity Meakins.
Scholarship
This is an Fellowship support scheme scholarship project that aligns with a recently awarded Australian Government grant.
The scholarship includes:
- living stipend of $39,220 per annum tax free (2026 rate), indexed annually
- your tuition fees covered.
Learn more about the Fellowship support scheme scholarship.
Supervisor
Principal supervisor
Preferred educational background
Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.
We take into account your:
- previous academic record
- publication record
- honours and awards
- employment history.
would be of benefit to someone working on this project.
You will demonstrate academic achievement in the fields of linguistics, computational biology, and/or ethnobiology and the potential for scholastic success.
A background or knowledge of working with Indigenous Australians is highly desirable.
How to apply
This project requires candidates to commence no later than Research Quarter 4, 2027. You can start in an earlier research quarter.
You must submit an expression of interest (EOI) by the closing date for the research quarter (RQ) you want to start in:
Before you apply
- Check your eligibility for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
- Prepare your documentation.
- If you have any questions about whether the project is suitable for your research interests, contact Professor Felicity Meakins (f.meakins@uq.edu.au).
When you apply
To apply, submit an expression of interest (EOI) for the program. You don't need to apply separately for the project or scholarship. How to submit an EOI
In your EOI, complete the 'Scholarship/Sponsorship' section with the following details:
- Are you applying for an advertised project: 'Yes'
- Project: 'Fellowship project scholarship'
- Scholarship Code Listed in the Advertisement: AMPLIFYING-MEAKINS
- Link to Scholarship Advertisement: https://study.uq.edu.au/study-options/phd-mphil-professional-doctorate/projects/amplifying-indigenous-ecological-knowledge-western-science-language