[csaa-forum] 2 Phd Scholarships at RMIT: Inhabiting Buildings

[TANIA LEWIS]

Dear Colleagues

Two PhD scholarships (projects 6 and 7) are available for humanities/social
science students working under the supervision of myself and Dr Yolande
Strengers as part of the RMIT Greener Government Buildings programme.

More information can be found at http://www.rmit.edu.au/scholarships/ggb. Also
see the project description below.

Please pass this information on to your relevant contacts. Note the closing
date for applications is 31 October 2013.

Cheers
Tania

*Two Postgraduate Research Awards*

Digital Ethnography Research Centre, School of Media and Communication and
Centre for Urban Research (Beyond Behaviour Change research program),
School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University

*Inhabiting Buildings: embedding sustainability into RMIT culture*

*The Project*

The *Inhabiting Buildings* project adopts an innovative participatory
research methodology to map and promote change in the RMIT community to
improve sustainability. It focuses on everyday social practices within the
built environment to understand how resources are consumed, what role
buildings and technologies play in shaping these processes, and where
opportunities exist for social, cultural and organisational change. It will
address the following key research questions:

·         How and why do RMIT staff and students currently consume energy
and water resources in the course of their day-to-day practices?

·         What role do buildings and technologies play in shaping RMIT
staff and students energy and water-consuming practices?

·         What mechanisms, strategies and technologies can assist in
developing more sustainable practices within RMIT’s buildings?

      *The Research Team*

The project is co-led by Associate Professor Tania Lewis and Dr Yolande
Strengers. A/Prof Lewis is an expert in lifestyle and consumption studies
with a focus on everyday ethical and sustainable practices. Dr Strengers is
co-leader of the Beyond Behaviour Change research group at the Centre for
Design. She is an expert on smart technologies and theories of social
practice with a focus on energy and water consumption. The two appointed
PhDs will work closely with the team leaders and will also liaise with
other research assistants working on the project.

*The PhD Projects*

Two PhD Scholarships are available for dynamic, independent individuals
with expertise and interests in the relationship between sustainable
practices, technologies and built environments.

Depending on their expertise and interests, the candidates will undertake a
program of research *on at least one of the following **practice domains:*

*Heating and cooling: *the ways in which staff and students achieve comfort
within selected buildings at RMIT. **

*Eating and drinking: *the ways in which staff and students use RMIT
buildings to store, prepare and consume food and beverages.

*Working/ studying: *the ways in which RMIT staff and students use
buildings to conduct their day-to-day working activities, such as printing
documents, preparing documents, and communicating with staff and students.

*Travelling to/ from work: *the ways in which RMIT staff and students
travel to/ from work and the facilities they draw upon within buildings
(e.g. showers, bike storage).

*Meetings (on campus):* the ways in which staff and students meet on
campus, including the locations in which meetings take place (cafes,
offices, meeting rooms etc.) and the ways in which these practices are
mediated by buildings.

*Meetings (off campus):* the ways in which staff and students meet with
external colleagues and partners, including by phone, plane or other forms
of transport.

*Criteria*

The successful applicants should:

• demonstrate excellent academic performance in a field related to the
proposed research such as: science and technology studies; media and/or
cultural studies with an interest in technology; social practice theory;
consumption studies; cultural or social approaches to sustainability.

• hold qualifications and/or experience equivalent to an Australian First
Class Honours degree

• demonstrate the ability to organise and work independently

• preferably have experience in qualitative research and/or ethnography

*What does the scholarship provide?*

• Tax-free stipend of $30,000 per annum over 3.5 years and a funded place
in the doctoral degree within the schools of Media and Communication and/or
Global Urban and Social Studies.

• Funding is also available for project costs and conference travel.

• Applicants should discuss their eligibility with Associate Professor
Tania Lewis and/or Dr Yolande Strengers before applying:


tania.lewis at rmit.edu.au, phone +61 3 9925 52406

http://www.rmit.edu.au/staff/tania-lewis



yolande.strengers at rmit.edu.au

http://www.rmit.edu.au/staff/strengers_yolande



-- 
Associate Professor Tania Lewis
Vice Chancellor's Senior Research Fellow
School of Media & Communication
RMIT University
Building 36.3.7 City Campus
GPO Box 2476, Melbourne VIC 3001
Australia

ph: +61 3 9925 2406
fax: +61 3 9639 1685
email: tania.lewis at rmit.edu.au

web: www.rmit.edu.au/staff/tania-lewis
        www.telemodernities.org/
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