Western Sydney University: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award – Call for Expressions of Interest

Discovery Early Career Researcher Award applications in Cultural and Social Research

Institute for Culture and Society

The Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) within Western Sydney University (WSU) was launched in 2012. ICS is a major national and international Institute for the pursuit of engaged interdisciplinary cultural and social research. Rated 5 (?well above world standard?) for Cultural Studies and 4 in Human Geography (‘above world standard’), in the 2015 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) rankings, the Institute coordinates interdisciplinary cultural research across the humanities and social sciences and connects Australian cultural and social research to relevant research internationally, in Asia, Europe, North and South America.

With the continuation of the Australian Research Council?s Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme in 2018 (see: http://www.arc.gov.au/discovery-early-career-researcher-award), ICS is investing in leading cultural and social researchers from Australia and overseas by supporting innovative and outstanding DECRA proposals from applicants who will be 4 to 5 years post-PhD at March 2018.


ICS Research Program

ICS’s research program is currently organised into the following areas:


ICS Research and Researchers

ICS researchers approach culture as a vital dimension of social, political, economic and ecological life. Their applied, interdisciplinary research produces cutting-edge work with impact in and across the fields of cultural studies, cultural and human geography, media studies, sociology, anthropology, environmental humanities, cultural economy, urban studies, Asian studies, education studies, digital humanities, software studies and museum and heritage studies.

Expressions of Interest

ICS will offer expert assistance to DECRA applications where these fit closely with one or more aspects of its research program. Please consult the Institute’s website (http://westernsydney.edu.au/ics) for further details of the Institute’s research program.

To be considered eligible candidates should:

  1. Hold a PhD awarded in the 4-5 years prior to March 2018
  2. Have a strong and extensive track record
  3. Be working in a field closely related to one or more of ICS’s research programs

Please note that applicants seeking the endorsement of ICS need to submit a CV in the first instance to icsro@westernsydney.edu.au by 9am Australian Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday 8 June 2017. Candidates with competitive track records will then be invited to submit an Expression of Interest. Please note that EOIs will be due by 9am Australian Eastern Standard Time on 24th July 2017, so please register your interest as soon as possible.

Prospective applicants with further questions may contact Dr Flora Zhong at icsro@westernsydney.edu.au