This social-science based PhD will identify and test new waste management arrangements that facilitate a shift towards zero-food waste apartments. The scholarship will support co-designed action research interventions that will build zero-food waste multi-unit development (MUD) practices, involving apartment households and waste management intermediaries. This PhD scholarship is provided as part of the ARC Linkage Project (ARCLP) TRASH: Transforming Refuse in Apartments for Sustainable Housing
Recycling rates from apartments are low internationally, and they are being left aside in waste policy and program initiatives in Australia. Given that Australia has 2.62 million apartment residents, and this number is rising, there is a need to address this policy and research gap. By teaming up with key industry partners in action-based research, the aim of the TRASH project is to identify and test new waste management arrangements that facilitate a shift towards zero-waste MUDs. Within this, this PhD will focus on the increased action by Sydney councils to tackle urban food waste as a separate stream in MUDs, its challenges and opportunities, tracking local government efforts in Sydney. Together with supervisors and project manager, the candidate will also support the implementation of co-design workshops and policy workshops in Sydney, Melbourne and London, bringing attention to the integration of food waste in these settings.
Research findings will contribute to new conceptualisations of housing, waste, circularities and cities. The wider project’s TRASH Portal will also host co-design interventions as a nationally accessible resource. This should generate significant benefits such as helping to build a resilient and sustainable nation, assisting the transition to net-zero and enhancing Australia’s ability to deliver the National Waste and National Food Waste Policies.
Faculty: Faculty of Arts, Society and Business
Study area: Social Sciences & Advocacy
Student type: Domestic students
Student status: Future Students
Scholarship amount
UOW Base Rate ($38,420 per annum for 2027)
Added benefits:
- $4200 Postgraduate Fund (for international conference and other expenses)
- Return airfares and accommodation for Melbourne workshop
Duration
3.5yrs
Application process
Please submit your EOI, comprising of your CV and a PDF of your Masters or Honours Thesis including any published papers or chapters, to Dr Nicole Cook nicole_cook@uow.edu.au by 20 November 2026.
Candidates will initially be ranked based on expertise and fit with the PhD position.
The highest ranked candidate in the EOI process will then be invited to submit an application via the UOW application portal. Support will be provided through the submission process.
Eligibility requirements
Bachelors Degree in
- Social Sciences
- Human Geography
- Environmental Geography
- Housing Studies or
- Environmental Humanities
And Masters by Research or Honours (Class 1).
Demonstrated familiarity at Masters or Honours level with one of the following conceptual frameworks:
- Social Practice Theory
- Sociomaterial/Sociotechnical Systems
- Careful Circularities
- Careful Cities
- Soilcare
- Political Ecology of Housing
- Post-human Housing/Cities
- Urban Geography or
- Critical Geographies of Housing
Application closing date
30 November 2026
Contact information
Nicole Cook