PhD Scholarship

The Plunkett Centre for Ethics at the Australian Catholic University (ACU) is pleased to announce two PhD scholarships for research in bioethics. We are especially interested in topics related to flourishing in later lifehttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hast.5022> or flourishing at the end of lifehttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11017-024-09679-x>, though we will be open to receiving applications in other areas.

The Plunkett Centre is a philosophical bioethics centre and joint initiative of ACU and several partner organisations in the health and aged care sector. Founded in 1992, the Centre aims to advance ethical reflection on human health and wellbeing through research and teaching.

Home to several recognised bioethicists and philosophers, the Centre has published extensively on the ethics of end-of-life care, clinical ethics, conscientious objection, reproductive technologies, and human flourishing at different life stages. Other interests of Plunkett faculty include artificial intelligence, moral psychology, ethics related to vulnerable medical groups (such as people living with dementia), philosophy of psychology, and the philosophy of memory.

Successful applicants will receive the equivalent of a Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend, paid as a fortnightly stipend for up to 3.5 years. The PhD candidates will be based in the Plunkett Centre and successful candidates may be supervised by Plunkett Centre faculty, including Dr Xavier Symons, Dr Steve Matthews, Dr Bernadette Tobin, as well as affiliates and collaborators of the Centre. The deadline for applications for the scholarships is 1st of October 2026.

Applicants should have a background in an academic area related to bioethics, such as philosophy, medicine, law, theology, or anthropology. The scholarships are available to both domestic and international applicants. Recipients of this award will need to meet the requirements of enrolment and progress as outlined in Higher Degree Research Policyhttps://policy.acu.edu.au/document/view.php?id=299> and ACU's Research Training Program Scholarship Policyhttps://policy.acu.edu.au/document/view.php?id=240>. For full scholarship eligibility and conditions, please see ACU's Research Training Program Scholarship Policyhttps://policy.acu.edu.au/document/view.php?id=240>.

For inquiries, please email Dr Xavier Symons at [email protected]. Further details can be found here: https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/news/2026/april/plunkett-centre-to-host-new-phd-scholarships