Asher Flynn

This fully funded PhD scholarship at Monash University offers an exciting opportunity to investigate the emergence and influence of misogyny within online manosphere communities. The project will explore how digital subcultures shape attitudes, identities, and behaviours, focusing on the construction, sharing, and legitimisation of misogynistic narratives in online spaces. It will also examine the intersection of these communities with broader men’s rights movements and the political economy underpinning digital platforms, including how influencers and content creators monetise grievance and narratives of masculinity, particularly among younger male audiences. Key research questions may include: What drives engagement with manosphere communities? How do algorithmic systems and platform structures amplify or sustain these discourses? What role do influencers, content creators, and platform economies play in shaping and sustaining manosphere narratives? How are feelings of economic insecurity, social marginalisation, or changing gender roles mobilised within manosphere discourse? In what ways do manosphere communities intersect with anti-feminist ideologies, and how do these online environments foster pathways toward more extreme attitudes or actions? The project is particularly suited to qualitative methodologies such as semi-structured interviews, digital ethnography, and social media data collection, including platform-based content analysis or scraping of publicly available data. Analytical frameworks may include discourse analysis, thematic analysis, and critical approaches to power and ideology. The central aim is to deepen understanding of the social and technological drivers underpinning misogyny in the digital age, while also identifying opportunities for intervention, promoting healthier models of masculinity, and informing policy and platform governance approaches. This PhD scholarship is based within the Faculty of Arts at Monash University, Australia’s largest university and a top 100 global institution. The project is housed at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW), the world’s first centre dedicated to tackling all forms of violence against women in Australia and the Indo-Pacific region. CEVAW’s interdisciplinary research is data-driven, Indigenous and survivor-centred, and co-designed with partners. The centre brings together leading experts across legal, security, economic, health, and political systems, with significant investment and a large cohort of HDR students and postdoctoral fellows. Applicants should have a background in criminology, sociology, gender studies, political science, international relations, or related fields, with a strong interest in interdisciplinary research and a commitment to addressing complex social harms. Experience in qualitative, quantitative, or digital ethnography methodologies is highly valued. Candidates must hold an Honours or Master’s degree with a significant research component and first-class honours/H1 awarded. English-language proficiency requirements apply. Scholarship holders must be enrolled full-time and on campus. Applicants who already hold a PhD are not eligible. The successful applicant will be expected to enrol by 1 March 2027. Funding includes a Research Living Allowance of $37,145 AUD per annum (tax-free stipend, indexed), a CEVAW Top-up scholarship of $10,000 AUD per annum (non-indexed), and additional allowances as per RTP stipend scholarship conditions. For further details, see Monash’s scholarship policy and procedures. To apply, first contact Professor Asher Flynn to discuss your interest. Prepare a cover letter, research proposal, CV, academic records, English language test results (if applicable), and referee details. After discussion with the supervisor, submit your application via My.App, selecting 'Admission Only' and indicating you are applying for the CEVAW PhD Scholarship. Applications close 10 August 2026.

This interdisciplinary PhD scholarship at Monash University offers a unique opportunity to advance research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, social sciences, and gender studies. The project, 'AI Detection of Misogynistic Backlash Ecosystems,' aims to develop computational approaches for detecting and analysing misogynistic discourse and coordinated harassment across social media and online platforms. Leveraging natural language processing (NLP), large language models (LLMs), machine learning, and network analysis, the research will identify and examine extremist misogyny, anti-gender equality mobilisation, and violence-supportive narratives as they emerge and spread in digital environments. Key research questions include: How can AI systems reliably identify implicit and evolving forms of misogynistic discourse beyond explicit hate speech? What computational measures can be developed to detect misogyny, benevolent sexism, violence-supportive attitudes, and coordinated harassment at scale? How can benchmark datasets be constructed to support robust and explainable AI models for online safety research? How do misogynistic narratives and communities spread across platforms and respond to social and political events? The project is particularly suited to candidates with backgrounds in computer science, information technology, statistics, mathematics, computational linguistics, or data science. Experience in NLP, machine learning, LLMs, network analysis, social network analysis, computational social science, social media analytics, or large-scale text analysis is highly desirable. Applicants should demonstrate a strong interest in interdisciplinary research and a commitment to addressing complex social harms and insecurity. This PhD scholarship is based within the Faculties of Information Technology and Arts at Monash University, Australia's largest university and a global leader in research. The successful candidate will be housed within the Monash AI Institute (MAI) and the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW), both renowned for their pioneering, data-driven, and impact-focused research. MAI is a premier hub for AI and data science, emphasising responsible, ethical, and human-centred AI, and fostering collaboration with industry, government, and international partners. CEVAW is the world’s first centre dedicated to tackling the full range of violence against women in Australia and the Indo-Pacific region, bringing together experts across legal, security, economic, health, and political systems. The project will be supported by a multidisciplinary supervisory team, including Professor Reza Haffari, Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Professors Jacqui True and Asher Flynn, Dr Trang Vu, and Dr Katie Buchhorn. Scholarship holders must be enrolled full-time and on campus. Applicants who already hold a PhD are not eligible. The scholarship provides a Research Living Allowance of $37,145AUD per annum (tax-free stipend, indexed) plus a CEVAW Top-up scholarship of $10,000AUD per annum (non-indexed), as well as allowances as per RTP stipend scholarship conditions. The expected enrolment date is by 1 March 2027, with preference for commencement in late 2026. The application deadline is 10 August 2026. To apply, candidates must first contact Dr Katie Buchhorn to discuss their interest and research proposal. Applications should include a cover letter, brief research proposal, CV, academic records, English language proficiency test results (if applicable), and contact details of two academic referees. After discussion, applications are submitted via the My.App portal, selecting 'Admission Only' and indicating the CEVAW PhD Scholarship. Applications submitted without prior contact with the lead supervisor may not be considered. For further information on eligibility and application requirements, visit the Monash University graduate research and scholarship policy pages. This opportunity supports a diverse workforce and aims to make a significant global impact in the elimination of violence against women.