University of Sydney PhD Scholarship

PhD Scholarship in Digital Technology, Sexuality, and Disability at the University of Sydney, Australia.

This opportunity is for a PhD student to join an Australian Research Council (ARC) DECRA project led by Adam Poulsen at the University of Sydney. The project explores the role, ethics, and design requirements of sex technology to support sexuality for people with physical disability in care settings.

Research topics may include sextech design, ethics, governance, lived experience, co-design, human-computer interaction (HCI), value sensitive design, queer theory, disability studies, sexuality research, and assistive technology. Examples of sextech mentioned include smart sex toys, teledildonics, virtual reality pornography, erotic video games, romantic chatbots, and sex robots.

The scholarship is fully funded and includes a tuition waiver plus a tax-free stipend of AUD 42,754 per year. There are also opportunities for research and conference travel. The intended start date is late 2026.

Applicants should have a strong Honours or Master's degree in HCI, design, disability studies, sexuality research, or a related social or health discipline with a research component. Experience in qualitative or participatory research methods is preferred, and interest or experience in disability studies, sexuality research, or assistive technology is an advantage.

To apply, email your CV and a short research statement of fewer than 250 words to [email protected] by 15 June.