New PhD Scholarship at USC

A new PhD scholarship through the University of the Sunshine Coast is offering an important opportunity to strengthen how safety-critical sectors, including outdoor education and outdoor leisure, identify, manage and learn from risk.

The scholarship, Applying and validating the digital Net-HARMS platform, is being offered through UniSC’s Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science. The research will focus on testing and extending a new systems thinking-based digital tool that integrates risk assessment, incident reporting and organisational learning. The project builds on work already being undertaken in outdoor education and will explore how the tool can be applied in another domain, such as transport safety, outdoor leisure activities or child safeguarding in the outdoor sector.

For the outdoor industry, this is highly relevant. Outdoor education, recreation, adventure tourism and nature-based programs operate in complex environments where risk is dynamic, contextual and shared across people, places, organisations, systems and decision-making processes. While incident reporting is an important part of safety management, the greater challenge is often turning that data into meaningful learning that can improve future practice.

The UniSC project recognises that workplace harm continues to carry personal, economic and societal costs, and that valuable incident data is often underused in proactively identifying and managing risk. The digital Net-HARMS platform aims to help close the gap between safety research and practical application by connecting risk assessment, incident data and organisational learning in a more integrated way.

The PhD candidate will work on adapting, implementing and evaluating the tool in real-world settings. The project is expected to involve a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including workshops, systems mapping and data analysis to assess the reliability, validity and usability of the platform.

This is an exciting development for an industry that is increasingly focused on evidence-informed practice, proactive risk management and shared learning. As the outdoor sector continues to mature, tools that help organisations better understand risk across systems — rather than simply reviewing incidents in isolation — will be critical.

The project also aligns strongly with current national conversations around the Australian Adventure Activity Standard, good practice guidance, incident reporting, child safeguarding, leadership capability and systems-based approaches to safety. It offers the potential to support more consistent learning across organisations while recognising the realities of outdoor delivery environments.

The scholarship is open to domestic candidates and includes

• 3 years coverage until Thesis submission
• Stipend – $38 000 (AUD) per annum, paid fortnightly and is tax-free for full-time students.
• Tuition fees – Full coverage, with a value of $29 300 per annum.
• Relocation allowance – Up to $2,000 to relocate to a UniSC campus

All inclusions are in accordance with UniSC RTP Research scholarship conditions

Applications close 10 July 2026 at 11:55pm.

This is a valuable opportunity for someone with a background in human factors, safety science, psychology, education, health science, outdoor education or a related discipline to contribute to research with direct practical relevance to the outdoor sector.

Source: Outdoor Council of Australia

Summary of position

This PhD position will involve testing and extending a novel systems thinking-based risk assessment and incident learning tool within a new safety-critical domain. The candidate will undertake applied research, applying the tool to suit the relevant context, engaging with relevant stakeholders, and supporting its implementation in real-world settings. The role is likely to include a combination or qualitative and quantitative research methods, such as workshops, systems mapping, and data analysis to evaluate the reliability, validity, and usability of the digital Net-HARMS platform.

Over the course of the project, the candidate will contribute to the testing and evaluation of the digital Net-HARMS platform, with opportunities to publish in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at academic and industry-based conferences. The position provides an opportunity to develop expertise in systems thinking, human factors, and safety science, while generating applied outcomes that improve how organisations identify, manage, and learn from risk.

The candidate will be supervised by Professor Katie Plant, Professor Gemma Read, Dr Jolene Cox, Dr Matthew Morrison, and Professor Paul Salmon and will be based at the Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science, University of the Sunshine Coast. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work closely with leading researchers in human factors and systems science. The successful candidate will be offered a desk space at the Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science or can complete their studies remotely. The PhD opportunity is open to domestic candidates only.

Ideal Candidate

Essential:

• A background in human factors, safety science, psychology, education, health science, or other relevant discipline
• A completed first-class honours degree, a research master’s degree, or a coursework master’s degree with a significant research component from a recognised institution
• A commitment to undertake a 3-year research project on evaluating a digital Net-HARMS tool
• Demonstrated capacity for research and ability to work independently and collaboratively with the research team

Desirable:

• An interest or experience in prospective risk assessment, safety management, or safety science
• Experience with human factors or systems thinking methods
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Previous publications

Contacts

Dr Matthew Morrison
Email: mmorrison1@usc.edu.au

Kelly Stewart
Email: kstewart@usc.edu.au