Candidates from any discipline are encouraged to apply. For instance, scholars with a background in economics, public policy, health, law, geography, engineering, environmental science, and so on are encouraged to consider the potential implications of their research for city or regional planning, urban governance, infrastructure and public finance, housing, environmental policy, Indigenous land and land management, or transportation. Accordingly, the candidate may find their academic sponsor and mentor in a wide variety of disciplines and agencies.  

This is designed to be a short-term project – a two-to-three-month period where the candidate develops and implements a strategy for communicating and sharing their doctoral research with the policy and practice community. Opportunities for extending this work through new research collaborations with end-user groups should also be pursued during this period.

This year, HHURRI is particularly interested in proposals which address themes of climate change in relation to the built environment, Indigenous land, management, or planning, or socially just cities and regions.  

The postdoctoral candidate will provide a well-formed proposal in accordance with the guidelines demonstrating where their research is relevant/ applicable to urban policy and a strategy for communicating or developing findings through structured engagement with the practice community.  

The candidate will identify an academic supervisor/collaborator within the University of Sydney who is willing to provide a degree of supervision and support for the program of wider engagement. This engagement might include a program of targeted presentations, seminars, consultation, media and or training materials as well as a Research and Policy Brief to be published by the HHURRI.  In addition, each “graduating” candidate will deliver a public lecture on their findings.   

Their proposal will offer a vision of the anticipated research impact, outlining the specific policy gaps or practice challenges that the research has potential to inform. Ideally the candidate will identify a willing mentor and/or end user organisation within the government, industry or non-profit sectors who would be in a position to provide advice and or act as a reference group.