Driving Change Through Research: NSW Domestic, Family & Sexual Violence Doctoral Training Centre (DTC)

Overview

• The University of Newcastle is bringing together 12 University partners with key NSW government departments, to deliver a coordinated research agenda to address domestic, family and sexual violence.

• The NSW and ACT Domestic, Family & Sexual Violence Research Network will deliver strategic initiatives including a Doctoral Training Centre to enhance evidence-based practice, foster cross-sector collaboration and deliver practice-based research to address domestic, family and sexual violence in NSW.

• This initiative delivers on the NSW Government’s Domestic and Family Violence Plan creating safer communities through informed policy and practice.

• This initiative is led by the NSW Deputy Vice Chancellors and auspiced by the NSW Vice Chancellor’s Committee. The initiative is funded by 12 NSW universities and the NSW Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer (OCSE) under the NSW Government’s Research Attraction and Acceleration Program (RAAP).

The Challenge

Domestic, Family & Sexual Violence (DFSV) is a significant social issue in NSW that intersects with other forms of systemic and structural inequality, with life threatening consequences.

• One in four women in NSW have experienced violence, emotional or economic abuse by a cohabiting partner since the age 15.

• One in six children in NSW witnessed violence towards a parent by a partner before the age of 15.

• 65% of LGBTIQA+ people have experienced a form of DFSV.

• Aboriginal women are eight times more likely to be recorded as a victim.

• People with a disability are 2.6x more at risk of intimate partner violence than those without a disability.

• Domestic violence is the number one preventable risk factor contributing to illness and death in women aged 18 to 44.

PhD Scholarship Focus Areas

PhD projects will focus in the following government priority areas:

• Strengthening the service system

• Responding to sexual violence

• Building greater understanding of family dynamics and experiences of violence

• Building greater understanding of people who use domestic, family and sexual violence

• Building better prevention strategies

• Better support for children and young people

• Better support for Aboriginal communities

Driving Change Through Research: NSW Domestic, Family & Sexual Violence Doctoral Training Centre (DTC)

What’s unique about the DTC?

• Government-aligned research – Every project addresses defined policy needs.

• Multidisciplinary collaboration – From public health to justice and housing.

• Embedded, applied learning – Flexible PhDs and practitioner partnerships.

• Integrated Knowledge translation – Turning evidence into policy and practice.

• Lived experience integration – Authentic voices shaping research.

Ready to make an impact?

We seek to recruit proactive, multi-disciplinary PhD candidates whose research spans academia, government, and frontline services. Commencing from July 2026, these PhD scholarships will support students committed to generating impact-driven research that contributes to the creation of safer communities across New South Wales.

Through this program, we aim to build a strong community of practice that actively supports candidates throughout their doctoral journey and facilitates the translation of research into real-world outcomes. Successful candidates will be embedded within an interdisciplinary supervisory and practice network, enabling close engagement with policy, practice, and community contexts.

The successful candidate will be embedded within an interdisciplinary supervisory and practice network, with close engagement with policy, practice, and community contexts throughout their doctoral journey.

Who Should Apply