If you would like more information or have any questions about this scholarship, please contact the project supervisors.
Consolidating intelligence data to identify victims of child sexual abuse
Applications close Friday, 31 August
Supporting a PhD candidate to improve police identification of children at risk of sexual exploitation.
Key details
Project supervisor
Deakin school and faculty
Additional supervisors
Yet to be confirmed
Location
Melbourne Burwood Campus
Value and duration
This scholarship is available over three years and offers:
- a stipend of $37,450 per annum tax exempt (2026 rate)
- a relocation allowance of $500-1,500 (for single to family) for students moving from interstate
For international students, the awardee will also receive:
- tuition fees offset for the duration of four years
- single Overseas Student Health Cover policy for the duration of the student visa.
Research aim
This project aims to generate new knowledge about the victims appearing in child sexual abuse material, with the potential to transform police practice. It utilises an innovative methodological approach to deliver new insights about victimisation and identify who is being victimised, who is at the highest risk of repeat victimisation, and when and where victimisation takes place. Project activities engage restricted police data to triangulate information with existing databases to provide actionable priorities for investigators, with product delivery to stakeholders in Year 4. Benefits accrue for police and the broader community by expediting the rescue of vulnerable children and, for academia, by overcoming data quality issues that have frustrated past research.
Background information
The scholarship will be based at Deakin University within the Deakin Covert Networks Lab. The Deakin Covert Networks Lab hosts a community of researchers who deploy a range of methodological approaches to study organised crime, illicit networks, illicit markets, terrorism / extremism and related areas of criminology. We partner with government and industry to translate our research into effective policy and practice.
The PhD student will work under the supervision of Professor David Bright on the following project funded under the ARC Linkage Scheme: Consolidating intelligence data to identify victims of child sexual abuse. This project aims to generate new knowledge about the victims appearing in child sexual abuse material, with the potential to transform police practice. It utilises an innovative methodological approach to deliver new insights about victimisation and identify: who is being victimised, who is the highest risk of repeat victimisation, and when/where victimisation takes place. Project activities engage restricted police data to triangulate information with existing databases to provide actionable priorities for investigators. Benefits will accrue for police/community by expediting rescue of vulnerable children; and for academia, overcoming data quality issues which have been a challenge for past research.
The specific PhD project will be developed in consultation with project leads, and be aligned with the following theme:
- Using social network analysis to better understand patterns of child sexual abuse victimisation and offending.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible you must:
- meet Deakin's PhD entry requirements
- enrol full time
- hold an honours degree (first class) or an equivalent standard masters degree with a substantial research component
Please refer to the research degree entry pathways page for further information.
Additional requirement:
- applications are invited from candidates originating from any discipline (e.g. criminology, sociology, psychology, etc.) however, applicants with experience in data science and social network analysis are particularly encouraged to apply.
Ready to apply?
Please email your CV and cover letter (including your interest in the project) to Prof David Bright. Your CV should highlight your skills, education, publications and relevant work experience. If successful, you will be invited to submit a formal application.
Research degree entry requirements
Set yourself up for success. Each type of Deakin research degree has specific entry requirements designed to ensure that graduate researchers are well prepared for the challenges of advanced study.
