National Museum of Australia - ANU Collaborative Doctoral Program PhD Scholarship

National Museum of Australia Collaborative PhD Scholarships

A prestigious joint Collaborative Doctoral Scholarship will be offered by the National Museum of Australia in partnership with the Centre for Heritage and Museum Studies (CHMS) in the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences.

The National Museum of Australia’s collections, exhibitions and programs all address different aspects of the story of Australia. The Museum welcomes PhD research projects that deepen understandings of its key themes and collections. The Museum particularly encourages projects that make reference to our object collections and/or the role of museums in influencing Australian history and identity.

Areas of Focus

The Museum’s current areas of focus are:

• Anthropocene Australia – Exploring the origins, character and future of life in Australia in a rapidly changing environment.
• Indigenous knowledges – Understanding Australia and its history from Indigenous perspectives and world views.
• Shared histories – Exploring the concept of shared histories as a way of marking and representing the enmeshed Indigenous and non-Indigenous experiences and histories of life on the Australian continent.
• Defining moments – Examining key moments in Australian history, and encouraging discussion and debate around change in Australian society.
• Australia and the world – Revealing Australia’s profound interconnection with the rest of the world, and how these connections have shaped transnational histories and contemporary life.
   

Possible topics

Possible thesis topics could include:

• Sir Colin Mackenzie and comparative anatomy in the Australian Institute of Anatomy Collection.
• New perspectives on 19th century Indigenous art.
• British/Australian connections revealed by the Museum’s love token collection.
• An exploration of cultural shifts in Australia agriculture in response to the challenges of the Anthropocene.
• Australia and the car.
• Shared histories and truth telling – the role of museum collections and exhibitions.
• The development and articulation of Australian design.
• Peace and activism.

NMA Collections

Collections that researchers might analyse include:

• The Australian Institute of Anatomy Collection
• 19th century sketchbooks by Indigenous artists – Oscar, Panga and Tommy McCrae
• Thylacine-related collections
• Balarinji art and design collection
• Convict love token collection
• Breastplate collections
• Industrial and regenerative agriculture collections
• The Trevor Kennedy collection of Australiana
• Social and political activism collections
• Indigenous children’s artwork collections
• Australian fashion collections
• Australian motoring collections
• Western and Central Desert art collections
• Bark paintings