First Nations Research Fellow(s) (Identified) – Digital Inclusion Research Projects

• ​​Full-time​, ​Fixed Term position until 30 June 2027

• Salary Academic Level A-D depending on qualifications, expereince, research outputs and engagement + 17% Superannuation and Flexible Working Arrangements

• Identified role for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples according to Special Measures*

• Based at the ​Melbourne CBD​ campus, ​but may be required to work and/or be based at other campuses of the University​ 

About the role 

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society (ADM+S) within RMIT is seeking to recruit one or more First Nations researchers (at either level A, B, C and/or D) to support the research fieldwork, project deliverables, data governance, reporting and presentation of research findings for a new project ‘Measuring Digital Inclusion for First Nations Australians’, funded by the Australian Government.

This project will measure digital inclusion for First Nations people nationally and track changes in the scale and nature of the digital gap relative to non-First Nations Australians. By expanding on the Australian Digital Inclusion Index, it provides detailed measurement of progress towards Closing the Gap Target 17 (CTG 17): ‘By 2026, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have equal levels of digital inclusion’.

The researcher/s also contribute to planning and delivery of the Mapping the Digital Gap Phase 2 project, which is measuring digital inclusion in 9 remote First Nations communities across Australia. This project is closely aligned with the national project and includes co-delivering survey and qualitative data collection with First Nations partner organisations in each site.

See Associate Professor Heron Loban, Principal Research Fellow talk about this key work

A new research project measuring First Nations digital inclusion

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society (ADM+S) sits within the College of Design and Social Context (DSC) and is a cross-disciplinary, national research centre, which aims to create the knowledge and strategies necessary for responsible, ethical, and inclusive automated decision-making. Funded by the Australian Research Council from 2020 to 2026, ADM+S is hosted at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia, with nodes in seven other Australian universities. The Centre brings together leading researchers in the humanities, social and technological sciences in an international industry, research and civil society network. Its priority domains for public engagement are news and media, transport, social services and health.

Learn more about the ADM+S Centre here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkyZpYjxNBc

To be successful in this position, you will have:  

• Enrolled in or working towards the completion of a PhD (level A) or completion of a PhD in a relevant discipline area (level B-D).

• Experience/understanding of working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations in the design, co-ordination and co-delivery of complex research projects.

• Understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

• The ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.

• Experience leading large/complex research projects (Level D), including overseeing the timely delivery of research milestones, coordinating fieldwork, budget management, and overseeing junior staff on the project team.

• Experience in appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods, software and tools in a relevant research context.

• Proven scholarly writing skills (Level D) and experience in preparing publications for a variety of audiences, including detailed project reports for internal and external audiences, and scholarly articles in high-quality refereed journals, book chapters, and/or books.

• Proven ability to work independently to generate distinctive contributions to scholarly knowledge and/or create real world outcomes (Level D).

• The ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders and research collaborators, including presentations at seminars, conferences and industry events.

• Willingness to travel to regional and remote Australia to conduct fieldwork.

About the ​College​ 

RMIT’s College of Design & Social Context (DSC) brings together creative and practical study in the fields of design, technology and society. Comprised of nine schools, the College encompasses a wide variety of disciplines of the built environment, education, media & communication, global & social studies and across all fields of art and design. It is this breadth of expertise and the shared commitment to addressing the most urgent challenges and opportunities of our time through interdisciplinary collaboration that gives the College its unique identity.