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PhD Opportunities
The Future of Work Institute is currently inviting expressions of interest from prospective PhD candidates in Business Administration who may be eligible for scholarship consideration. We welcome applicants interested in one of the following projects for a February 2026 start, though we also encourage candidates to propose their own research ideas aligned with our expertise.​​
Project title: Motivational Assumptions of Leaders
Key research questions to be addressed include:
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How do the motivational assumptions of business leaders and executives influence how they design organisations and management systems?
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How do business school curricula influence the development of motivational assumptions?
Supervisor: Professor Marylene Gagne
Project title: Motivational Architecture
Key research questions to be addressed include:
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Organisational Structure and Centralisation: How do structures and the centralisation of decision-making and information access influence leadership behaviours and employee motivation?
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Performance Management, Monitoring and Metrification, and Incentives: How do these management practices influence leadership behaviours and employee motivation?
Supervisor: Professor Marylene Gagne
Project title: Generative AI (GenAI) and Personnel Assessment and Selection
Key research questions to be addressed include:
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How does GenAI, when in the hands of job applicants, disrupt the personnel selection process? Who is more likely to use GenAI and who is hired if some candidates use it and some do not?
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How do employers react to GenAI use by job candidates and what are the unintended consequences of employers’ interventions?
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How does the presence of GenAI change the characteristics of successful workers? How do selection processes need to be recalibrated to reflect these changes?
Supervisor: Professor Patrick Dunlop
Eligibility requirements
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
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1. A qualification equivalent to an Honours or Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, including Psychology, Management, Human Resources, Organisational Behaviour, Human Factors, Public Policy, or Microeconomics.
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The degree must include a significant thesis/research component.'
How to apply
Prospective candidates should first contact the relevant supervisor informally via email. If the supervisor expresses interest in your application, you will be invited to proceed with a formal application to Curtin
University, including an application for scholarship consideration.
Please note: Endorsement by a supervisor does not guarantee a scholarship. Rather, it qualifies you to enter the competitive ranking process through which Curtin University selects scholarship recipients.
When you contact a supervisor, please provide the following information:
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A current CV
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Evidence of completion of an Honours or Master’s degree with a substantial research/thesis component. Please include a copy of your thesis and academic transcripts (unofficial transcripts are acceptable at this stage).
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A brief research proposal (maximum two pages) that aligns with your project of interest. Your proposal should include:
Research rationale
Proposed hypotheses
Research methodology or approach -
A statement outlining your motivation for pursuing a PhD, including your learning and career goals.
Current PhD candidates
PhD Alumni
​"One of the best aspects of doing a PhD at FOWI is that I can do both of these things at the same time. I receive great mentorship and guidance to develop my own research expertise, but I also get to conduct research that is impactful, multidisciplinary and collaborative... This has made my PhD journey more meaningful, interesting and varied."
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- Dr Belinda Cham, FOWI Research Fellow and PhD Alumni
"The Centre for Transformative Work Design is a place where Work Design is researched, understood and practiced. You can hardly ask for a better environment in which to learn and conduct research."
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- Jia-Xin Tay (Jay), PhD Alumni
