Expressions of Interest - Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Student - Bond University, Business School

About the position

As Australia's first private University, Bond University based at Robina, Gold Coast seeks to be recognised internationally as a leading independent university, imbued with a spirit to innovate, a commitment to influence and a dedication to inspire tomorrow's professionals who share a personalised and transformational student experience.

Call for Expressions of Interest

Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Student

Bond University, Business School

Position title : Higher Degree by Research in Business (Sport Management)

Please note : Previous applicants need not apply

The Bond Business School is calling for expressions of interest from business graduates interested in undertaking a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) investigating the role of sport in Australia’s higher education sector.

UniSport Australia is the governing body for sport across Australia’s 43 universities (37 public; six private) and is funding this HDR scholarship. This research seeks to understand the role of sport in Australian universities and how it contributes to campus culture, sense of community and student satisfaction. The research will also uncover the enablers and inhibitors to sport making positive contributions to university life.

While considerable research into how sport contributes to university life has been conducted in North American settings, little to no research has been conducted in other countries. Given the massive cultural capital of sport in Australia, it seems remiss that such a knowledge gap persists. Ultimately, we would like to identify ways to improve campus life through sport, and across the whole of Australia’s university network. The new knowledge generated can be leveraged by UniSport Australia and individual universities for sport service improvement, to improve strategic service and workforce planning, and for evaluation purposes, e.g., current large-scale projects such as the UniSport Nationals. It is envisaged that a mixed-methods approach to data collection and analyses will be adopted.

The successful applicant’s research thesis will be supervised by Dr. Lisa Gowthorp, Dr. Danny O’Brien and Dr. Belinda Barton at Bond University.

Why study at Bond?

The Bond Business School (BBS) delivers a truly personalised educational experience to every student. BBS provides a unique learning environment. This setting tailors our industry-relevant learning experiences to the needs of each student, one by one. In addition, each student has unparalleled access to dedicated learning facilities, global industry connections, internationally diverse cohorts and world class academics. We demonstrate an outstanding student service ethic, offer an engaging and satisfying student experience, and prioritise student wellbeing. We engage in high quality, impactful research in niche areas of research excellence.

Our research groups include :

• Centre for Data Analytics
• Governance, Accountability and Purpose (GAP) Research Group
• Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise

About the person

Selection Criteria

Essential :

Desirable :

The successful applicant will need to meet all Bond University requirements for entry into the HDR program and achieve the milestones required by the University throughout their HDR program. It is also a requirement that the successful applicant be based full-time at the Gold Coast campus.

Salary details

Candidates will receive high quality, personalised supervision and access to the full range of facilities available to Bond University students, successful applicants will be entitled to the following benefits :

Additional information

For all enquiries related to this position, please contact the Bond Business School on bbsresearch@bond.edu.au.

Application and submission details

How to submit an expression of interest

Please submit your expression of interest via the Bond University application portal.

Your EOI must include :

Expressions of interest close : 30 November 2025