New South Wales Office for Responsible Gambling has announced funding for PhD scholarships, study grants, and post-doctoral fellowships in the field of reducing the problem of gambling harm.
Funding Initiative:
The grants under the scheme are available to students currently pursuing PhD scholarships or post-doctoral fellowships.
Natalie Wright, Director of Office of Responsible Gambling, said, “Research is crucial because it provides the evidence base for responsible gambling policy, interventions, and programs.”
According to Wright, the aim is to find research-based solutions for gambling harm prevention.
Details of Scholarships:
The NSW Office for Responsible Gambling website has a step-by-step guide for filing applications for availing funds.
The submission of applications for PhD scholarships and post-doctoral Fellowships began on November 19, and the last date for submissions is January 31, 2020.
For PhDs, two scholarships are available, each one of $53,110 per year for three years.
Apart from the two scholarships, partial scholarships are available for students who are already receiving some other scholarships or university grants.
Candidates who are pursuing post-doctoral fellowships will have to agree to participate in cross-disciplinary researches or research partnerships to avail of the funds. It is done to bring experts from various fields together to produce innovative solutions for reducing gambling harm.
Two fellowships are available, each one of $150,000 per year for three years.
Study grants are available to students who can display innovative approaches or best practices in the fields of gambling research, policy, education, and support. These grants will cover the costs of attending and making presentations at various gambling conferences and seminars.
There are five study grants available, each of $5,000. Applications began on 19 November and can be submitted throughout 2020.
Financial Commitment to Tackling Gambling Harm:
The Office has given $400,000 to 5 universities for different initiatives on addressing gambling harm.
The 5 universities and their projects are as follows:
- University of Technology, Sydney: Educating young people through animation about responsible gambling practices.
- Australian National University, Canberra: Studying gambling harm to wives of compulsive gamblers.
- Central Queensland University: Research into loot boxes.
- Deakin University, Victoria: How gambler’s families can help them lose addiction to gambling.
- University of Sydney Business School: Research into the potential for exploitation of “cash-out” offered by bookmakers.
The office also contributed $176,000 to the University of Sydney’s Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic, which included creating a website where gamblers can exclude themselves from online gambling sites anonymously.
Aggressive Pursuit of Goals:
The objectives of the Office of Responsible Gambling are:
- To reduce problem gambling and gambling harm.
- To empower consumers to help them make informed decisions about gambling.
- To initiate a public debate about the merits and demerits of gambling policy and regulations.
- To work with the gambling industry to implement responsible gambling practices.
- At the same time, to ensure gambling industry development is not impeded to reap social and economic benefits from it.
Research:
Flinders University’s report details gaps in current research and how to address them.
NSW Gambling Survey 2019 shows a significant drop in gambling levels.
