Research Fellow

Every institution values excellence. What matters most is why.
Griffith was created to be a different type of university. You’ll find we’re about leading research, academic excellence, and the transformative power of education. But what sets us apart is why those things matter and how you’ll achieve them.

Griffith brings together exceptional minds like yours from across the globe and from all walks of life. Here, we do incredible work, questioning and challenging, always in the pursuit of excellence.

This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled Research Fellow to join the team at The Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT). We are seeking a Research Fellow to assist the lead researchers on the Australian Research Council funded project “Extreme Heat in Cities: Co-Developing Just Adaptation for Urban Tourism”.

As a Research Fellow, you’ll be part of an interdisciplinary team across climate change, tourism and health. Key responsibilities include:

• Analyse high-resolution NASA climate data (available open access) to create downscaled climate models for the global Top 100 tourism cities. Calculate heat risk thresholds for visitors and different future time horizons.
• Process local daily climate data from the Bureau of Meteorology and work with remote sensing-derived city heat maps (e.g. using Landsat 8 satellite data) to add spatial layers for tourism activity.
• Under supervision, mine public health data to identify patterns of visitor-related health service usage, spatially and temporally.
• Integrate health data with other relevant datasets, such as spatial heat maps, visitor statistics and other relevant factors. 
• Contribute to developing a predictive model for future tourism-induced strains on the health system.
• Produce and contribute to academic publications and reports arising from the research.

What we can offer
This is a fixed- term (12 month) position, with the possibility of extension for a further year, primarily based at Griffith University, Gold Coast. As Griffith is a multi-campus University you may be required to work across other campus locations.

Griffith University’s sites are located on the lands of the Yugarabul, Yuggera, Jagera, Turrbal, Yugambeh and Kombumerri peoples.

Salary range
Research Fellow level 1 salary range $97,705 - $107,420 per annum plus 17% superannuation. Total remuneration range $107,298 - 125,682 per annum. 

What matters most is your drive to create a brighter future that benefits all. Through our core principles of excellence, ethics and engagement, you’ll thrive on seeing the direct and lasting impact you’ll have on every community and every future.

You will also have:

• Completed a PhD or equivalent combination of qualifications and have experience in a relevant field.
• Data mining capabilities, including ability to extract from large and complex data sets and ability to use big data analytics packages.
• Ability to code and clean data ready for analysis, and conduct analysis using inferential statistics using statistical software (e.g., STATA, R).
• Basic skills working with Geographic Information systems and remote sensing data.
• Some familiarity with health (emergency department) and/or climate data beneficial.

At Griffith, we’re committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all - whoever you are and wherever you’re from. If you require any accommodations, we welcome you to let us know so we can work with you to participate fully in our recruitment experience.

Griffith University values diversity, inclusion and flexibility and we encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and people of all backgrounds to apply. For more information please visit our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion page. Griffith University also maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy against all forms of modern slavery. For more information, please refer to Griffith’s Modern Slavery Policy. 

In alignment with the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence (2025), Griffith University includes a declaration as part of the recruitment journey to uphold the values and standards of our community. Griffith University also maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy against all forms of modern slavery. For more information, please refer to Griffith’s

Please submit your application online and ensure it includes the following:

• A covering letter outlining your suitability for the role (please refer to the qualifications above and the Position Description). 
• Current curriculum vitae/resume including full contact details.
• Names and contact details of at least three professional referees (no contact will be made without your permission).

Applicants must have Australian working rights. Sponsorship is not available for this position. Successful candidates may be subject to a criminal history check.

For further information specifically about this role, please contact Professor Susanne Becken at [email protected].

Closing date: Sunday 17 May, 2026 11:59pm AEST. All applications must be submitted online.