ProfessorSally Gainsbury

Professor Gainsbury supervises Honours, Masters, PhD candidates, and early-career researchers working in areas aligned with her research program. She currently supervises PhD candidates examining gambling harms, digital design features, financial vulnerability, and technology-facilitated behavioural risk, often within multidisciplinary supervisory teams.

She welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD candidates whose research interests align closely with her expertise. Due to capacity constraints and funding requirements, she is only able to consider applicants who would be competitive for Australian PhD scholarships.

Competitive applicants typically hold:

• A First-Class Honours degree or a Master’s degree with a substantial research component
• A weighted average mark (WAM) of 80% or higher (or equivalent)
• Demonstrated research experience, such as publications, thesis work, or relevant applied research roles
• A clearly articulated research proposal aligned with gambling harms, digital risk, or technology-enabled prevention
• Strong alignment with University of Sydney strategic research priorities

Applicants must secure their own funding to cover tuition and living costs for the full duration of their candidature.

Prospective students should email Professor Gainsbury with:

• A curriculum vitae
• A cover letter outlining:
– The proposed area of research and how it aligns with her research program
– Relevant research training and experience
– Why the applicant would be a strong fit for her research team

Applicants are expected to review and meet all entry requirements outlined on the University of Sydney Psychology postgraduate research webpages prior to contacting her. Enquiries that do not demonstrate clear alignment with her research expertise or meet minimum eligibility criteria may not be considered.

All research is conducted with approval from the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee. Open science practices are followed, including pre-registration of hypotheses, methods, and analysis plans where appropriate; data sharing where ethically and legally permissible; and publication of findings without input from funders or third parties.

Professor Gainsbury retains full academic independence in study design, analysis, interpretation, and reporting.

Professor Gainsbury has received research funding, honoraria, and support for independent expert and advisory work from a range of government, regulatory, academic, non-profit, and industry organisations in Australia and internationally between 2021 and 2026. These include Australian and international government agencies, research councils, non-profit organisations, academic institutions, and commercial entities.

A full list of funding bodies and expert engagements is available on request, and details of funding for all published studies are disclosed within the relevant publications.