Opportunities

1. Next Generation Water and Engineering Hub PhD scholarships

The Next Generation Water Engineering and River Management Hub will develop solutions to the current and future problems threatening inland Australia’s waterways, including poor water quality and diminishing fish stocks.

The Hub Scholarships provide enhanced opportunities in science for outstanding graduates enrolling in a PhD at Charles Sturt University. The program is now looking for suitable applicants and up to three scholarships are available. The three potential research projects are:

• 1. Mitigating Thermal Pollution within reservoirs
• 2. Citizen Science: Integrating community groups into basin-scale fish tagging and recovery programs
• 3. First Nations water rights, management, and engineering

Eligibility

As per Charles Sturt University’s standard eligibility requirements for entry to a PhD.

Essential: First Class Honours or a Masters degree with a research component or many years’ experience in research with a strong track record of publication.

Mitigating Thermal Pollution within reservoirs

Desirable: a background in water engineering or environmental studies; independent; excellent writing skills with a track record of publication; an interest in the subject matter; and enthusiastic about working in a dynamic interdisciplinary environment.

Citizen Science: Integrating community groups into basin-scale fish tagging and recovery programs

Desirable: a background in water engineering or environmental studies (a passion for fisheries and/or working with regional communities would be a distinct advantage); independent; excellent writing skills with a track record of publication; an interest in the subject matter; and enthusiastic about working in a dynamic interdisciplinary environment.

First Nations water rights, management, and engineering

The opportunity is only open to Australian citizens, Australian residents or those eligible to study in Australia under the commonwealth research training program.

Desirable: a background in Critical Indigenous Studies and or Indigenous knowledges and or environmental history; willingness to adopt Indigenous and Indigenist theories and methodologies; excellent writing and communication skills; an interest in the subject matter, and enthusiastic about working in a dynamic transdisciplinary environment.

Award value

The scholarship provides the following benefits:

Stipend: This scholarship is valued at $28,854 – $35,000 per annum payable in fortnightly instalments.

Tuition Fees:

Domestic candidates: Fee exemption for a period equivalent to four years (eight sessions) for PhD at full-time study.

International candidates: Fee exemption for a period equivalent to three years (six sessions) for PhD at full-time study.

Operating Funds: Operational expenses will be built into the overall Next Generation Water and Engineering Hub budget over three years.

Scholarship duration

Domestic candidates:

The scholarship is tenable for four years for Research Doctorate studies (4 years FTE tuition fee coverage and 3 years FTE for stipend and operating funds allowances) subject to satisfactory progress.

An extension of up to six months may be granted (stipend and operating funds components only), where the candidate is making satisfactory progress and the grounds for the extension relate to the study and are beyond the control of the candidate.

International candidates:

The scholarship is tenable for three years for Research Doctorate studies subject to satisfactory progress.

An extension of up to six months may be granted, where the candidate is making satisfactory progress and the grounds for the extension relate to the study and are beyond the control of the candidate.

Scholarship candidates are entitled to 20 paid annual leave working days per year and 10 paid sick leave days per year, however are not eligible for paid primary parental care leave or additional personal leave.

How to apply

Applicants will need to apply for enrolment. Expressions of interest will remain open until a candidate has been selected.

Prospective Higher Degree by Research candidates can apply for a Next Generation Water and Engineering Hub Scholarship when completing their Charles Sturt course admission application. When given the option to apply for a scholarship select ‘Yes’; ‘Full-time AGRTP’ and ‘Other’. Under ‘Other’ enter Next Generation Water and Engineering Hub Project 1, 2 or 3.

In addition to the documentation required as part of the AGRTP Scholarship application, applicants will need to send an expression interest (including a full CV and a brief cover letter of no more than two pages) outlining your experience and research interests to:

Project 1: Mitigating Thermal Pollution within reservoirs

Lala Senevirathna lsenevirathna@csu.edu.au and Professor Lee Baumgartner lbaumgartner@csu.edu.au

Project 2: Citizen Science: Integrating community groups into basin-scale fish tagging and recovery programs

Professor Lee Baumgartner lbaumgartner@csu.edu.au and Dr Katie Doyle kadoyle@csu.edu.au

Project 3: First Nations water rights, management, and engineering

Professor Lee Baumgartner lbaumgartner@csu.edu.au and Dr Peta Jeffries pjeffries@csu.edu.au

2. The reproductive ecology of the threatened Stocky galaxias
(Galaxias tantangara Raadik 2014)

The Stocky galaxias (Galaxias tantangara Raadik 2014) is a critically-endangered small-bodied freshwater fish found exclusively in the headwaters of Tantangara Creek, upstream of Tantangara Reservoir in the Snowy Mountains of southern New South Wales, Australia.

This project will aim to better understand the reproductive ecology of the Stocky galaxias to inform captive breeding rescue programs.

Learn More