PhD scholarships

Catalytic Architectures - Towards Zero Carbon

There are currently no available PhD Scholarships available within this Research Programme. Any future opportunities will be posted here. 

Future Computing - Towards Low Energy Tech

There are currently no available PhD Scholarships available within this Research Programme. Any future opportunities will be posted here. 

Reconfigurable Systems - Towards Zero Waste

There are currently no available PhD Scholarships available within this Research Programme. Any future opportunities will be posted here. 

Mātauranga Māori Research Programme - Sustainable Resource Use

Projects incorporating indigenous knowledge via collaboration and co-design are available. Contact the Programme Leader, Dr Pauline Harris, from Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Rakaipaaka and Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, directly if interested. Potential candidates will be hosted at Victoria University under the supervision of the MacDiarmid Institute Principal Investigators. 

External PhD scholarship opportunities with MacDiarmid Institute Investigators

Please see this section for externally-funded PhD scholarship opportunities which will be supervised by MacDiarmid Institute Investigators.  While the students will be affiliated with the MacDiarmid Institute and will automatically be part of the MacDiarmid Emerging Scientists Association (MESA), the scholarships are not funded by the MacDiarmid Institute.

Leveraging Ferromagnetism in Superconducting Electronics

Applications are invited for a PhD scholarship in a project across the Paihau-Robinson Research Institute and School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The project, led by Professor Ben Ruck and Dr Simon Granville, focusses on the optimisation of rare-earth nitride materials for inclusion in cryogenic memory technology. The candidate will undertake fundamental materials science and device research to support the development of cryogenic memory devices. This encompasses experimental and computational studies of the electronic and magnetic properties of the rare-earth nitrides and the design, modelling and fabrication of memory structures and circuits.

Candidate profile:

• Academic background in solid-state physics or possibly electrical engineering.
• Ideally, but not necessarily, experience in magnetic and superconducting materials.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary and international teams.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving abilities, along with strong teamwork and communication skills.

Eligibility

• A Masters degree or equivalent with a GPA of at least 6.0 on New Zealand’s nine-point scale. Special cases may be discussed upon request. 
• An appropriate level of English proficiency, for example, a recent degree taught in English or an IELTS score of at least 6.5 with no sub-score below 6.0. Conditional offer may be discussed upon request.

Total value and tenure of scholarship

• Full funding through the PhD program ($35,000 NZD/year stipend + tuition fees for three years).
• Access to a world-class research environment equipped with modern facilities.
• Opportunities for international collaborations, fostering professional growth and networking.

How to apply

The full details of this scholarship and how to apply can be found online here. Before submitting a formal application, interested candidates are encouraged to send a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a brief statement of interest to Dr Jackson Miller (Jackson.miller@vuw.ac.nz) for an initial discussion. Should potential candidates have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact Dr Jackson Miller.

Chemical programming of mixed-matrix membranes for CO₂ capture

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels are causing a global environmental crisis. Mitigating this crisis will require new effective approaches to reducing CO₂ emissions. Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) present an attractive option for CO₂ capture. MMMs are made by incorporating a porous filler into a polymer matrix, and they combine the merits of both materials. However, these membranes suffer from several drawbacks, including limited precision in the discrimination of CO₂ from other gases and undesired void spaces due to incompatibilities between the filler and the matrix.

This PhD project will develop new mixed-matrix membranes by incorporating metal-organic framework (MOF) fillers into polymer matrices. The primary focus will be to systematically programme the properties of the MOF fillers to improve the interfacial compatibility and enhance the CO₂ separation performance. In addition to exploring the separation mechanisms at an atomic level, this project will generate new insights to inform the future design of the CO₂ capture membranes.

The PhD student will gain familiarity with a wide range of material synthesis techniques and characterisation methods including SEM, TGA/DSC, XRD, physisorption and more. They will also become experts in experimental and computational membrane analysis. The student will be enrolled at the Victoria University of Wellington under the supervision of Dr Ben Yin and Professor Shane Telfer, and is expected to spend time at Massey University in Palmerton North over the course of their PhD studies. The student will also collaborate with our key partner investigators from the wider MacDiarmid Institute and internationally.

Eligibility

The applicant should hold a 4-year BSc(Hons), MSc/MEng or equivalent degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science/Engineering, Chemistry or a related discipline. Previous laboratory experience in porous materials synthesis and membrane research will be advantageous. Candidates should satisfy the requirements for admission as a PhD candidate at Victoria University of Wellington.

Total value and tenure of scholarship

NZD$35,000 per annum (not taxed), plus all student fees for three (3) years.

How to apply

To apply, please send a CV and academic record to Dr Ben Yin, ben.yin@vuw.ac.nz, with “CO₂ capture membrane” in the subject line. A shortlist of qualified applicants will then be invited to make a formal application for PhD study at Victoria University of Wellington.

Materials Science or Chemical Engineering for the Development of Novel Controlled-Release Fertilisers and Manufacturing Processes

The New Materials and Technologies Development Research Team led by Professor James Johnston in the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, is seeking a highly motivated and dedicated PhD candidate in chemistry, materials science or chemical engineering (or similar), to contribute to our research programme on the development, characterisation, applications, and manufacture of new materials and products derived from our proprietary, nanostructured calcium silicate material, produced sustainability from geothermal resources. 

The successful candidate will be an integral part of a dynamic and multi-disciplinary research team working on the chemistry and process engineering, manufacturing methods, performance testing, and refinement of novel controlled-release fertilisers and other materials, that utilise the proprietary nanostructured calcium silicate (CaSil) material together with expertise and knowhow developed by the team.

This PhD project combines particular aspects of chemistry, engineering, and agriculture. It has the potential to contribute to more sustainable agricultural and horticultural farming practices. The overall aim of the research area is to develop, characterise, optimise and demonstrate the effectiveness of new and more efficient fertiliser products where the nutrient availability from the fertiliser matches plant demand more closely, thereby reducing the run-off of excess nutrients to surface waters and preventing pollution.

The PhD research project will involve further developing our understanding of the chemistry, characteristics and performance properties of these nanostructured calcium silicate based composite fertiliser materials, together with scaling the science and technology to pilot plant operation and production. Also on-farm trials of the composite fertilisers produced. The research will be guided by the propensity to upscale the science and engineering to commercial scale and the overall technical and economic feasibility.

The PhD candidate will utilise and build upon the substantial proprietary knowledge already developed by the team on the laboratory scale development and glasshouse demonstration of CaSil-based fertiliser products, together with our experience in scale-up, pilot plant operation and product performance testing. For further details regarding the responsibilities of the role, please see the full advertisement. 

Eligibility

• Applicants must have completed a Master’s degree or Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering, with First or Upper Second Class Honours (or similar), or an equivalent GPA score. 
• The Chemistry qualification should have an emphasis on materials science, the Chemical Engineering qualification on process engineering, or similar. 
• Candidates must meet the entry requirements for a PhD degree in Chemistry or Engineering at Victoria University of Wellington. 
• Applicants must be able to commence their PhD programme by mid 2024. Māori students are strongly encouraged to apply.

Total value and tenure of scholarship

NZD$35,000 per annum, plus all student fees for three years. Assistance with travel to Wellington may be provided.

How to apply

Enquiries and applications should be provided by email and addressed to Professor James Johnston, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, jim.johnston@vuw.ac.nz. For full details regarding the scholarship and what the application should include, please see the full scholarship advertisement. 

Processing and characterisation of Ti-Fe alloys as H2 storage materials from NZ feedstocks (2 PhD scholarships)

Green hydrogen will become a pivotal vector to carry and store renewable energy in a future net-zero carbon New Zealand. Ti-Fe alloys demonstrate high hydrogen uptake at ambient conditions and are an attractive candidate material for stationary bulk hydrogen storage applications. Nevertheless, several key issues require further investigation, such as surface activation, cycle stability, impurity tolerance, and supply volume of the metallic feedstocks.

Two PhD candidates will explore the production and processing of Ti-Fe alloys from New Zealand-sourced feedstocks using metallurgical and mechanochemical methods as part of collaborative research within the German-New Zealand Green Hydrogen alliance. The alloys prepared will be characterised by a range of methods (XRD, SEM/EDS, ICP-MS, XRF, DSC), and their hydrogen storage capacity and kinetics studied using custom ‘Sieverts apparatus’. Furthermore, the presence of common impurities within the Ti-Fe alloys will be systematically studied to better understand how locally-sourced feedstocks are likely to perform as hydrogen storage materials, including the effect of surface impurities on reactivity/diffusion characteristics.

Supervision and support for the project will be provided by staff at the University of Otago and University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and the Institute of Hydrogen Technology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Germany. The students will be enrolled at the University of Otago, but it is expected that the candidates will spend time at both the New Zealand and German host institutions over the course of the PhD studies

Eligibility

The applicant needs a degree equivalent to the 4-year BSc(Honours) degree in New Zealand, with 1st class Honours, or an MSc or Postgraduate Diploma in Chemistry, Materials Science, Engineering, or equivalent. Practical experience with hydrogen materials, metallurgy, mechanochemistry and/or the characterisation techniques listed above will be advantageous. Māori and Pasifika students are particularly encouraged to apply. Candidates should satisfy the requirements for admission as a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Otago.

Total value and tenure of scholarship

The PhD scholarship will include tuition fees and a stipend of $30,000 p.a. (tax-free) for three years.

How to apply

To apply, please send your full CV, including academic record, research experience, and the names and contact details of two referees, to: Associate Professor Nigel Lucas, nigel.lucas@otago.ac.nz, and Associate Professor Alex Yip, alex.yip@canterbury.ac.nz, with “Hydrogen storage materials PhD” in the subject line.

Design, Synthesis and Advanced Characterisation of Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolysers

This programme aims to develop above state-of-the-art anode materials for the anion exchange membrane electrolyser (AEMEL) technology using low-cost and abundant materials. Currently, the anode overpotential makes up the majority part of the inefficiencies of an AEMEL system. By developing more efficient anode materials a significant increase in the efficiency of hydrogen production using AEMEL technology is possible. This in turn will help accelerate the formation of a green hydrogen economy and thus support the Governmental climate change goals in Germany and New Zealand.

This programme has 3 PhD projects available. These include:

Project 1: In-situ characterisation of anode materials operating under oxygen evolution conditions.

This project will include:

• Developing synchrotron based x-ray methods (x-ray absorption spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction) to characterise anodes during oxygen evolution
• In-situ Raman spectroscopy of anodes during oxygen evolution
• Voltametric and impedance analysis of electrocatalytic oxygen evolution electrodes

Project 1 is based at University of Canterbury, Christchurch, NZ, under the supervision of Professor Aaron Marshall.

Project 2: Tomographic analysis of gas evolving electrodes.

This project will include:

• Use of synchrotron x-ray tomography on porous and gas evolving electrodes
• Use of MRI for characterising porous and gas evolving electrodes
• Understanding of role of porous structures during gas evolution

Project 2 is based at University of Canterbury, Christchurch, NZ, under the supervision of Professors Daniel Holland and Aaron Marshall.

Project 3: Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy of gas evolving electrodes.

This project will include:

• Use of Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microscopy of novel electrocatalytic electrodes
• Mapping electrocatalytic activity at sub-micron scales
• Apply scanning probe methods to characterise electrocatalytic composites

Project 3 is based at Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, NZ, under the supervision of Dr Kim McKelvey.

Eligibility

Applicants should have a background in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or Physics. Some experience, skill and interest in electrochemistry or electrochemical engineering would be beneficial but is not essential.  Experience in standard materials characterisation methods (XRD, XPS would also be helpful. Ability to draft reports, and finish things off in a timely fashion, are also important, as is proven ability to work well in a team. A wide range of skills will be developed during the course of this project. Candidates should satisfy the requirements for admission as a PhD candidate at University of Canterbury or Victoria University of Wellington..

Total value and tenure of scholarship

NZD$30,000 per annum (not taxed), plus all student fees for three (3) years.

How to apply

To apply, please send a CV, academic record, and the names and contact details of two referees to: Professor Aaron Marshall, aaron.marshall@canterbury.ac.nz, with “Electrocatalysis in AEMEL” in the subject line.

Hydrogen generation with sustainable resources – a combined molecular, computational and engineering approach

There are three PhD positions available in Chemistry at the University of Otago, two positions in synthetic inorganic chemistry and one in spectroscopy of inorganic systems.  The supervisors are Professor James Crowley and Professor Keith Gordon. 

Hydrogen is an important fuel source and commodity chemical used in a wide range of industrial processes. Unfortunately, almost all the hydrogen produced currently is obtained from the steam reforming process which is both energy intensive and generates carbon dioxide as a by-product. There are already several photocatalytic systems, including bimetallic metal complexes that can efficiently generate hydrogen in this way. However, the current technologies use Noble metals which are expensive and rare. We will use earth abundant transition metals such as iron, cobalt and copper by re-designing the photocatalytic systems. This project is a Marsden funded project involving researchers in Jena, Germany (Profs Kupfer, Shilitto and Weigand) and Nottingham, UK (Prof George) The project may involve visits to collaborators in Germany and the UK.

Kindly contact either jcrowley@chemistry.otago.ac.nz or keith.gordon@otago.ac.nz with any questions.

Eligibility

The projects involve the synthesis of new metal complexes and their study using spectroscopy and computational chemistry. Two of the researchers will focus more on synthesis with the third undertaking computational studies and spectroscopic measurements including transient spectroscopy. Some overlap of expertise and interest is welcome. Experience in any of these areas is useful. 

Total value and tenure of scholarship

The scholarship provides a non-taxed stipend of NZD$35,000 per annum plus the PhD tuition fee for three years.

How to apply

As part of your application package, kindly include:

• CV (including 2-3 referee information)
• Cover Letter (this may include: a description of why you want to undertake a PhD; how your previous experiences have prepared you for the research project that you are applying for; what your passions are within or outside of academia)

Applications should be sent to jcrowley@chemistry.otago.ac.nz or keith.gordon@otago.ac.nz and will be accepted beginning February 2024 until the positions are filled.

New Industry-Funded PhD Studentship: Connecting Structure and Rheology in Dairy Protein Concentrates 

New and improved concentrated dairy products are constantly being designed for their nutritional value and health benefits. The goal of this project is to use both theory and experiments to develop rheological models for emerging products. The project is affiliated with the MacDiarmid Institute and funded by Fonterra, and represents a rare opportunity to carry out research embedded with the expert team at Fonterra’s Research and Development Center, in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Eligibility

The ideal candidate will have a strong Honours or Masters degree in soft matter physics, materials science, physical chemistry, engineering or a related field. Experience with rheology (and especially rheological models) would be an advantage. In addition, they should have excellent analytical skills to assist with interpretation of experiments, and a strong command of written English. Candidates should satisfy the requirements for admission as a PhD candidate at University of Auckland.

Total value and tenure of scholarship

NZD$35,000 per annum (not taxed), plus all student fees for three (3) years.

How to apply

To apply, please send a CV, academic record, and the names and contact details of two referees to: Associate Professor Geoff Willmott, g.willmott@auckland.ac.nz, with “Connecting Structure and Rheology in Dairy Protein Concentrates ” in the subject line.

Further PhD Scholarships with non-MacDiarmid Institute Investigators:

Green Hydrogen Integration (6 PhD scholarships)

NZ National Energy System Modelling – Role of Hydrogen (1 PhD scholarship)

For more information and to apply

Tags: Towards Zero Waste - Reconfigurable Systems, Towards Zero Carbon - Catalytic Architectures, Towards Low Energy Tech - Hardware for Future Computing, Mātauranga Māori Research Programme