WaterRA has one PhD project requiring a student, please continue to check this page as it is updated regularly as projects become available.
Sponsored Project proposals are open all year round. WaterRA invites students with the preferred skills or experience to submit applications for the projects below. Scroll down or click on the links below to view all the projects seeking students...
-------------------------------------
Project No 4549
Project Title
The Living Moorabool: Evaluating the effects of Human-driven change on River Health
Sponsors
Barwon Water Regional Corporation(Barwon Water) and Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CCMA)
University
Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Supervisors
Academic: Dr Ty Matthews [Deakin University] ty.matthews@deakin.edu.au
Industry: Jemma Harper [CCMA] jemma.harper@ccma.vic.gov.au
Preferred Start Date
Semester 1, 8 March 2021
(Alternate start dates will be considered, up until June 2021)
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must meet the Deakin University enrolment criteria to be eligible for this project. Please check the Deakin University website to ensure you meet the criteria.
The successful candidate will be invited to commence the enrolment process at Deakin University following an interview. Candidates do not need to submit any Deakin Univeristy forms before an interview.
The candidate must relocate to Geelong, Victoria for Semester 1, 2021 commencement
Open to
$115,000 Scholarship Package over 3 years
$90,000 ($30K per annum)
$25,000 (over 3 years)
Project Scope
The Moorabool River is one of Victoria’s most important regional rivers. As well as providing drinking water for the expanding cities of Geelong and Ballarat, the river serves as a critical biodiversity corridor, a popular waterway for recreational purposes, and holds significance to its Traditional Owners. It is, however, also a highly stressed river where the construction of farm dams, weirs, diversions, land-use change, and water extraction for both urban and rural use have all impacted the health of the Moorabool River. In 2017 the Victorian Government initiated the “Living Moorabool” project to deliver a healthy culture, environment, and community.
Based out of Deakin’s award-winning Geelong campus, this PhD-level research is sponsored by Corangamite Catchment Authority (CCMA), Barwon Water, and Deakin University’s ‘Centre for Regional and Rural Futures’ as part of the “Living Moorabool” project.
Experience
We are seeking a suitably qualified environmental scientist with knowledge and interest in ecological and land-use change assessment, as well as community and social licence factors (such as cultural connection, stewardship), to undertake research on how interventions (such as the land-use change, river diversions, extraction, restoration activities) and social factors have impacted on the health of the Moorabool River. The candidate will utilise existing field monitoring systems and a variety of historical proxy data-sets and indicators to construct a vivid depiction of the river’s health; quantifying and pinpointing the relative impacts of interventions. Field-based surveys of local land-holders to evaluate the efficacy of various land management practices will compliment and strengthen the methodology.
Outcomes
The outcomes from this research will provide an empirical baseline from which the river’s key stakeholders can use to shape future management practices in the Moorabool catchment.
Location
Primarily Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria including regular engagement with Barwon Water and CCMA
Applications Close
Midnight Sunday, 14 February 2021
PhD Interview via zoom
25 February 2021
Comments
Students are encouraged to contact the Academic supervisor, Ty Matthews before submitting a WaterRA application form to ensure you have the right skill set and/or experience to undertake the project.
Student Application
Download the Student Appliction here.
Refer to Student Information for further details regarding the application process and WaterRA benefits.
Student Applications are to be emailed to Carolyn Bellamy
Download Poster here
---------------------------------------------
Project No XXXX-XX
Project Title
XXXX
Sponsor
XXXX
University
XXXX
Supervisor
XXXX
Collaborator
XXXX
Project Scope
XXXX
Student Applications
XXXX
Project Proposal
Full project proposal can be found here
Comments
Refer to Student Information for further details regarding the application process
Applications are to be emailed to Carolyn Bellamy by