PhD Scholarships

Environmental Science/Law scholarships now available!

Location: University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane

• Are you concerned that public policy on environmental issues is increasingly driven by moral crusading, rather than by objective science or need?
• Are you prepared to undertake investigative research into contentious issues in environmental management?
• Are you determined to take an evidenced based approach to research, with a view to critically evaluating current policies?
• Do you want your work to have influence?

In a recent joint initiative, the Institute of Public Affairs and the University of Queensland have formed the Science and Environment Research Group.You could be offered a unique opportunity to study with leading academics, plus get paid a generous annual stipend of $30,000 (plus an additional $5,000 annually, for operating and travel) whilst gaining your PhD.

About the Institute of Public Affairs

The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) is an independent, non-profit public policy think tank, dedicated to preserving and strengthening the foundations of economic and political freedom. Founded in 1943, the Institute has an exceptional reputation as a leading Australian think-tank and remains at the forefront of the political process, defining the contemporary political landscape.

The organisation's ever-growing areas of expertise include the environment, deregulation, workplace relations, energy, and governance. The IPA also participates in the mainstream debate, appearing in newspapers and journals worldwide.

Dr Jennifer Marohasy is a Senior Fellow at the IPA, and is the founder and a Principle Investigator in the new Science and Environment Research Group. As such she will be taking a co-supervisory role in the PhD program, which is centered in the UQ School of Land Crop and Food Sciences, and the TC Bernie School of Law.

Dr Marohasy is also a Director of the Australian Environment Foundation and has worked to provide an important counterpoint in public debate and discussion, in particular, arguing for more healthy scepticism.

To read Dr Marohasy's popular blog, click here.

About the University of Queensland

UQ is one of Australia's leading universities and is one of the top three research universities in the country. Its PhD candidates have the opportunity to study with researchers of international renown. UQ is a founding member of the Group of Eight – a leading group of Australian Universities, which conducts 70 percent of all university research in Australia. It is located in a premier position on the Brisbane River, with world-class facilities and amenities for all its students to enjoy and benefit from. As a consequence, UQ attracts high-achieving students from all over the world.

To find out more about UQ, click here.

About the Opportunity

This exciting joint initiative aims to attract high achieving, lateral-thinking researchers who are capable of working in a less predictable and sometimes ambiguous environment.

PhD research topics will be finalised through discussion. They will include (but are not limited to) the following areas:

• Agricultural practices and related chemical usage;
• Water usage, conservation and flow management; and
• Establishing environmental legal frameworks and protection policies.

Academic requirements include a Bachelor's Degree with honours class 1 or 11A, or Masters Degree, from a relevant discipline (e.g. biological or environmental sciences, environmental engineering, economics, and law). Potential candidates may have ambitions to pursue a career in research and public policy, communicating science to the public or advising government and industry on environmental issues.

Personal skills and attributes should include:

• The ability to access, analyse and evaluate data in topical and controversial areas;
• Well-developed oral and written communication skills;
• The ability to participate in the public debate on environmental issues; and
• An understanding of evidence-based non-partisan assessments.

These are full-time scholarships for a fixed term of 3 to 3.5 years and are available commencing in 2008. Only citizens of Australia or New Zealand or permanent residents can apply.

To apply, click here.

http://ipa.org.au/units/phdscholarships.html

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