PhD Scholarship Opportunity at Macquarie University

Project Name: Quaternary Sea-Level Rise and Australian Coastal Response
An opportunity exists for a highly motivated student to join the research team at the Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University to work on the Coastal Sedimentological and Geomorphological Response of the Australian Coast to Rapid Sea-Level Rise During the Late Quaternary. The research will contribute to an ARC funded Discovery Project (Ice sheet collapse, sea-level rise and Australian coastal response) led by A/Prof Goodwin at Macquarie University. The overall aim of the ARC DP research is to answer which polar ice sheets are the most vulnerable to warming, how fast sea level will rise and what will be the impact on global coasts during the 21st century.

The response of polar ice sheets to modest increases in global temperature and the rate of future sea-level rise period and the sea-level record archived in the Australian coastal sediments and morphology. The research will contribute to mapping the configuration of the southern Australian coast under higher sea-levels than present. There are two potential PhD topic areas that the successful applicant could focus their study on. These are:  (1) a Field Coastal Geoscience Project on the ‘Construction of a Palaeo Sea Level Network Across Australia’, which requires a background in coastal sedimentology, geomorphology and Quaternary Geochronology; and, (2) a Modelling Project on ‘Geomorphic Modelling of Coastal Geologic Response to Sea Level rise and Coastal/Shelf Sediment Budget Changes throughout the Late Quaternary’, which would requires a background in coastal sedimentology, geomorphology and numerical modeling.

Prospective PhD applicants should have completed the equivalent of Macquarie University’s Master of Research (MRes) degree, MPhil or other 2 year Masters degree with a major research component with excellent results. Refer to the HDR Entry Criteria for more information about this.

To be eligible for a PhD scholarship applicants would be expected to have a record of excellent academic performance, especially in the research Masters degree, and additional relevant research experience and/or peer-reviewed research activity, awards and/or prizes in line with the University’s scholarship rating guidelines. Refer to the HDR Scholarship Requirements for more information about these guidelines.Applicants will need to complete a candidature/scholarship application form and arrange for two academic referee reports to be submitted to the Higher Degree Research Office. Refer to:http://www.hdr.mq.edu.au/information_about/applications for further application instructions.  Macquarie University will advise the successful applicant of entitlements at the time of scholarship offer. Please quote the allocation number on your application.

The 2016 MQRES full-time stipend rate is $26,288 pa (2016 rate) tax exempt for 3 years.

Closing date: 30 June, 2016
Allocation Number: #2016279

Contact Name: A/Prof. Ian Goodwin
Email: Ian.Goodwin@mq.edu.au
Contact Phone: 0488022115

For more information see: http://www.mq.edu.au/research/phd-and-research-degrees/scholarships/scholarships-for-domestic-candidates.

Posted on: 10/06/2016, by :