Scholarship details
Study levels
Research and PhD
Student type
Future students
Study area
Business and Science
Eligibility criteria
Academic performance
Citizenship
Australian or New Zealand
What you'll receive
The CSIRO Industry PhD Program (iPhD) is a four-year research training program, focusing on applied research that benefits industry by solving real-world challenges. It aims to produce the next generation of innovation leaders with the skills to work at the interface of research and industry in Australia.
- Admission to QUT’s PhD program, with a four-year Research Training Program (RTP) fee-offset.
- Supervision by QUT, CSIRO and QRA.
- A generous stipend of $47,000-$51,000 p.a. (tax-free) for up to four years.
- A project expenses package of $13,000 p.a. for up to four years, plus opportunities to apply for up to $6,000 research funding for conference/workshop travel, journal paper submission and thesis editing from QUT’s Faculty of Business and Law.
- Substantial industry internship periods with QRA (est. six months total over the course of the PhD), including opportunities to work on live government initiatives and contribute to policy guidelines.
- A structured professional development and training program to develop your applied research skills.
Successful students are subject to the policies, procedures and guidelines of the participating university in addition to the CSIRO Industry PhD Program terms and conditions. Students will receive a standard PhD on completion.
Eligibility
The applicant must:
- be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident
- meet QUT’s academic and English language entry requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy (IF49)
- not have previously completed a PhD
- be able to commence the program in the year of the offer
- be prepared to be located at the project location(s) that QUT has approved and, if required, comply with QUT's external enrolment procedures
- be prepared to undergo onboarding to CSIRO, which will include passing mandatory government background checks (allow for between four to eight weeks) and completing any other CSIRO requirements, including completing mandatory training modules.
Essential skills required
- Robust academic background in economics (preferably with a background in environmental economics and cost-benefit analysis), data science, or a related field, equivalent to the completion of a bachelor degree preferably with First/Second Class Honours and/or a master degree with a thesis component.
- Strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and written and verbal communication skills.
Desirable skills required
- Familiarity with cost-benefit analysis and non-market valuation techniques, gathering primary data, including via online surveys and using data scraping tools, temporal analysis.
- Experience and/or willingness to learn common programming languages (e.g. Python, Java, C#).
- Previous experience in an industry environment will be well-regarded.
How to apply
- The first step is to email Professor Clevo Wilson and Dr Alan Woodley detailing your academic and research background, your motivation to research in this field and interest in this scholarship, and include your CV.
- Applicants are required to submit an expression of interest (EOI) to QUT, as detailed on the QUT how to apply web page.
- The EOI is assessed by the supervisory team and shortlisted applicants are interviewed.
- The supervisory team nominates a preferred applicant and informs iPhD office.
- The nominated applicant will be instructed to apply.
- The application is then assessed by the host university against PhD admission criteria.
- The university will issue a letter of offer for the program if all conditions have been satisfied.
What happens next?
Applications will remain open until the position is filled.
For general program information:
- visit the CSIRO website
- email the Graduate Research Centre
- contact the iPhD team.
About the scholarship
About the project
Standard cost-benefit analysis (CBA) frameworks have not been extensively incorporated across disaster resilience and risk reduction funding programs, due to the complexities in capturing impacts and data across a range of hazards (floods, fires, cyclones, heatwaves, pandemics), in a way that captures non-market values (such as environmental, social, and cultural benefits). This means the traditional frameworks lack the flexibility and inclusivity needed for informed decision-making by governments and other funders.
This PhD project aims to develop and validate a comprehensive, dynamic and inclusive cost-benefit analysis methodology for disaster resilience and risk reduction investment decision-making. By incorporating non-market values, the project aims to support a more holistic and robust economic evaluation of disaster resilience initiatives. A key goal of the project is to develop user-friendly frameworks and tools to support government decision-makers.
The project is offered by QUT in partnership with Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) and CSIRO. The successful applicant will spend significant periods of internship with QRA, and benefit from support from CSIRO’s domain experts.