Scholarship details
Study levels
Research and PhD
Student type
Future students
Study area
Engineering, Science, Science, technology and engineering and mathematics
Eligibility criteria
Academic performance
Citizenship
Australian or New Zealand and International
Application dates
- Applications close
- 5 July 2024
What you'll receive
You'll receive:
- a stipend scholarship of $33,637 per annum for a maximum duration of 3.5 years while undertaking a QUT PhD. The duration includes an extension of up to 6 months if approved for your candidature. This is the full-time, tax-exempt rate which will index annually.
- a tuition fee offset/sponsorship, covering the cost of your tuition fees for the first 4 full-time equivalent years of your doctoral studies
- the opportunity to work with a team of leading researchers, to undertake your own innovative research in and across the field.
Eligibility
Required
You need to:
- meet the entry requirements for a QUT Doctor of Philosophy, including any English language requirements
- enrol as a full time, internal student (unless approval for part-time and/or external study is obtained)
- have a science/engineering background, preferably in chemical engineering.
Desired
- research experience will be highly valued, including publications in reputable journals, if any
- skills and interests in process modelling, techno-economic analysis, and life cycle assessment are desired.
How to apply
Apply for this scholarship at the same time you apply for admission to a QUT Doctor of Philosophy.
- The first step is to email Dr Gabriel Fraga detailing your academic and research background, your motivation to research in this field and interest in this scholarship, and include your CV.
- If supported to apply, you will then submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) following the advice at How to apply for a research degree.
- In your EOI, nominate Dr Gabriel Fraga as your proposed principal supervisor, and copy the link to this scholarship website into question 2 of the financial details section.
About the scholarship
Sugar production is one of the world’s largest agro-industries and drives the global economy through its $56 billion in global revenue and 1 million jobs worldwide. Sugar has remained among the most unpredictable agricultural products, presenting a significant challenge for both market players and policymakers in managing its price fluctuations. Therefore, there are opportunities to add value to the industry by diversifying production and making additional products such as sustainable aviation fuels.
Traditional aviation fuel is derived from crude oil, so aviation contributes about 2% of the world's CO2 emissions, emphasizing the urgent global requirement to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). These fuels, made from biomass and organic waste, may offer solutions to environmental, social, and economic issues within the industry. Various technologies and production methods have already been accredited, but there are also additional emerging technologies. The objective of the PhD project is to investigate the technical and environmental aspects of integrating the production of SAF with the sugar industry through process modelling and optimisation, technoeconomic analyses, and life cycle assessment. The project aims to develop models that show pathways to transition conventional sugar industries to co-produce SAF in an integrated biorefinery.