Project summary
ProgramPhDLocationSt LuciaResearch areaAgricultural, veterinary and food sciences, Environmental sciences
Project description
The project builds on existing work conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency, Victoria, integrating hydrological measurements, contaminant concentrations, microbial profiles, & land use data. It will identify contaminants of concern & assess their toxicity and ecological risks by linking observed concentrations with ecotoxicological thresholds for relevant species. The key research questions of the project include:
- What are the ecological risk profiles for key flora & fauna species in flood-affected nonurban landscapes?
- How can land use, hydrological data, & contaminant profiles be used to understand and predict ecological risks during flood events in nonurban landscapes?
- How do flood-driven microbial dynamics inform environmental risk assessments for antimicrobial resistance (AMR)?
Research environment
This position will be based at the St Lucia campus of UQ and will join a research team of 2 postdoctoral research fellows, 1 PhD student and shorter-term research students/interns. The PhD candidate will be offered a caring and challenging work environment. The candidate will work within a multidisciplinary team at The University of Queensland, collaborating with the Environmental Protection Agency Victoria and Northern Arizona University. The project combines fieldwork, modelling, and ecological risk assessment with guidance from experts in environmental toxicology, sustainability, and policy.
The candidate would also benefit from the SAAFE-CRC research network and knowledge exchange. There will be a dedicated $21,000 fund for personal development of the students, which includes spending time at the EPA, Victoria, up to 12 weeks.
The advisory team includes Principal Supervisor Associate Professor Sudhir Yadav, as well as the following Associate Supervisors:
Dr Minna Saaristo
Principal Scientist, Ecological Risk and Emerging Contaminants
Environmental Protection Agency, Victoria
Minna.Saaristo@epa.vic.gov.au
Dr Phoebe Lewis
Senior Scientist – Emerging Contaminants
Environmental Protection Agency, Victoria
Phoebe.Lewis@epa.vic.gov.au
Professor Catherine Propper
Department of Biological Sciences
Northern Arizona University, USA
catherine.propper@nau.edu
Scholarship
This project is supported by the Research project scholarship.
This scholarship includes:
- living stipend of $45,000 per annum
- tuition fees covered.
Learn more about the Research project scholarship.
Supervisor
Principal supervisor
Associate Professor Sudhir Yadav
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
View Associate Professor Sudhir Yadav’s profile
You must contact the principal supervisor for this project to discuss your interest. You should only complete the online application after you have reached agreement on supervision.
Always make sure you are approaching your potential supervisor in a professional way. We have provided some guidelines for you on how to contact a supervisor.
Preferred educational background
Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.
We take into account your:
- previous academic record
- publication record
- honours and awards
- employment history
A working knowledge of ecological risk assessment would be of benefit to someone working on this project.
You will demonstrate academic achievement in the field/s of environmental science, ecology, or toxicology, remote sensing and the potential for scholastic success.
A background or knowledge of environmental modelling is highly desirable.
How to apply
To be considered for this scholarship, please email the following documents to Associate Professor Sudhir Yadav (sudhir.yadav@uq.edu.au):
- Cover letter
- CV
- Academic transcript/s
- Evidence for meeting UQ’s English language proficiency requirements eg TOEFL, IELTS
Please note the following: Submitting the above documents does not constitute a full application for admission into The University of Queensland’s PhD program. If you are selected as the preferred applicant, you will then be invited to submit a full application for admission. You can familiarise yourself with the documents required for this process on the UQ Study website.
