Turn waste into wealth. Build circular systems. Innovate for a zero-waste future.
Are you passionate about designing sustainable systems, reducing environmental impact, and creating circular solutions for communities?
The Amrita School for Sustainable Futures (ASF) invites exceptional applicants to apply for fully funded PhD positions in Circular Economy & Sustainable Waste Management, as part of the transformative Amrita E4LIFE PhD Program.
Rooted in the humanitarian vision of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, the program integrates scientific research, engineering innovation, and on-ground community action to address emerging global sustainability challenges.
About the Research Theme: Circular Economy & Sustainable Waste Management
This research theme focuses on building sustainable systems that minimise waste, recover resources, and enable communities to transition towards circular, climate-resilient, and environmentally responsible models.
Scholars will work on technological, behavioural, environmental, and policy-driven innovations, developing solutions that are practical, scalable, and community-centred.
Core Research Topics
PhD candidates may undertake research in areas such as:
- Waste-to-energy and smart composting technologies
- Greywater treatment, reuse & low-cost sanitation systems
- Circular economy models for rural & urban communities
- Plastic-free villages & community-driven recycling ecosystems
- Resource recovery from wastewater & emerging pollutants
- Decentralised waste management systems & socio-environmental impacts
- Design of sustainable materials and zero-waste supply chains
Why Join the Amrita E4LIFE PhD Program?
1. Field-Immersive, Impact-Driven Research
Conduct research on-location across Amrita’s 100+ adopted rural, semi-urban, and tribal communities, applying science to solve real challenges.
2. Interdisciplinary Curriculum & Experiential Learning
Learn through the Experiential Learning Curriculum, blending engineering, climate science, agriculture, social science, and technology for sustainable development.
3. World-Class Collaborations
Collaborate with faculty and international partners from:
- UN agencies
- Government of India missions
- European Commission programmes
- Global research universities
4. Fully Funded Support
Selected scholars receive:
- Full tuition waiver
- Monthly stipend
- Funding for fieldwork, data collection & research dissemination
- Access to Amrita’s advanced labs, sensors, computation tools & Live-in-Labs® platform
Candidate Profile & Eligibility
We welcome applicants committed to sustainability research and real-world environmental solutions.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Public Health, Waste Management or related fields.
- Foundational knowledge of water/waste systems, environmental processes or resource recovery
- Ability to work on experimental, field-based, and modelling studies
- Interest in community-driven, scalable sustainability interventions
Preferred Skills
- Experience with waste treatment technologies, water quality analysis, or material characterization
- Knowledge of GIS, remote sensing, or environmental monitoring
- Familiarity with circular economy frameworks
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
How to Apply
Contact Email: internationaladmission@amrita.edu
