Understanding urban complexity for climate resilience (PhD scholarship)

Applications close

30 April 2024

You'll receive a stipend scholarship of $32,192 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 (PhD) if approved for your candidature. This is the full-time, tax-exempt rate which will index annually.

Domestic students receive a Research Training Program (RTP) Fees Offset funded by the Australian Government.

International students will receive a tuition fee sponsorship for your research degree.

As the scholarship recipient, you will have the opportunity to work with a team of leading researchers, to undertake your own innovative research in and across the field.

You must meet the entry requirements for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at QUT, including any English language requirements for international students.

The essential criteria for the scholarship include:

• enrolling as a full-time, internal student
• have a bachelor degree with honours or a master degree (with a significant research component), in a discipline of relevance to the chosen research topic.

It is desirable that you have:

• strong written and oral English skills
• peer reviewed publication/s, ideally as lead author
• experience applied quantitative skills to an environmental problem
• experience managing and analysing complex datasets
• knowledge or interest in complexity science and mixed methods
• strong quantitative modelling skills, including proficiency in R, python, one or more network-specific programs, or similar software
• enthusiasm for working with stakeholders and researchers across disciplines
• alignment with the research areas: conservation of biodiversity, sustainability science, climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental social science, network science.

You can apply for this scholarship at the same time you apply for admission to a QUT Doctor of Philosophy degree.

• The first step is to email Dr Angela M. Guerrero , detailing your academic and research background, a one-page statement of your research proposal in your chosen topic (see "About the 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 Angela M. Guerrero as your proposed principal supervisor, and copy the link to this scholarship website into question 2 of the financial details section.

Successful applicants will be contacted directly.

This PhD project will explore the intricate web of urban systems by applying complexity science and deliver insights to aid identification of transformative strategies for climate resilience.  The candidate will be supervised by Dr Angela M. Guerrero and have the opportunity to engage in a dynamic environment with members of the QUT Resilience Centre.

Addressing the urgent need for community resilience amid escalating climate risks, including floods, extreme heat, and bushfires, is crucial for rapidly growing cities. These cities comprise intricate networks of social, ecological, physical, and technological subsystems with structural and functional interdependencies. Understanding this complexity is vital for evaluating a city's resilience to climate risks and formulating effective policies and planning strategies.

This PhD project, rooted in complexity science, offers a unique opportunity to explore diverse topics. For example, candidates can focus on:

• investigating how interactions between urban communities and urban nature contribute to community resilience. This exploration may involve studying interactions between communities and urban green spaces, nature-based solutions such as urban forests, green roofs, and wetlands; or understanding how community perceptions of urban nature influence their ability to cope with and adapt to environmental challenges. Such explorations can shed light on how nature-based solutions enhance resilience and aid in responding to environmental hazards
• investigating how community food networks interconnect with different city components through distribution or collaboration networks, and their interdependencies with the physical and natural environment. Research under this topic would help unravel the potential of community food networks to enhance city resilience against extreme climate events resulting in ‘food shocks’
• investigating the relationship between micro-level social structures, relationships and networks within a community and macro-level indicators of community resilience.  This research will delve into how the intricate social fabric at the micro level contributes to the overall resilience of the community at a larger scale.

Under any chosen topic, candidates will model how the interactions between urban communities and relevant elements of the urban sub systems impact community resilience to climate shocks (e.g. extreme weather events, sudden drop in food supply). Models will be used to identify patterns associated with the emergence of structural properties linked to increased or reduced community resilience.

This project would suit a candidate who is interested in applying and advancing quantitative skills as well as qualitative methods, to solve challenging environmental problems. The project will apply a variety of tools including network theory and modelling, data scraping, interviews, surveys, and content analysis.

By applying complexity science principles, researchers can illuminate the dynamic relationships within these networks, revealing opportunities for sustainable urban development and proactive innovative strategies for mitigating the impacts of climate change.

If you are successful in being awarded this scholarship, you will be eligible to apply for a top-up scholarship through the QUT Resilience Centre.