PhD Scholarship in Electrochemical Hydrogen Separation

Job No.: 650603

Location: Clayton campus and CSIRO-Clayton

Employment Type: Full-time

Duration: 3.5-year fixed-term appointment 

Remuneration: $33,000.00 p.a. 3.5 years full-time rate (pro-rata) 2023 rate

• Be inspired, every day
• Drive your own learning at one of the world’s top 80 universities
• Take your career in exciting, rewarding directions

PhD Project - Electrochemical Hydrogen Separation for Large Scale Hydrogen Storage

Main Supervisors: Professor Paul Webley (Monash University) and Dr Patrick Hartley (CSIRO)

The blending of hydrogen into natural gas pipelines is being actively pursued in a number of countries as a promising approach to decarbonizing industrial and commercial heating applications. The ability to re-separate hydrogen from natural gas mixtures will be important for those applications which require either pure natural gas or pure hydrogen at point of use. CSIRO and Monash University are working with industry partners who have developed a novel electrochemical hydrogen separation technology for this purpose. The technology will shortly be demonstrated and tested at the CSIRO Clayton Hydrogen Technology Demonstration Facility (HTDF) with the goal of validating the technology in the Australian context and, ultimately, supporting the commercialization in Australia post-validation. A key unknown for the technology is the tolerance of the catalyst system to trace impurities in gas mixtures of different compositions. This collaborative PhD studentship between industry partners in Australia and Germany, CSIRO and Monash University will explore the surface chemistry of the catalyst system, with a view to understanding the gas compositional operating window for the technology.

Applicants must show excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to conduct self-motivated research. They should have research-based Honours or Masters Degree (or equivalent) in the relevant research areas and have a record of publishing their
research in mainstream scientific journals.

Note: Applicants who already hold a PhD will not be considered.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants will be considered provided that they fulfil the criteria for PhD admission at Monash University and demonstrate excellent research capability. Details of the relevant requirements are available at www.monash.edu/graduate-research/future-students/apply .

How to Apply 

Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). 

EOIs shall comprise:

• A cover letter that includes a brief statement of the applicant's suitability
• A curriculum vitae, including a list of published works
• A full statement of academic record, supported by scanned copies of relevant certified documentation
• Contact details of two academic referees
• Evidence of English-language proficiency (international applicants only)

Enquiries

Professor Paul Webley, Chemical Engineering, [email protected]

Closing Date

Applications will close once a suitable candidate has been identified

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