Investigating and addressing regulatory barriers impacting recycling and circular economy (CE) development in Australia (PhD scholarship)

Application dates

Applications close

25 November 2022

What you’ll receive

You will receive:

• a scholarship package totalling approximately $45,000 per annum for four years, including a full RTP Fee offset
• a structured professional development and training program
• a Project Expense and Development package of $13,000 per annum over four years
• an in-business industry engagement component
• supervision by CSIRO, an industry partner and QUT.

The CSIRO Industry PhD Program (iPhD) is a four-year research training program that focuses on applied research and working with the industry sector. It aims to produce the next generation of innovation leaders with the skills to work at the interface of research and industry in Australia.

A funding agreement between CSIRO and QUT is currently being negotiated to govern this proposed scholarship

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this opportunity, you must:

• be an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident, or a New Zealand citizen
• meet QUT’s PhD admission requirements , including any English language requirements
• not have previously completed a PhD
• be able to commence in the program in 2023
• enrol as a full-time PhD student
• be prepared to be located at the project location(s) that QUT has approved and, if required, comply with QUT’s external enrolment procedures.

Ideally, you should:

• have a master’s degree in a related field
• have research experience in the discipline of law, and knowledge/understanding of Australian waste policy and legislation, planning law, environmental protection, product stewardship and circular economy
• be a collaborative, confident presenter with excellent verbal and written communication skills
• have the ability to facilitate workshops and engage professionally and effectively with industry, government and community representatives.

How to apply

Apply for this scholarship at the same time you apply for admission to QUT’s Doctor of Philosophy.

The first step is to email A/Prof Rowena Maguire detailing your academic and research background, your motivation to research in this field and interest in this scholarship, and include your CV as well as a a 1-2 page research proposal covering your proposed approach to the research.

If supported to apply, you will then submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) following the advice on how to apply for a research degree.

In your EOI, nominate A/Prof Rowena Maguire as your proposed principal supervisor, and copy the link to this scholarship website into question 2 of the financial details section.

The EOI will then be reviewed and the applicant interviewed by the supervisory team, with the successful applicant then invited to submit their full application.

For any questions about QUT’s application process, please contact hdr@qut.edu.au

For any questions about the research project, please contact A/Prof Rowena Maguire

For any questions about the CSIRO scholarship project, please contact the IPhD Team.

Conditions

Successful students are subject to the policies, procedures, and guidelines of QUT in addition to the CSIRO Industry PhD Program terms and conditions. Students will receive a standard PhD on completion.

Note that the availability of this scholarship is subject to QUT and CSIRO signing a funding agreement.

About the scholarship

As a means to address unsustainable resource consumption and waste generation, the transition to a CE has become a priority in Australia. Transitioning to a CE will require the growth and support of a sustainable waste management and recycling industry in Australia. While CE policies encourage and set targets for waste reduction, other legislation such as planning laws, waste management laws and local government legislation create barriers to expanding circular waste management operations. The waste industry has identified the existence of real and significant regulatory barriers as a significant hurdle to growing Australia’s recycling industry.

Overall, the structure of this project will include:

• a literature review
• qualitative research (interviews and workshops) with industry, government and research bodies aimed at identifying blockages/barriers
• an analysis of legislation in light of these identified barriers.

The final research aim will be to identify some policy reform options and investigate potential mechanisms, processes and organisations through which legislative change can ideally be influenced and achieved.