School of Engineering and Energy Strategic Scholarship
Murdoch University’s School of Engineering and Energy is investing in research by providing funding for a PhD scholarship. The research project will explore the topic of “Innovative and Intelligent Hybrid Energy and Water System for Rural Electrification from Western Australia to Sub-Saharan Africa”.
The project aims to contribute to the sustainable energy transition and address energy poverty in rural and remote communities of both Western Australia and Sub-Saharan Africa through the development of an innovative hybrid stand-alone power system (SAPS). The SAPS will be designed to integrate solar photovoltaic generation, biomass-based dispatchable backup, energy storage, IoT enabled real-time monitoring and community-scale water treatment for off-grid rural and remote communities. It will be piloted in Western Australia, and its technical performance, economic viability, environmental sustainability, and carbon credit potential will be assessed to generate actionable insights and a transferable framework for sustainable electrification in similar rural and remote contexts in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Eligibility
To apply for a PhD degree, you need to provide evidence of your academic or professional accomplishments. This evidence needs to demonstrate that you have the necessary experience and skills to carry out the proposed research project.
Entry requirements include one or more of the following:
- An Honours qualification – completion of a bachelor's degree with first class Honours from Murdoch, or the equivalent at another university.
- A postgraduate coursework qualification – completion of other postgraduate qualifications that involved a substantial research project.
- Other qualifications or work experience – evidence of your professional work experience conducting research projects. If you’ve led large projects, presented at conferences, published research outcomes or implemented organisational change, these might demonstrate your ability to fulfil the entry requirements.
Candidates must hold a Master’s degree or an equivalent qualification in a relevant field of study. They are also required to submit a brief research proposal related to the project topic (approximately one page and no more than four pages). Demonstrated research and/or professional experience related to the proposed topic is highly desirable. In particular, experience in power and renewable energy systems design and modelling and water treatment system modelling as well as smart/IoT technologies will be considered a strong advantage.
How to Apply
Applicants should send their CV, a cover letter highlighting their relevant skills and experience (one page), academic transcripts, language testing results and an expression of interest to Prof. GM Shafiullah (gm.shafiullah@murdoch.edu.au) or Dr Gloria Odo (gloria.odo@murdoch.edu.au)
The expression of interest should include a brief research proposal (one to 4 pages max) outlining the applicant’s interest in the mentioned topic and a proposed approach for conducting the research.
If shortlisted in the first stage, applicants will be contacted to provide additional supporting documents and to arrange a time for an interview.Required Documents
- Master degree or equivalent in a relevant field of study
- CV and cover letter highlight the relevant skills and or experience related to the project
- A list of your publications (with journal ranks), conference presentations, and projects
- A brief research proposal related to the topic mentioned (1 page or no more than 4).
- ID (Passport preferred. For name changes, we will require certificates as well)
- Professional experience documents
- Transcripts with grading key
- Two academic referee reports
- An up-to-date English proficiency certificate (IELTS/TOFEL/PTE) and properly translated copies of your degrees and transcripts for international students
| IELTS Academic | Overall score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0 |
| TOEFL iBT | Overall score of 90 with no band less than 20 |
| PTE | Overall score of 64 with no skill below 58 |
Payment Method
The successful applicant will receive a PhD Scholarship stipend for a maximum of 3.5 years paid by Murdoch University