climate change | Scholarship for Nigerians and Africans - Part 2

2 PhD Scholarships – New Environmental Governance: Examining new approaches to governing climate change and groundwater, Australia

Two outstanding doctoral candidates are sought to undertake studies in either of the projects below. Both projects are focused on novel forms of governance that seek to address two of the greatest environmental challenges facing Australia and the international community: climate change and scarce groundwater resources.

Climate Project: Given the continuing failure of governments and multilateral treaties to deliver effective climate outcomes, this project investigates an emerging, but potentially powerful new ‘actor’ in climate governance regimes both in Australia and globally. These new actors take the form of climate change civil society movements (eg ‘Get Up’, ‘1 Million Women’, ‘350.org’ and ‘1010’). The project examines the circumstances under which these new movements can shape law, policy and practice (eg direct action mechanisms, lobbying and partnerships) to produce effective and legitimate climate outcomes. The project aims to develop principles to guide these new movements to better influence climate law regimes and deliver improved climate outcomes.

Groundwater Project: This project responds to the recent call for a ‘water reform revolution’ to empower communities to collaboratively manage water buy-back and entitlements in Australia. The project will examine the circumstances under which collaborative forms of groundwater management are likely to be effective both as a standalone governance approach and as a component of wider legal and regulatory systems. It aims to provide necessary guidance and prescription to policy makers so they can deliver this ‘revolution’ and mobilise collaborative groundwater governance to achieve improved environmental outcomes for Australia.

The successful applicant will join an innovative team of researchers at Macquarie Law School who are undertaking interdisciplinary research on contemporary issues related to legal governance and public policy.

These scholarships are open to both domestic and international applicants, although only one is currently available for an international student.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 22 May 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application

PhD in Architecture, Building and Planning, Research Institute of Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands

This project is part of the large Dutch Research Programme “Climate Proof Cities” in which a large number of universities and research institutes are involved. The aim of this programme is to provide the knowledge that is necessary for adapting the built environment to be able to cope with climate change.The duration of the project is four years. The project is expected to start in May 2011. The gross monthly salary increases from € 2042,- in the first year to € 2612,- in the fourth year.

We are looking for an excellent and highly motivated candidate with an MSc degree in Building Science, Building, Civil, Mechanical or Environmental Engineering, or equivalent. Interest in modelling human behaviour, computer programming and physical processes (heat, air, moisture and pollution transfer) in the built environment is essential. Experience in human behaviour, climate adaptation modelling and computer programming, and/or experience in Building Performance Simulation, Computational Fluid Dynamics and/or Building Envelope Heat-Air-Moisture transfer modelling is a plus.

Scholarship Application Deadline:
01/05/2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application

2011-2012 PhD Studentships in Climate Change and Global Economy, UK

The full-time studentship, which includes an element of teaching, will be for 3 years, subject to satisfactory progress. Starting bursary will be £20,000 pa plus student fees. The global economic implications of climate change are major sources of concern and the subject of an increasing body of research. The objective of this studentship is to further this research by using a global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model that has been calibrated using data primarily drawn from the Global Trade Analysis Project’s database (see McDonald et al., 2007, for documentation of the GLOBE model*) to explore some aspect of the global economic implications of climate change and/or possible mitigation strategies. The precise topic, within the broad subject area, will be determined by the research proposal of the successful candidate and the first year’s research. While we would welcome applicants with research interests in:
1.    Economic and environmental implications of growth in China and/or India
2.    Economic implications of climate change for least developed countries
3.    Carbon trading and economic welfare
The successful applicant will be the candidate with the best research proposal within the broad subject area.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 15 April 2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application