PhD Scholarship

This Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery PhD project addresses Australia’s urgent challenge of restoring soil carbon in semi-arid ecosystems, which cover 80% of the continent and have lost substantial carbon since European settlement. 
You will study how native plant diversity and microbial communities drive soil organic carbon accumulation and ecosystem recovery, using soil science, ecology, advanced soil analysis, and modelling. The research involves field work in Western Australia’s unique ecosystems, applying cutting-edge imaging, spectroscopy and molecular techniques, and leveraging machine learning and modelling to reveal plant-soil-microbe interactions. 
Your findings will inform climate and environmental policy and may contribute to shaping Australia’s carbon credit system. 
You’ll work with a leading team, access world-class research facilities, publish in top journals, and develop expertise in soil and climate change science, fieldwork, laboratory methods, and environmental modelling.