If you are passionate about sustainability, climate action, and agricultural transformation, two exciting PhD opportunities at the University of Western Australia offer a unique pathway to contribute to global net-zero goals while advancing your academic career.
These fully funded and top-up-supported doctoral projects focus on one of the most urgent global challenges: reducing emissions in agriculture. Both PhDs are embedded within cutting-edge research funded by the Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre, bringing together leading researchers, institutions, and industry stakeholders to accelerate sustainable agricultural transitions.
Why These PhD Opportunities Matter
Agriculture is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving net-zero targets requires not only technological innovation but also deep social transformation—especially at the farm level.
Despite the availability of low-emission technologies and practices, adoption remains slow due to:
- Communication gaps between stakeholders
- Lack of trust in institutions and systems
- Social and cultural barriers within farming communities
- Weak support networks and post-adoption challenges
These PhD projects aim to tackle these issues from a social science perspective—focusing on communication, behavioral change, institutional support, and co-designed solutions.
PhD Opportunity 1: Co-Creating Communication Approaches for Emissions Reduction
This doctoral project explores how communication strategies can be redesigned to better support farmers in adopting low-emission practices.
Supervised by leading researchers, including Dr Heather Bray, the project places strong emphasis on collaboration, participatory research, and real-world impact.
🔍 Research Focus
You will work within a “Living Laboratory” environment, engaging directly with farmers, stakeholders, and communities to:
- Analyze existing communication frameworks used in agriculture
- Understand how beliefs, attitudes, and trust influence adoption
- Identify socio-cultural barriers to effective communication
- Co-design innovative communication strategies with producers
- Collaborate with industry bodies to streamline messaging
🎯 Research Objectives
- Evaluate current communication networks and systems
- Identify social and cultural dynamics shaping communication
- Develop and test new communication approaches for emissions reduction
🌱 Impact
This research will directly contribute to improving how sustainability practices are communicated and adopted across the agricultural sector—bridging the gap between innovation and implementation.
PhD Opportunity 2: Supporting Farm-Level Change and Adoption
The second PhD focuses on strengthening the systems and networks that enable farmers to adopt and sustain low-emission practices.
Rather than focusing only on adoption, this project examines what happens after change begins—ensuring long-term success and scalability.
🔍 Research Focus
Through participatory research, you will:
- Study support systems that help farmers maintain sustainable practices
- Analyze the role of supply chains, institutions, and service providers
- Identify gaps in the agricultural “enabling environment”
- Design interventions that support long-term behavioral change
🎯 Research Objectives
- Evaluate existing support networks and institutional frameworks
- Develop strategies to improve adoption and diffusion of innovations
- Identify investments and policy changes needed for scaling solutions
🌱 Impact
This research will help build resilient agricultural systems that not only adopt sustainable practices but sustain them over time—ensuring real progress toward net-zero agriculture.
Funding and Scholarship Details
Both opportunities offer strong financial support:
💵 Main Scholarship (PhD 1)
- Stipend: AUD $38,110 per year
➕ Top-Up Scholarship (PhD 2)
- Additional funding: AUD $10,000 per year
- Requires securing a base scholarship (e.g., RTP)
These funding packages are designed to support candidates throughout their PhD journey, allowing them to focus on impactful research.
Location and Study Requirements
Both PhD positions require candidates to:
- Be based in Perth for the duration of the program
- Conduct fieldwork across Western Australia and Victoria
- Engage directly with agricultural communities and stakeholders
This hands-on approach ensures that research outcomes are grounded in real-world challenges and solutions.
Important Dates
- Opening Date: 1 April 2026
- Application Deadline: 31 May 2026
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet strict academic and research requirements, including:
- A completed Honours or Master’s degree in a relevant field
- Strong background in independent research (thesis required)
- Experience in participatory or qualitative research methods
- Knowledge of agricultural systems and/or science communication
- Fluency in English
For international applicants:
- Minimum CGPA of 3.9 (≈85% average)
Additionally, candidates must carefully review the university’s PhD admission policies before applying.
Application Process
To apply:
- Follow the official PhD application guidelines from the University of Western Australia
- Prepare the following documents:
- Academic transcripts (minimum 80% thesis grade, 85% average)
- CV highlighting relevant experience
- Statement of motivation (max 1 page)
- Details of previous research (thesis title and grades)
- Contact the project lead, Professor Marit Kragt, via email with all required materials
⚠️ Applications that do not meet the criteria or fail to include all documents will not be considered.
Why You Should Apply
These PhD opportunities are ideal for candidates who want to:
- Work on real-world sustainability challenges
- Collaborate with leading researchers and industry partners
- Gain hands-on experience through fieldwork
- Contribute to global climate and agricultural transformation
- Build a career in academia, policy, or international development
With global attention on climate change and food security, expertise in sustainable agriculture is more valuable than ever.
Discover more opportunities here
