A PhD opportunity to further develop Antarctic mosses as paleoproxies for past environmental change and discover how their preserved chemical signatures indicate past environmental change in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems.
This PhD proposal aims to extend current work on using Antarctic moss species as candidates for climate proxies. This will involve generating new information of moss physiology and preserved chemical signatures to indicate past environmental change in Antarctica. Mosses have been shown to capture and preserve a record of environmental change as chemicals in their tissues. The PhD student will investigate preserved chemical signatures, for example but not limited to carbon and oxygen isotopes (13C, 14C, 18O), secondary metabolites (flavonoids, phenolics), nutrients (15N) and metals, and discover environmental links. Applying Antarctic moss paleoproxy data contributes to knowledge on past environmental change and its impacts on terrestrial ecosystems.
The student will have the opportunity to work with both Australian and international collaborators, and at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) Accelerator Mass Spectrometry and Synchrotron facilities. The scholarship is funded by Distinguished Professor Sharon Robinson’s Australian Research Council (ARC) Australian Laureate Fellowship Islands in the Ice: “Interpreting the future of Antarctic ecosystems”. The student will join the thriving ARC funded "Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future" international research community.
The project will be supervised by Dr Melinda Waterman and Distinguished Professor Sharon Robinson. The PhD candidate will be based at the Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future program at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Faculty: Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health
Study area: Chemistry, Environmental & Biological Science
Student type: Domestic students, International students
Student status: Future Students
Scholarship amount
The UOW scholarship is AUD$36,943 per year for up to 4 years full-time. Tuition fees for international students (for up to 4 years) will be waived.
Research support funding of $2,800 per year will assist with expenses associated with the PhD research project. The PhD student will also have the opportunity to apply for travel funding through UOW SAEF to support their research. There will be support to apply for research grants and additional scholarships, such as ANSTO Access Grants.
Duration
4 years
Application process
Interested candidates should email melinda_waterman@uow.edu.au with subject “Moss Proxy PhD Application” and attach a cover letter (max. one page), CV (max. three pages) and your most recent academic transcripts.
In your CV, include qualifications, research positions and/or interests, motivation to apply, research publications, and contact details of two academic referees.
Applications will remain open until position is filled.
Eligibility requirements
In addition to meeting the entry requirements for a University of Wollongong Doctor of Philosophy, applicants must:
• Have a degree in BSc (Hons) or Masters Research Degree in Biological Sciences/Environmental Science/Biotechnology, or equivalent
• Have a background in plant physiology, isotopic signatures and/or chemical analysis of plants
• Have experience with biological experiments and biochemical laboratory analysis
• Have an aptitude for analysing datasets
• Be available to commence their research in mid-2026
• Be eligible for ANSTO security clearance
Application closing date
31 May 2026
Contact information
Melinda Waterman