Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment

The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment will review applications from highly motivated graduates who apply for an HIE Postgraduate Research Award all year round. The Institute's research fills a unique niche in the Australian research landscape through three coordinated, cross-disciplinary programs that generate unprecedented insights about the response of complex landscapes and how they adapt to environmental change.

Applicants will undertake research within the broad areas of:

• Ecology, biodiversity, and sustainability of terrestrial ecosystems, particularly forests, savannas and grasslands
• Soil science and molecular microbial ecology including plant-microbe interactions, soil biogeochemistry and ecological genomics
• Plant-animal interactions, including vertebrate and insect ecology, herbivory and multitrophic interactions
• Ecology, physiology, biochemistry and genetics underpinning adaptation of plants to a changing environment

Finding a supervisor and the research proposal:

As a first step, potential applicants should look through the research profiles of individual academic staff (opens in a new window) to find an appropriate supervisor, as well as the currently funded projects (opens in a new window) to find a suitable fit with your own research ideas.

Approaches to a prospective supervisor (or supervisors) would ideally, within one or two pages, include a research proposal that contains:

• The research theme/research question
• Name of the academic(s) with whom you have discussed the project
• Overview of current research – where is the gap?
• Methodology
• Describe all that applies: the type of study, how it will be done, the data collection and data analysis
• Resource requirements; will you need specialist equipment or field work expenses, for example?
• Draft timeline
• Expectations of investigation results; the “so what?” question.

Academic Criteria and Assessment:

Applicants for our scholarships are assessed on the basis of previous academic merit and performance, which must be supported by evidence. These include (but may not be limited to):

• Grade point average achieved for undergraduate studies;
• Postgraduate studies and results achieved (Bachelor Honours; Masters by Research; or Masters by Coursework with a research component greater than 25% are considered);
• The research proposal and how well it meets the research endeavour of the Institute;
• Supporting evidence including: research output including refereed journal articles, refereed conference proceedings, commercial patents, books or book chapters; relevant industry research experience directly related to, and of benefit to, the proposed area of study; and awards and nominations such as Dean’s Medals, University awards, etc

For international applicants, if you cannot provide evidence of undertaking advanced study where the language of instruction was in English, then you must also provide evidence of your English language ability as assessed by an IELTS (Academic) overall score of 6.5 with a minimum 6.0 in each subtest. If this has not been assessed recently you can still lodge your application, but proof that you meet these standards will be required before a full offer of admission is made.

Applicants who are ranked highly will also be contacted by telephone or SKYPE to have a conversation with their proposed supervisor.

You should have a reasonable expectation of success BEFORE you submit an application.

How to apply

Once a potential supervisor has been identified and a research proposal has been prepared, you can apply for admission to the PhD program at any time. Please read the information on the University of Western Sydney’s web site (opens in a new window) first, and then click “How to Apply”.

Australian citizens (domestic students) can apply online – you will find a link at the bottom of the page.

International applicants will also find a link at the bottom of the page which will take you to a paper-based application form (you can not apply for admission using the online program for domestic students). The direct link is here (opens in a new window) and scroll down to “Postgraduate Application Form and Fee Schedule” to apply.

Outcome of your application

Applications may be assessed for admission, a scholarship, and fee relief.

For domestic students the outcome could be:

• No admission. The Institute is unable to supervise the proposed project, or the application shows a lack of suitable qualifications or experience to meet minimum entry standards into the program;
• Offer admission and RTS place only. You would fund your own living expenses but receive a Research Training Scheme place as a domestic student (ie no fees). This option is not normally suitable for applicants unless they are well supported financially by independent means;
• Offer admission and RTS with scholarship. You would receive a scholarship to meet living expenses, plus a Research Training Scheme place as a domestic student (ie no fees).

For international students the outcome could be:

• No admission. The Institute is unable to supervise the proposed project, or the application shows a lack of suitable qualifications or experience to meet minimum entry standards into the program;
• Offer admission only – full fee paying student. You would fund your own living expenses and pay a tuition fee. This option is not normally suitable for applicants unless they are well supported financially by independent means;
• Offer admission with scholarship. You would receive a scholarship to meet living expenses, but you need to pay a tuition fee;
• Offer admission with scholarship and fee waiver. You would receive a scholarship to meet living expenses and an international student fee scholarship. These offers are extremely competitive.