Partnership PhDs Will Deliver Solutions For Communities

Twelve UC Connect Doctoral scholarships have been launched to address gaps in knowledge across economic, social and environmental sustainability - from wastewater treatment and improving health policy, to designing better buildings for Pacific communities.

Co-funded by Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) and local partners, each scholarship is tailored to meet specific sector needs, ensuring that postgraduate research outcomes translate into meaningful, real-world impact.

“This is a win-win partnership,” UC Tumu Tuarua Rangahau | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation Professor Lucy Johnston says. “Our PhD candidates gain hands-on experience while conducting research that addresses urgent, practical challenges and makes a difference for communities. At the same time, our partners benefit from robust, evidence-based solutions.”

The partnership model is the future of research, Professor Johnston believes. “By working together, we are supporting the next generation of experts to complete their qualifications and get a jumpstart on their careers, while helping our communities and industries to thrive.”

UC Connect Doctoral scholarship recipients will conduct their research on current sustainability challenges in a real-world environment, while developing transferable industry skills and professional networks. Each scholarship includes full tuition, and an annual stipend for three years jointly funded by UC and the partner organisation.

UC is committed to undertaking research that has a positive impact locally and globally and to working with local partners. Organisations that are interested in discussing a UC Connect Doctoral scholarship partnership or other research opportunities at UC are welcome to contact the team to discuss research ideas and needs - email dvcresearchinnovation@canterbury.ac.nz.

Ranked in the top 100 universities worldwide for sustainability, UC has embedded sustainability into qualifications across all disciplines and offers a range of sustainability-focused degrees including the Bachelor of Social and Environmental Sustainability and the Bachelor of Environmental Science.

UC Connect Doctoral scholarships:

Exploring the benefits of cultural immersion in environmental and experiential education

UC school: School of Earth & Environmental Sciences

Partner: Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke

Performance of Waste-sourced Treatment Media for Enhancing Stormwater Treatment Outcomes

UC school: Civil and Environmental Engineering

Partner: Christchurch City Council

Modelling sludge accumulation, degradation and distribution processes in highly loaded wastewater treatment ponds and associated impacts on greenhouse gas emissions and midge control.

UC school: Civil and Environmental Engineering

Partner: Christchurch City Council

Development and Validation of a Novel Cored Mass Timber Panel for Resilient Construction in the Pacific

UC school: School of Forestry

Partner: Adhesive Technologies NZ Ltd

Climate-Proof Energy System Planning and Operation

UC school: Civil and Environmental Engineering

Partner: Open Energy Transition

Assessment of biodiverse vegetation cover options to future-proof stopbanks in Aotearoa New Zealand

UC school: Civil and Environmental Engineering

Partner: Christchurch City Council

High capacity cryocooler

UC school: Mechanical Engineering

Partner: Fabrum

Sustainable isolation of integral membrane proteins using 3D-printed monolith columns.

UC school: School of Biological Sciences

Partner: Precision Chromatography Limited (PCL)

Nature-based solutions for Marae onsite wastewater treatment: process resilience and cultural integration of the Wairewa system.

UC school: Civil and Environmental Engineering

Partner: Ngāi Tahu

Investigating Earthquake-Induced Pressure Transients in Hydropower Penstocks and Pressure Tunnels

UC school: Mechanical Engineering

Partner: ReGenerateNZ Ltd. (Re-Generate)

Designing Embodied Virtual Agents to Enable Equitable Access to Therapeutic Exercises and Enhanced Wellbeing

UC school: School of Product Design

Partner: JIX Limited (JIX)

Towards Smarter Health Policy: A Data-Driven Framework for Health Modelling in Aotearoa New Zealand

UC school: School of Mathematics and Statistics

Partner: The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR)

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