PhD Scholarship
This PhD project will develop an Australian-focused modelling framework to assess carbon and biodiversity market designs, comparing environmental and economic outcomes to inform policy. It will involve expert workshops, and stakeholder engagement.
BACKGROUNDForest restoration is a critical strategy for mitigating the global climate and biodiversity crises. The process of recovering forests that have been degraded is accelerating globally with the growth of carbon and biodiversity markets, which create financial incentives for restoration through the trade of credits. Forest restoration projects are often implemented for these carbon or biodiversity markets to offset damaging deforestation or carbon emission activities elsewhere. Australia’s forest-based carbon and biodiversity markets are expanding rapidly as part of national and global efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. Australia is recognised for its innovative carbon market, and for being one of the first countries to implement a national biodiversity market. The design and implementation of these markets will determine their effectiveness in delivering environmental, and economic benefits. Recommendations are therefore needed to systematically identify and compare market design options to inform the development of Australian policies that ensure carbon and biodiversity market expansion aligns with long-term sustainability and equity goals.
DESCRIPTIONThis project will help ensure Australia’s rapidly expanding forest restoration based environmental markets function effectively and equitably, avoiding harm to environments and communities locally and internationally. This project will deliver recommendations about carbon and biodiversity market design options and a decision-support tool to guide policymakers in ensuring Australia’s carbon and biodiversity market expansion aligns with long-term sustainability and equity goals. The student will develop an Australian-focussed modelling framework and use it to quantitatively assess different carbon and biodiversity market design options, comparing their environmental and economic outcomes to provide evidence-based policy recommendations. This project will involve conducting a workshop of experts and strategically engaging with stakeholders through meetings. Through this project, they will gain industry relevant skills in spatial optimisation, economic modelling, policy analysis, and ecosystem service valuation. They will build strong industry connections across government, conservation organisations, and carbon market stakeholders in Australia, positioning them for impactful careers in environmental policy, market analysis, and sustainability planning.
We invite prospective students with varied backgrounds, but ideally, we are looking for students with backgrounds in one or a combination of the following: quantitative analysis, modelling, spatial analysis, optimisation, forest restoration, ecosystem services valuation, policy analysis, market design, or environmental economics.
RESEARCH ENVIRONMENTThis project will be under the primary supervision of Dr Brooke Williams, you will join the new Biodiversity, Forest Restoration, and Ecology (BIOSFERE) Lab https://biosfere.org/ at the University of Newcastle, Australia https://www.newcastle.edu.au/ - one of the best locations in the world! The Lab sits within the impactful Centre for Conservation Science https://www.newcastle.edu.au/research/centre/conservation-science .
PhD Scholarship details
Funding: $38,938 per annum (2026 rate) indexed annually, as well as a stipend top-up ($5,030 p.a.) For a PhD candidate, the living allowance scholarship is for 3.5 years, and the tuition fee scholarship is for 3.5 years. Scholarships also include up to $1,500 relocation allowance.
Supervisor: Brooke Williams
Available to: Domestic students
PhD
Eligibility Criteria
The applicant will need to meet the minimum eligibility criteria for admission.
Application Procedure
Interested applicants should send an email expressing their interest along with scanned copies of their academic transcripts, CV, a brief statement of their research interests and a proposal that specifically links them to the research project.
Please send the email expressing interest to Brooke.Williams@newcastle.edu.au by 5pm on 02 May 2026.
Applications Close 02 May 2026Apply Now
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