Creating the next generation of international thought leaders
The CRCWSC PhD Program
Doctoral or PhD Candidates form an important component of the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC) and is a major deliverable under the Commonwealth Funding Agreement. The CRCWSC will financially support more than 40 PhD candidates over the nine year life of the CRCWSC.
The CRCWSC has set its own high expectations for its PhD cohort and desires to develop a group world class graduates who have excelled in their field of study, are industry-ready and will be ambassadors for water sensitive cities in Australia and around the world.
To achieve this, the CRCWSC support their development through:
1. Skill and capacity development - Targeted masterclasses and training programs help to develop key skills and capacities. CRCWSC activities complement activities required or provided by individual universities and focus on addressing needs to ensure PhD candidates are ‘industry ready’ at graduation. To date targeted training as be undertaken on:
- Science communication, presentation skills and presenting to the water industry
- Water leadership and influencing change in the water sector
2. Network development – Building a supportive and cohesive network of PhD candidates provides shared understanding and allows a trusted environment to ask questions, and develop skills and ideas. It will also ensure a desired culture, values and behaviours is encouraged and supported.
The network is facilitated via the:
- Dedicated events and programs prior to or following CRCWSC Research Partner Workshops
- Participation in national and international conferences to share research finding and build non-CRCWSC links with other researchers and industry stakeholders.
3. Mentoring – Mentorship refers to the personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person most commonly located in a relevant government or private company, helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. The CRCWSC is:
- Growing an industry mentoring program – to enable enhanced links with experienced industry leaders
- A PhD ‘elder’ program – that enables recently awarded PhD graduates or early career researchers an opportunity to provide direct support to new candidates.
4. Work experience / internships – to enable students to become ‘industry-ready’ and to maximise their work / career opportunities, CRCWSC industry partners are encouraged to provide opportunities for PhD candidates either during or at the completion of their study to work within their organisations for an agreed period.
5. WSC Alumni Network – Creating an Alumni network of CRCWSC related graduates enable previous students to maintain their links with the CRCWSC and to become ambassadors of the program and the research.
PhD Scholarships
From time-to-time, the CRCWSC in collaboration with our university partners may offer PhD scholarships relating to different research topics. These are advertised through university communication channels and through the CRCWSC newsletter ‘WaterSENSE’.
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