PhD in Circular Economy and Critical Minerals Transition at Curtin University Curtin University in Australia

Curtin University is advertising 2 PhD opportunities in the area of circular economy, sustainability transitions, and critical minerals/battery circularity at the Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, School of Design and the Built Environment, Faculty of Humanities.

Project 1: Circular Economy and the Global Polycrisis: Positioning Circular Strategies within Sustainability Transitions. This topic examines how circular economy strategies can contribute to responses to interconnected sustainability crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, resource depletion, energy insecurity, food vulnerability, geopolitical instability, and social inequality. The project aims to develop an integrated sustainability transition framework that places circular economy approaches within the broader sustainability toolkit.

Project 2: Circular Economy Opportunities for Decommissioned Lithium-ion Batteries. This topic focuses on the rapidly growing stream of end-of-life batteries from renewable energy and transport sectors. The research will investigate value recovery, second-life applications, critical minerals, policy, infrastructure, and sustainable transition pathways for decommissioned lithium-ion batteries.

The announcer is Atiq Zaman, Associate Professor at Curtin University and Circular Economy and Zero Waste specialist. The post is aimed at a next-generation researcher with a strong interest in sustainability transitions and circular economy research.

Ideal candidate profile: familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research approaches; understanding of sustainability and environmental policy; systems-thinking capability; strong analytical and academic writing skills.

Entry requirements: applicants must meet the Humanities PhD admission requirements at Curtin University, including English language requirements. The post specifically lists IELTS Academic indicative minimums of Writing 7.0, Speaking 6.0, Reading 7.0, Listening 6.5, and Overall 6.5.

Funding: the opportunities are available for competitive RTP scholarship consideration for domestic and international applicants. Curtin’s HDR RTP information notes tuition fee exemption for successful doctoral applicants who are Australian citizens, permanent residents, or New Zealand citizens.

How to apply: review the Curtin Humanities PhD admission criteria and scholarship information, then follow Curtin’s application instructions for your campus of choice. Check the application deadlines page and submit an enquiry if you are interested in one of the two topics.