Drew Franklin
Top university
1 month ago
Nature Positive Doctoral Scholarship
Fully Funded PhD in Nature Positive Communication and Social Licence at the University of Auckland University of Auckland in New Zealand
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Environmental Science
Funding
Fully funded PhD scholarship for up to 42 months FTE. Includes a tax-free stipend of NZD 35,468 per annum with annual CPI adjustment, full tuition fees for up to 42 months FTE, and the compulsory single-student health insurance charge if applicable.
Deadline
Sep 30, 2026
Country
New Zealand
University
University of Auckland
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About this position
The University of Auckland Business School is recruiting for a fully funded PhD opportunity within the new Nature Positive Hub, a flagship initiative focused on how organisations, markets, governments, and communities can move beyond reducing environmental harm to actively restoring biodiversity and regenerating ecosystems.
This specific project, Communicating Nature Positive, examines how language, storytelling, framing, and digital communication shape public trust, organisational uptake, legitimacy, and social licence for nature-positive commitments. The research also considers perceptions of greenwashing and how evidence-based communication strategies can support credible, durable nature-positive transitions.
The wider Nature Positive PhD Cohort is interdisciplinary and connects business and economics with related fields such as law, environmental science, governance, finance, policy, and organisational practice. The cohort model is distinctive: successful candidates join a shared PhD community with regular mentoring, collaborative learning, and access to national and international research networks.
This scholarship is fully funded and based at the University of Auckland Business School. Funding includes a tax-free stipend of NZD 35,468 per year, annual CPI adjustment, full tuition fees for up to 42 months FTE, and the compulsory single-student health insurance charge if applicable.
Eligibility requires admission to a University of Auckland doctoral programme within the Faculty of Business and Economics, full-time enrolment, and willingness to work on one of the advertised Nature Positive projects. Applicants already enrolled in the PhD programme are not eligible. For this project, candidates are expected to submit an expression of interest with a short background statement, transcript, and a 500-word outline of their approach.
The preferred enrolment start date is 1 March 2027, with the latest possible enrolment date 1 July 2027. Scholarship selection runs in rounds, with the first cut-off on 30 September 2026 and notifications expected by 1 November 2026 for round 1.
Funding details
Fully funded PhD scholarship for up to 42 months FTE. Includes a tax-free stipend of NZD 35,468 per annum with annual CPI adjustment, full tuition fees for up to 42 months FTE, and the compulsory single-student health insurance charge if applicable.
What's required
Applicants must receive an offer of admission to a University of Auckland doctoral programme within the Faculty of Business and Economics and be enrolled full-time. Candidates must indicate willingness to work on one of the advertised Nature Positive projects in their statement of research intent. For the specific project, applicants should have a relevant academic background and submit a 500-word statement about themselves, a copy of their academic transcript, and a 500-word outline of how they would approach the project through relevant disciplinary lens(es). Scholarships are not available to candidates already enrolled in the PhD programme; applicants must begin with the cohort. Admission with supervisor support is required but does not guarantee funding.
How to apply
First submit an Expression of Interest by email to the relevant project contact listed on the projects page, including the project title and number, a brief background statement, transcript, and a 500-word project outline. Then apply for PhD admission to an eligible Business and Economics doctoral programme at the University of Auckland. Ensure your admission offer is in place by the scholarship cut-off date.
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