University of Newcastle
1 week ago
PhD Scholarship
PhD in Characterisation of Water World Exoplanets (Observation-focused and Modelling-focused) The University of Newcastle in Australia
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Astronomy
Funding
One scholarship is available to domestic and international students and provides a stipend for 4 years. A second scholarship is available to domestic students and provides a stipend for 3.5 years. Funding includes generous project-related costs for computing resources, travel to domestic and international conferences, workshops, and collaborative visits, plus a relocation allowance of up to $1500. International candidates also receive Overseas Student Health Cover at single rate. The stipend is
Deadline
Nov 9, 2026
Country
Australia
University
University of Newcastle
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About this position
PhD scholarship at The University of Newcastle, Australia in the group of Dr Tom Evans-Soma on characterisation of water world exoplanets. Two project options are available: an observation-focused project analysing James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations of sub-Neptune exoplanets and water world candidates, and a modelling-focused project developing atmospheric and climate models for water-rich worlds.
Research themes include exoplanets, water worlds, sub-Neptunes, atmospheric retrieval, climate simulation, planetary habitability, atmospheric circulation, cloud formation, heat transport, and interpretation of spectra. The observational project aims to disentangle planetary signals from instrumental artefacts and stellar noise, infer chemical compositions and temperatures, estimate the frequency of water worlds, and assess habitability. The modelling project focuses on extending next-generation climate tools to water-rich atmospheres and unfamiliar chemical regimes, including possible ocean worlds.
Funding is available for domestic and international students. One scholarship provides a 4-year stipend; another provides a 3.5-year stipend for domestic students. The scholarship includes tuition fee support, project-related costs, computing resources, travel to conferences/workshops/collaborative visits, a relocation allowance of up to $1500, and Overseas Student Health Cover for international candidates. The stipend is listed as $38,938 per annum (2026 rate), indexed annually.
Applicants must meet the minimum eligibility criteria for admission. To apply, email the supervisor with your project preference (observation-focused, modelling-focused, or either), referee contact details, academic transcript, CV (max 3 pages), and a research statement (max 2 pages, including figures). Deadline: 09 November 2026.
Funding details
One scholarship is available to domestic and international students and provides a stipend for 4 years. A second scholarship is available to domestic students and provides a stipend for 3.5 years. Funding includes generous project-related costs for computing resources, travel to domestic and international conferences, workshops, and collaborative visits, plus a relocation allowance of up to $1500. International candidates also receive Overseas Student Health Cover at single rate. The stipend is
What's required
Applicants must meet the minimum eligibility criteria for admission. Candidates should indicate whether they prefer the observation-focused or modelling-focused project, or are open to either. They must provide contact details for an academic referee willing to comment on their research, a scanned academic transcript, a CV of maximum 3 pages, and a research statement of maximum 2 pages including figures describing research to date, research interests, and alignment with the PhD projects.
How to apply
Email [email protected] with your project preference and referee contact details. Attach your academic transcript, CV, and research statement. Send the expression of interest by 5pm on 09 November 2026.
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