QUT PhD Scholarship

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is offering four fully funded PhD scholarships as part of a research program focused on Climate-Driven Biofilm Destabilisation and Contaminant Release in Drinking Water Systems. This program addresses the urgent need for mechanism-informed, predictive control of biofilm-mediated risks in water distribution networks, which are increasingly affected by climate-driven perturbations such as extreme rainfall, bushfires, drought-to-flood transitions, and shifting source-water blends. These events introduce rapid changes in redox conditions, metals, organic matter, nutrients, and disinfectant demand, leading to chemical shocks that interact with pipe biofilms functioning as dynamic biogeochemical reactors.

Critical water quality incidents often originate within the distribution system itself, where biofilm destabilisation and sloughing events mobilise accumulated contaminants including metals, carcinogenic disinfection by-products, and opportunistic pathogens. The underlying processes are microbially mediated, involving stress-response pathways, redox-driven transformations, protozoan host interactions (such as amplification of pathogens like Legionella), and exchange of regulatory and genetic material via extracellular vesicles. Despite advances in monitoring, current practice relies on bulk indicators that lag behind the processes driving rapid release events, leaving a gap in early-warning capability and predictive control.

This integrated research program spans mechanistic microbiology, multi-omics (leveraging platforms such as KEGG), Raman-based metabolite profiling, and risk translation via Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA). Advanced modelling frameworks, including EPANET and TEVA-SPOT, are used to integrate microbial processes with hydraulics and water chemistry, enabling probabilistic prediction of contaminant release and evaluation of mitigation strategies. The four PhD projects are:

• PhD-1: Microbial Mechanisms of Piped Water Biofilm Destabilisation (wet-lab focus)
• PhD-2: Omics Indicators and Risk-Relevant Biomarkers of Release Events (wet-lab focus)
• PhD-3: Quantitative Risk Assessment of Biofilm-Derived Hazards (risk assessment focus)
• PhD-4: Predictive Modelling and Mitigation of Contaminant Release (management focus)

Each project requires applicants with an honours (first class or equivalent) or MSc in environmental microbiology, microbial ecology, environmental engineering, or a closely related field. For PhD-1 and 2, candidates should have demonstrated experience in microbial laboratory techniques (cultivation, DNA/RNA extraction, qPCR, sequencing workflows), capacity to work in PC2/BSL-2 laboratory environments, and follow biosafety protocols. Additional desirable skills include grounding in biofilm science or aquatic microbiology, experience with pipe reactors, flow systems, or biofilm reactors, prior work with extracellular vesicles or host–pathogen systems, familiarity with metal/metalloid assays, disinfection by-products, multi-omics approaches, and knowledge of opportunistic pathogens and AMR indicators.

For PhD-3 and 4, candidates should possess strong quantitative/statistical data skills, understanding of water quality processes, experience or aptitude for Bayesian/statistical modelling with uncertainty analysis, programming skills in Python, MATLAB or equivalent, and a background in hydraulic, kinetic or systems models. Experience with QMRA frameworks and health-based targets, familiarity with metals, DBPs and opportunistic pathogens, network modelling tools (e.g. EPANET), and interest in contaminant transport are highly desirable.

Candidate attributes for PhD-1 and 2 include the ability to link microbial function to physicochemical drivers (metals, DBPs, redox shifts), experimental design capability across controlled stressor dosing and event-based water exposures, and strong quantitative reasoning and reproducible research practices. For PhD-3 and 4, candidates should be systems thinkers linking microbial processes to health-related thresholds, have an interest in decision-support tools, real-world deployment, and guideline development.

Successful applicants will receive a stipend of $37,010 per annum (tax-exempt, indexed annually) for up to 3.5 years, plus a tuition fee offset/sponsorship covering tuition fees for up to four years. The scholarship recipient will join a team of leading researchers and undertake innovative research in this interdisciplinary field. Applicants must meet QUT's PhD entry requirements, including English language requirements, enrol as a full-time internal student (unless approval for part-time/external study is obtained), and commence their degree by September 2026.

To apply, email Professor Nicholas Ashbolt with your academic and research background, motivation, and CV. If supported, submit an expression of interest (EOI) following QUT's research degree application advice, nominating Professor Ashbolt as your principal supervisor and including the scholarship website link in the financial details section. Applications close 30 May 2026.

For more information and to apply, visit the scholarship website.