Upcoming MSc and PhD scholarships in geophysics

Our Science

28 July 2023

	Cook River mouth, Alpine Fault, Fox Glacier, Mount Tasman, and Aoraki/Mount Cook distant.

We are proud to partner with Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka to support Masters of Science (MSc) and PhD scholarship opportunities with Seismocity Ltd, Toka Tū Ake EQC and Australian National University.

Announcing 2023-2026 Scholarships

Five one-year Masters in Science scholarships and one three-year PhD scholarship aligned with the Toka Tū Ake EQC Programme in Earthquake Seismology and Tectonic Geodesy are available at Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka. 

A sixth one-year Masters in Science scholarship for research into Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is also available, as part of collaborative research on the Alpine Fault with the Australian National University. 

  • Scholarship projects

    Details for the 7 separate projects are as follows,

    1. (PhD) Space-based mapping via InSAR time-series analysis of tectonic deformation and fault loading in central New Zealand
    2. Ground motions during Taupō Volcanic Zone unrest
    3. Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) across the Alpine Fault
    4. Late-interseismic deformation in the Southern Alps: where is the Alpine Fault locked?
    5. Monitoring of seismicity and ground deformation near Lake Taupō in partnership with mana whenua Ngāti Tūwharetoa
    6. Infrastructure as instrumentation: using building arrays and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) to understand the response of urban infrastructure to earthquakes
    7. Automated New Zealand-wide focal mechanism cataloguing using artificial intelligence methods

     

    Projects 1-4 are expected to commence in early 2023, with other projects starting in early 2025 or 2026. 

    Project 5 is intended to be worked on by a student of Ngāti Tūwharetoa whakapapa. 

Masters of Science Scholarships

Each of the Masters of Science (MSc) scholarships provides a one-year stipend of NZ $22,000 and pays domestic tuition fees.

Applicants for the MSc scholarships should have completed a Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc Hons), PGDIP, or four-year undergraduate science degree in geophysics, geology, data science/computer science, or a related field, and will ideally have had some prior research and fieldwork experience. 

MSc students who are not citizens of New Zealand or Australia will be required to pay international tuition fees but may be eligible for additional funding from other sources and are encouraged to seek further information.

PhD Scholarship

The PhD scholarship provides an annual stipend of NZ $35,000 for three years and payment of tuition fees. 

Applicants for the PhD scholarship will likely hold an MSc or equivalent postgraduate degree in geophysics, geology, data science/computer science, or a related field, and have previous publication experience commensurate with opportunity. 

For further information

Please contact Professor John Townend: john.townend@vuw.ac.nz

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