Co-designing community water-energy management tools with First Nations communities and essential service providers.
There is an urgent need to transform water and energy supply, use, and management in discrete Indigenous communities (often large cities are remote to these communities) in Australia. High-water use, poor coordination of maintenance, low energy and water literacy, and exclusion of community in decision making have led to high costs and inefficient systems that often do not meet drinking water quality standards or aspirations of communities for building local employment and business opportunities. Processes of co-design of tools to support locally and culturally appropriate solutions to water and energy security, quality and reliability issues is of interest to industry, government and communities is an underexplored area of research that could have radical impacts on supporting climate resilient, socially just energy and water systems and communities.
This PhD project falls under the broader iKnow, weKnow research initiative funded through an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant and supports industry-research partnerships to address industry research problems. The name iKnow weKnow represents the combination of Indigenous knowledge, technical water and energy knowledge and digital technologies, together with the concept of inclusion and moving from a focus on individual behaviours to collective, two-way action to address water and energy security in a climate changed future.
The aim of the iKnow weKnow project is to collaboratively create a Transformative Community Water and Energy Toolbox. The toolbox will include fit-for-purpose, fit-for-place, user-friendly, community-based and digital resources and tools to support community-based water and energy management. The project will co-design, test and evaluate a range of tools with a key output of an empirically-tested, culturally appropriate and user friendly water-energy toolbox that will support reduced costs of supply for water and energy services and contribute to more climate resilient and sustainable essential services for remote communities.
Scholarship details
Funding is allocated for an Higher Degree Research (HDR – PhD) candidate to support research into the iKnow, weKnow project.
The PhD project will explore pragmatic research questions relevant to the project aims, and may include Indigenous governance, Indigenous pedagogies and Indigenous methods of community engagement, codesign processes and integration of multiple types of knowledge – e.g. traditional, local and Indigenous Ecological Knowledge, with technology and digital interfaces to identify effectiveness of uptake and impacts on sustainability of supply and end uses of energy and water in remote community contexts.
The PhD will focus on co-designing fit for purpose, fit for place water and energy management tools/approaches and demonstrate the feasibility of the approach for planning and management. The PhD research will have elements of action research and draw on mixed methods and will suit candidates interested in contributing to impactful research outcomes and building skills in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research.
The selection of applicants for the award of higher degree research scholarships at Griffith University involves consideration of your academic merit and research background.
- Expressions of interest are welcome from domestic applicants only. We encourage female-identifying and First Nations applicants to apply.
- Applicants must have completed, or expect to complete, a bachelors degree with honours equivalent to first class honours or a Masters degree (AQF Level 9) incorporating a significant research component of a standard comparable to a bachelor honours degree or be regarded by Griffith University as having an equivalent level of attainment in accordance with Schedule One of the HDR Scholarship Policy. For further information on the eligibility requirements for the program refer here.
In addition to the eligibility criteria, candidates should also have the following skills and experience:
- Undergraduate degree in environmental engineering or environmental science; Undergraduate degree in environmental science; or natural resource management; or Indigenous studies/knowledge; or community development; or social studies or IT / ICT disciplines; or similar.
- Experience in managing and analysing large datasets using digital tools and software. They should be proficient in data cleaning, analysing, and visualization, and be able to work with data from different sources and formats.
- Excellent and demonstrated communication and interpersonal skills to engage with a diverse range of stakeholders, including community members, government officials, NGOs, and industry representatives in a culturally sensitive and appropriate manner.
- Knowledge on First Nations cultural sensitivity, environmental management, sustainable development preferred. Ideally, previous working experience with First Nations people / communities and/or organisations.
The 2024 Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship has an annual stipend of $33,480 (indexed) for a period of up to three years of full-time study. Please see the GUPRS Conditions of Award for more information.
First Nations candidates may apply for the Griffith University Indigenous Australian Postgraduate Research Scholarship that provides an annual stipend of $52,000 for up to 3.5 years of full-time study.
As a scholarship holder, you will study with a University that ranks among the top 2% worldwide and spans across campuses in South East Queensland. At Griffith University, we’ve worked hard to create a culture that will challenge you to be curious, creative and courageous. We also support the professional and personal development of all our HDR candidates and invest in the skills of our people. Griffith University values diversity, inclusion and flexibility and we encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and people of all backgrounds to apply. Griffith's strategic goals are to also increase the proportion of women in senior academic and administrative roles and in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM).
For project related enquiries please contact:
Professor Cara Beal
Phone: (07) 3735 9215
Email: c.beal@griffith.edu.au
For administration enquiries please contact:
Griffith Graduate Research School
Email: hdr-scholarship@griffith.edu.au
Please do not select the “APPLY” button. All expressions of interest including a one page only covering letter and your CV (including two references) to:
Name: Professor Cara Beal
Email: c.beal@griffith.edu.au
Organisation/Department: Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, QLD
The closing date for expressions of interest is: Monday 18 March 2024
The preferred applicant will then be invited to apply for the program and scholarship on-line
Get in touch
If you have a question, need some help with your scholarship application, or would like to make a donation, feel free to contact us.