PhD position Queensland University of Technology

From waste to fertiliser, estimating the nutrient supply of organic amendments for improved
environmental and agronomic outcomes

Supervisors: Dr David Rowlings, Dr Daniele De Rosa, Professor Peter Grace

Location: Brisbane, Australia
Duration: 3 years
Starting date: October 2018

Recycling of waste products is essential for sustainable and profitable farming. The failure to
adequately integrate organic amendment (OA) and mineral (from bagged fertilisers) nutrient sources
has led to an unnecessary doubling-up of nutrient applications; massive excesses in farm nutrient
budgets are creating multiple off-farm environmental issues of global consequences, with the cost of
additional nutrients a major impact on profitability. A new national cross-industry project will follow
OA throughout the supply chain, from their source to field applied as part of a national, cross-industry
project. It will help develop and validate an innovative, farmer-friendly decision support tool for
organo-mineral nutrient budgeting that links producers of amendments with farm users, underpinned
by demonstration sites to build confidence in the farming community to reduce fertiliser inputs and
improve soil health.
QUT is looking for a highly skilled and motivated PhD student to work on the nutrient release from
organic amendments. The student will link data from OA “waste generators”, to laboratory nutrient
release studies and on the ground field trials, to develop fertiliser/OA strategies that improve agronomic
outcomes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The student will use a combination of laboratory
studies, field monitoring on farmer field trials using the latest GHG emission measurement (automated
chambers) and remote sensing techniques and process modelling to provide the foundation for a new
OA decision support tool for farmers.
The successful candidate must be able to work independently, plan and design experiments and have a
current drivers licence. Knowledge on soil physics/hydrology, soil microbiology and/or modelling skills
would be advantageous.

Submit your EOI to David Rowlings (d.rowlings@qut.edu.au) in no more than 2 pages by the 20th
September addressing the essential criteria below:
1. A MSc or Honours degree obtained within the last 3 years from a high-ranking university
2. At least one publication in an international crop sciences journal having an impact factor
higher than 3
3. An IELTS score higher than 6.5 (https://www.ielts.org/)
4. A background or strong interest in Agricultural/ Environmental Science as well as a
background in soil/environmental chemistry. A strong statistics or data analytic background is
preferred.
5. A 2-page CV indicating University of MSc graduation, list of publications, and a single
paragraph answer “Why you should be considered for the position?”
6. and the contact details of three referees

A stipend of AUD $27, 082 (Tax free) is available for up to 3 years and tuition Fees will be covered by
the University. Successful candidates will be based at QUT’s Brisbane campus.