I’d like to pass on information from my colleague on PhD scholarship opportunities at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. For more details, please see below:
[Fully funded PhD positions]
Affiliation: School of Engineering / School of Science, University of Waikato
Research Project: Please refer to the attached documents. There are three projects - Project 1 on Long-term morphological change prediction in coastal vegetated areas, Project 2 on storm surge disaster risk assessment, Project 3 on river disaster management
Funding: NZD 33,000 per year living allowance + full tuition fee (for 3 years)
Start Date: To be discussed (by 31 July 2027)
Application Documents: Please see the details below
Application Deadline: 22 September 2026
Overview
We are seeking PhD students for three 3-year, fully funded (fees and scholarship) PhD project sat the University of Waikato in Hamilton New Zealand. The projects will be supervised by staG within the Schools of Science and Engineering at the University of Waikato and international colleagues. To apply please see instructions below and indicate clearly which project you are applying to. If more than a single project, please provide a list of your ordered project preferences.
Project 1:
Coastal vegetation such as mangroves and salt marshes is increasingly recognized as a natural defence against coastal hazards. Coastal vegetation landscape is highly dynamic owing to the interactions between hydrodynamic, geomorphic dynamics, and vegetation, especially when they are under the influence of riverine inputs. This PhD project will aim to provide robust predictions of long-term dynamics of coastal vegetation subject to riverine inputs. Methodological approaches include:
• Numerical model development and analyses of hydrodynamics and geomorphic coupled process in coastal vegetation
• Satellite image analysis for long-term coastal vegetation dynamics
• Field measurements of hydrodynamics and sediment transport
This project will advance our understanding of long-term coastal vegetation dynamics, and in particular, of the eGicacy and persistence of nature-based solutions for coastal protection in a changing climate.
Supervision team:
• Dr Masaya Yoshikai, School of Engineering, University of Waikato (chief supervisor)
• Associate Professor Julia Mullarney, School of Science, University of Waikato
• Professor Giulio Mariotti, Louisiana State University
Profile:
We seek a highly motivated student with a research Masters degree, preferably in physics, mathematics, hydrology, oceanography, environmental engineering, or a closely related field (with demonstrated numeracy skills). The ideal candidate would have at least one of the following:
- Research experience involving coastal or geomorphic data analysis/simulations.
- Experience in numerical modelling of hydrodynamics or satellite image analyses for coastal
environments. - Demonstrated English language skills (if English is not your first language, TOEFL or IELTS scores
should be submitted with your application if available)
Project 2:
Tropical cyclone-induced storm surges can cause devastating damage in low-lying coastal areas. For New Zealand, the widespread damage by the Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 highlighted the need to prepare for low frequency, high-impact coastal hazards. Yet, the insights into low-frequency, high-impact hazard risk in New Zealand’s coastal areas remains largely unknown.
This PhD project will aim for producing a probabilistic assessment of tropical cyclone-induced storm surges in New Zealand’s coastal areas to enhance eGective coastal protection scheme. Methodological approaches include:
• Climate data analysis for tropical cyclone genesis around New Zealand
• Ensemble climate simulations to enable probabilistic assessment of high-impact coastal hazards
• Coastal hydrodynamic simulations to predict storm surge occurrences in key coastal regions
This project will advance interdisciplinary research by integrating climate science and coastal engineering that is a necessary approach for robust coastal hazard risk assessments under the present and future climate.
Supervision team:
• Dr Masaya Yoshikai, School of Engineering, University of Waikato (chief supervisor)
• Associate Professor Julia Mullarney, School of Science, University of Waikato
Profile:
We seek a highly motivated student with a research Masters degree, preferably in physics, mathematics, hydrology, oceanography, environmental engineering, or a closely related field (with demonstrated numeracy skills). The ideal candidate would have at least one of the following:
- Research experience involving climate or oceanographic data analysis/simulations.
- Experience in numerical modelling of fluid dynamics.
- Demonstrated English language skills (if English is not your first language, TOEFL or IELTS scores
should be submitted with your application if available).
Project 3:
Recent flood events in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally have highlighted the growing risks that river flooding poses to communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. These risks are expected to intensify under continued climate warming, increasing the urgency for eGective and sustainable flood management strategies. However, the widespread implementation of these approaches remains constrained by incomplete understanding of the underlying physical processes under varying hydrological conditions. This PhD project will investigate the dynamics of flow-vegetation interactions and eGicacy of riverine Naturebased Solutions under diGerent sequences of extreme hydrological events, and in particular the eGects of ‘hydroclimatic whiplash’ (rapid transitions between wet and dry conditions). We anticipate that the primary methodological approach will be numerical modelling (with a range of options including hydrodynamic, CFD etc), but there is also a possibility to undertake field or laboratory measurements using our extensive array of world-class equipment. We also hope to provide opportunities for the student to visit international supervisors in CardiG.
This project will advance understanding of how riverine Nature-based Solutions perform under increasingly variable climate conditions. The findings will support the development of more resilient flood management strategies.
Supervision team:
• Associate Professor Julia Mullarney, School of Science, University of Waikato (chief supervisor)
• Dr Masaya Yoshikai, School of Engineering, University of Waikato
• Professor Catherine Wilson, School of Engineering, University of CardiG, UK
Profile:
We seek a highly motivated student with a research Masters degree, preferably in physics, mathematics, hydrology, oceanography, environmental engineering, or a closely related field (with demonstrated numeracy skills). The ideal candidate would have at least one of the following:
- Research experience involving hydrodynamics, and/or sediment transport.
- Experience in aquatic or oceanographic fieldwork, or numerical modelling of fluid dynamics, and data
processing. - Demonstrated English language skills (if English is not your first language, TOEFL or IELTS scores
should be submitted with your application if available).
The student would join a vibrant group of staG and PhD students, and have access to world-class research facilities. The successful candidate will be based at Te Whare Wānanga oWaikato in Hamilton, New Zealand.Final acceptance is subject to the approval of UoW postgraduate studies oGice.
See:
• Discovery
• www.juliamullarney.com, Discovery
• Giulio Mariotti
• https://profiles.cardiG.ac.uk/staG/wilsonca
Interested?
Review of applications will begin 22nd September 2026 (and will continue until the position is filled). To apply, please send the following to Masaya Yoshikai (masaya.yoshikai@waikato.ac.nz) and Julia Mullarney (Julia.mullarney@waikato.ac.nz):
• a cover letter
• CV
• oGicial transcripts
• names and contact details for three references,
• GRE and TOEFL/IELTS scores if available
• any previous publications (if available)
• If applying to more than one project – the order of your project preferences.