Research Opportunities

We currently have fully-funded PhD and MSc research projects to quantify:

  1. The seasonal and hourly variations in heating/cooling demand (including self-generation) of nearly-zero and net-zero energy buildings and their impact on the electricity system 
  2.  The relationship between operational and embodied energy and carbon in these buildings

The research team is seeking 2 PhD students and 1 MSc student to work on these topics. The PhD students will work on different potential future scenarios of the built environment, including the operational and embodied energy and carbon of each scenario.  The MSc student will be involved in nationwide electricity system modelling, running scenarios informed by the different building scenarios. Please contact Dr Michael Jack about these opportunites.

More generally we always have openings in our PhD and MSc programmes for talented students.  We welcome students with a strong mathematical background interested in our areas of research.

The University of Otago is New Zealand’s oldest university with a rich tradition in both education and research. In 2006 and 2012 the University of Otago was rated as New Zealand’s top-ranked University for research (the next such ranking round is scheduled for 2018).

Interested students should examine the information at the University of Otago’s Postgraduate Student webpage to learn more about undertaking post-graduate research at New Zealand’s top-ranked university for research quality. Early in the process students should contact Dr Michael Jack to informally discuss available projects.

For candidates with an appropriate academic background, PhD scholarships valued at up to $27,000 per annum plus tuition fees are available from the University of Otago for a period of up to three years.

More information on scholarships can be found on the University of Otago Scholarships & Awards website.