Project opportunity

This Earmarked Scholarship project is aligned with a recently awarded Category 1 research grant. It offers you the opportunity to work with leading researchers and contribute to large projects of national significance.

The project aims to address the pressing challenge of water scarcity in hydrogen production by developing an innovative approach of using used water as the feed for water electrolysis. The project will result in an in-depth understanding of the impacts of water impurities in used water on the performance and durability of water electrolysers, and develop guidelines for the design of highly durable water electrolysers and the operation and upgrade of existing wastewater treatment plants. The project will advance the practical applications of water electrolysis for scalable and sustainable hydrogen production and help Australia secure a leading position in the global emerging hydrogen economy.

Prof. Xiwang Zhang is Endowed Dow Chair in Sustainable Engineering Innovation, Director of UQ Dow Centre, and ARC Future Fellow in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Queensland. He was the Founding Director of ARC Industry Transformation Research Hub for Energy-efficient Separation and the Deputy Director of Monash Centre for Membrane Innovation at Monash University before he moved to UQ. His research focuses on membrane and advanced oxidation technologies for energy-efficient separation, water and wastewater treatment, resource recovery, green chemical synthesis and renewable energy generation.

Prof. Zhang has more than 15 years of R&D experience in both academia and industry with demonstrated achievements in technology development and translation. Prof. Zhang was the recipient of the prestigious ARC Australian Research Fellowship, and Monash Larkins Fellowship. He was selected as a Fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry in 2020.

Prof. Zhang has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed journal papers, including in Nature Materials, Nature Sustainability, Nature Communications, Science Advances, Energy & Environmental Science, Advanced Materials, J. Am. Chem. Soc, Advanced functional materials, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., ACS Catalysis, Applied Catalysis B, Water Research, Environmental Science & Technology, and Journal of Membrane Science. Prof. Zhang's research achievements have been covered by more than 50 media outlets from more than 10 countries, including The Australian, ABC radio, Global Times, Science Daily.

Scholarship value

As a scholarship recipient, you'll receive:

living stipend of $28,854 per annum tax free (2022 rate), indexed annually

tuition fees covered

single Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

Supervisor

Professor Xiwang Zhang

Endowed Dow Chair in Sust Eng Innov

School of Chemical Engineering

Email: xiwang.zhang@uq.edu.au

Preferred educational background

Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.

We take into account your

previous academic record

publication record

honours and awards

employment history.

A working knowledge of electrochemistry, electrolysis, electrocatalysts and proton exchange membranes would be of benefit to someone working on this project.

The applicant will demonstrate academic achievement in the field(s) of chemical engineering, materials engineering and environmental engineering and the potential for scholastic success.

A background or knowledge of electrolysis is highly desirable.

Latest commencement date

If you are the successful candidate, you must commence by Research Quarter 3, 2022. You should apply at least 3 months prior to the research quarter commencement date.

If you are an international applicant, you may need to apply much earlier for visa requirements.

How to apply

You apply for this project as part of your PhD program application.

View application process：

https://scholarships.uq.edu.au/scholarship/earmarked-scholarships-support-category-1-project-grants#qt-scholarship_tabs-foundation-tabs-2