Apply: https://www.utas.edu.au/research/degrees/available-projects?id=1935

About the research project

Our models do well at forecasting tomorrow’s weather, but how well can they predict the weather a decade from now? Where will the rain be heavier? Where will it be windier? We know that the world is warming, but the impact

that this has on things like rainfall is complex and can only be addressed by running the models at higher resolution. The ocean is a key component in the weather, for example providing the source of energy for tropical cyclones. There is, however, still much that we don’t understand about how the ocean and atmosphere interact at the small scales resolved by our latest weather models. One important aspect of this interaction is the way that heat moves between the atmosphere and the upper ocean. To improve our ability to forecast weather in the future, our ocean models need to improve the way they represent how heat is drawn from, and returned to, the air above.

This PhD project will investigate where and how weather systems in the tropics impact, and are impacted by, the ocean’s “weather” – the “mesoscale” features like eddies and jets the fill much of the ocean. Your research will involve running state of the art numerical models on the Australian national supercomputer, together with analysing the latest observations of the atmosphere and ocean.

The position is funded by Australia’s Centre of Excellence in 21st Century Weather - an active community of atmosphere and ocean scientists spread across 5 different Australian universities. You will be based at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Science in Hobart, but will have multiple opportunities to collaborate nationally and internationally with leading scientists from the partners of the Centre.

Primary supervisor

Meet Mr Christopher Aiken: https://discover.utas.edu.au/Christopher.Aiken

Funding

The successful applicant will receive a scholarship which provides:

• a living allowance stipend funded by Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century of $33,511 per annum for 3.5 years
• a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
• a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)

If successful, international applicants will receive a University of Tasmania Fees Offset for up to four years.

As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.

Additional Funding

If successful, applicants will also receive a Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century top-up scholarship of $6,000 per annum for 3.5 years. This scholarship is funded from Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century.

Other funding opportunities and fees

For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees for undertaking a research degree, please visit our Scholarships and fees on research degrees page. Eligibility

Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.

Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.

Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:

• Applicants must be able to undertake the project on-campus

Selection criteria

The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.

Additional essential selection criteria specific to this project:

• Hons/MSc degree in science or engineering, ideally but not exclusively a physical or computational science.
• Interest and ability in the analysis of physical systems
• Experience in scientific writing, demonstrated by the production of a thesis or published manuscript
• Scientific programming experience, preferably in Matlab, R or Python.
• Burning desire to understand how the physical world works

Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:

• Background in physical oceanography or meteorology
• Familiarity with running numerical models
• Familiarity with high performance computing

Application process

• Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
• Contact Mr Christopher Aiken to discuss your suitability and the project’s requirements; and
• In your application:
  • Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
  • Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
• Apply prior to 1 October 2025.

Full details of the application process can be found under the ‘ How to apply ‘ section of the Research Degrees website.

Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.