Spectral Instrumentation Development for Remote Observations Scholarships

The University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) is a dynamic regional University committed to developing research solutions that deliver a global impact. With a vision to be a leading discovery partner in priority research areas, UniSQ aligns its research with regional and global agendas in agriculture and natural resource management, regional development, regional health and wellbeing, engineering, education and digital literacy.

The Hypersonics Group is a rapidly growing research group which has Australia’s only long duration hypersonic test facility. The ‘TUSQ’ Ludwieg tube is the core around which the group has been developed. The group is based at the UniSQ Toowoomba campus. Major activities include facility development, optical diagnostics, hypersonic inlet investigations, supersonic combustion, hypersonic fluid-structure interaction, and field measurements of rockets and hypersonic craft re-entering the atmosphere. Our innovative approaches to experimentation in hypersonics are world-leading and have attracted international sponsored research projects. We are the only civilian group outside on NASA who has a demonstrated track record of undertaking airborne observation missions to measure hypervelocity phenomena, having recently observed the Hayabusa2 capsule re-entry and the Tau Herculids meteor shower.

The Hypersonics Group is an integral part of Innovative Launch, Automation, Novel Materials, Communications and Hypersonics (iLAuNCH) Hub which was awarded under the Australian Universities Trailblazer program.

These two PhD topics will support the remote observation capability being developed within the Hypersonics Group. The work will focus on instrumentation development, calibration, and deployment. This will be done across a range of ground test facilities, for ground based observations, and potentially for an airborne observation campaign. The specific focus will be on spectral measurements of high temperature gases across different wavelength ranges, including both the instrument development and the data analysis pipeline.

This work will be supported by the iLAuNCH Hub and will include close collaboration with local industry and international research partners.

Stipend of AUD $32,000 per annum;
Maximum period of tenure of an award is three years. Periods of study already undertaken towards the degree will be deducted from the period of tenure.

To be eligible applicants must:

have completed a Bachelor Degree with First Class Honours, or equivalent level;
have applied to, or be currently enrolled in the PhD at UniSQ;
not be receiving equivalent support providing a benefit greater than 75% of the student’s stipend rate;
commence or continue the PhD in Semester 3, 2022 or Semester 1, 2023.

Your energy and initiative, combined with your interest regarding experimental aerospace engineering, will be vital to your success in this role. In addition, you will have:

a Bachelor’s degree with First Class Honours or Second Class Honours (Division A) at an Australian University or equivalent in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineer- ing, mechatronic engineering, computer engineering or
a Master’s degree at an Australian University or equivalent (containing a significant research component) with a GPA of at least 5.5 on a 7-point scale

Application must be made via the UniSQ Scholarships Online Application Management System.

If you require assistance in completing your application please download the Scholarship Online Application Manual.

If you are interested in pursuing any of these PhD topics, please contact Dr. Fabian Zander before lodging an application via the UniSQ Scholarship Application Management System.

In order to apply, you will need digital versions of the below:

Curriculum vitae;
A Preliminary Research Thesis Topic Proposal (DOTX 153KB), that has been completed in consultation with Dr. Fabian Zander;
Education qualifications (testamur and academic transcripts for all undergraduate and postgraduate awards);
A list of your research presentations and/or publications (if any).

Your application must be made via the UniSQ Scholarship Application Management System by the closing date, and after you have contacted Dr. Fabian Zander.

Monday 20 November 2023 at 11.59pm (AEST)

Further information about this scholarship can be obtained by contacting Dr Fabian Zander.