Available postgraduate projects
We are seeking students to undertake the exciting projects described below, so if you’re interested in a project please contact the supervisor listed.
You could also check out our postgraduate study page and the CDU prospective research students page. If you’d like to apply for a scholarship, please see our scholarships page.
If you don’t see the exact project for you but are interested in a particular topic, please contact a RIEL researcher with expertise in that topic.
Projects are also available with the Research Institute for Northern Agriculture.
Available postgraduate projects
Detecting and quantifying methane emissions from a heterogeneous landscape using satellites and AI technologies
The Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL) is seeking expressions of interest from outstanding candidates for a groundbreaking PhD project focused on methane monitoring using remote sensing and artificial intelligence (AI).
This exciting project offers a unique opportunity to work within a multidisciplinary team comprising researchers from across the University and government agencies. The successful candidate will utilise cutting-edge Earth observation technologies, including satellites, drones, and AI-based analytical methods, to detect methane emission sources and quantify emission rates in the Beetaloo region of the Northern Territory, Australia.
The research will contribute to the development of a robust methane monitoring framework to support environmental stewardship, evidence-based decision-making, and sustainable resource development. The project will provide valuable training and experience at the intersection of remote sensing, geospatial science, environmental monitoring, and machine learning.
Scholarship and financial support
For Domestic Candidates:
- CDU RTP stipend ($35,489 per annum from 2026, indexed annually and tax exempt), for up to three years from commencement, open to Australian citizens/residents or New Zealand citizens (domestic students).
- A stipend top-up of up to $18,000 per annum may be available.
- RTP Fee Offset (full tuition fee waiver) for three years.
For International Candidates:
- CDU RTP stipend ($35,489 per annum from 2026, indexed annually and tax exempt), for up to three years from commencement
- A stipend top-up of up to $18,000 per annum may be available.
- RTP Fee Offset (full tuition fee waiver) for three years.
- We note that RTP scholarships for international candidates are limited and highly competitive. To meet the eligibility criteria for this stipend, only international candidates with outstanding academic performance are encouraged to apply.
About the project
Methane is the second-largest contributor to global warming, and anthropogenic sources are elevating atmospheric concentrations. Oil and gas development in the Beetaloo region of the Northern Territory of Australia will increase social and economic growth. However, it may also elevate methane levels, necessitating a robust monitoring program. This project will leverage satellite imagery and deep learning methods to detect methane plumes and quantify emission rates. The anticipated outcomes include the development of a methane monitoring tool that provides accurate detection rates and estimates at varied spatial and temporal scales. This project will feed into the Northern Territory Government-CDU regional monitoring program for the Beetaloo region, supporting the myriad stakeholders in the area.
About you
- You have a research background (Honours or Masters) in Remote Sensing, Environmental Science, Atmospheric Science, Computer Science, Data Science, Physics, or similar field, and bring a high level of academic merit consistent with RTP stipend scholarship requirements
- Hold an Australian driving license or the capacity and willingness to obtain one
- Would ideally be based or willing to relocate to Darwin
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Curious and innovative
- Ability to work independently with a high level of initiative as well as collaboratively
- Attention to detail
- Commitment to research excellence
Benefits to you
- Take advantage of professional development training programs available for PhD students
- Play an integral role in a highly collaborative multidisciplinary research team
- Contribute to research with real-world impact
- Access to Student Support Services and Wellbeing Support Program
- Work with a University committed to changing people’s lives for the better through training, education, and research
Selection criteria
- First Class Honours, MSc or equivalent containing a substantial research component in a relevant field such as Remote Sensing, Environmental Science, Atmospheric Science, Computer Science, Data Science, Physics, or similar field
- Ability to undertake independent research
- Capacity to work collaboratively within an interdisciplinary research team
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning capability
- Must meet the RTP domestic or international student requirements (as relevant)
How to apply
Email an expression of interest to Dr Richard Crabbe (richard.crabbe@cdu.edu.au), including:
- Cover email: Outlining your suitability (addressing the selection criteria) and why you’re interested in this project.
- Curriculum vitae: Including qualifications, relevant experience and information about up to 4 of your best publications with their quality indicators.
- Postgraduate transcripts: Showing grading scheme, GPA, and all thesis/research units
- Referees: Names and contact details of two academic referees
Application closing date
12 July 2026 (11:59PM, ACST)
Commencement date
Early 2027
Supervisory and Advisory Team
Dr Richard Crabbe, Prof Lindsay Hutley and Prof Sami Azami
Enquiries
Dr Richard Crabbe, richard.crabbe@cdu.edu.au, (08) 8946 6745
Diversity and Inclusion
At CDU, we actively celebrate our diversity. We innovate, embrace new ideas, and act with courage and kindness. We’re about what we can give to the world rather than what we take, and we believe in the transformative power of education. We work hard to make sure every member of our university community feels that they truly belong. Understanding that it is through our focus on our people and leveraging our differences that will make CDU the most connected university in Australia, we are striving to ensure that our culture and our community are inclusive of all our staff, students and visitors. We are committed to maintaining a culture where everyone feels respected, safe, encouraged to speak up and supported in achieving their professional goals. You make CDU. And we want you to be exactly who you are.
Developing Indigenous-specific ecosystem services metrics and tools for nature-based economies in northern Australia
The Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL) is seeking applicants for an exciting PhD project that will lead to the development of Indigenous-specific ecosystem services metrics and tools for nature-based economies to help Indigenous land owners/managers engage with nature-based economies and related markets. This project is an exciting opportunity to work with Indigenous land managers and develop incentivising tools that help protect biodiversity.
Scholarship and financial support
- CDU RTP stipend ($35,489 per annum from 2026, indexed annually and tax exempt), for up to 3 years from commencement, open to Australian citizens/residents or New Zealand citizens (domestic students).
- Fee waiver for three years.
About the project
This project will build upon current ARC Discovery research, where nature-based economic opportunities were explored. In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis by the Australian Government on the Nature Repair Market. During the project, we developed the first-of-its-kind, ground-up nature-based economies framework, in collaboration with Indigenous peoples/Traditional Owners from across the north. This framework offers a list of ecological and socio-cultural indicators that can be used to assess ecosystems (Country in Indigenous ways of thinking) and people’s connections with their Country. However, to progress and achieve practical outcomes and impact from this research, we need to develop the metrics and tools for the identified indicators, which can then help landowners/managers build their own toolkit to participate in the Nature Repair Market.
The research will enable Indigenous land managers and owners to talk directly with investors who want to invest in looking after the Country. Currently, there is no such metric or toolkit that suits Indigenous land managers/owners. This research will empower Indigenous groups to understand their Country and to participate effectively and actively in a fast-emerging Nature Repair Market.
About you
- You have a research background (Honours or Masters) in ecological economics, ecosystem services, environmental science or similar, and bring a high level of academic merit consistent with RTP stipend scholarship requirements
- Hold an Australian driving license or the capacity to obtain one
- Would ideally be based in or willing to relocate to Darwin
- Can work independently with a high level of initiative
Benefits to you
- Receive generous support for project costs
- Play an integral role in a highly collaborative research team
- Contribute to research with real-world impact
- Access to Student Support Services and Wellbeing Support Program
- Work with a University committed to changing people’s lives for the better through training, education, and research
Selection criteria
- First Class Honours, MSc or equivalent containing a substantial research component in a relevant field such as ecological economics, ecosystem services, environmental science, economics or similar field
- Must meet the RTP stipend requirements, including being either an Australian permanent resident or citizen, or a New Zealand citizen, with intention to be a domestic student
How to apply
Email an expression of interest to Professor Kamaljit Sangha (Kamaljit.Sangha@cdu.edu.au), including:
- A curriculum vitae, including a list of any peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and relevant work and/or research experience
- A brief statement, not exceeding 500 words, describing your background, research experience and interest in this research project/area
- Names and contact details of two academic referees
Application closing date
11:59pm on 10 August 2026
Commencement date
Early 2027
Enquiries
Professor Kamaljit K Sangha; Kamaljit.Sangha@cdu.edu.au, (08) 8946 6792
Diversity and Inclusion
At CDU, we actively celebrate our diversity. We innovate, embrace new ideas, and act with courage and kindness. We’re about what we can give to the world rather than what we take, and we believe in the transformative power of education. We work hard to make sure every member of our university community feels that they truly belong. Understanding that it is through our focus on our people and leveraging our differences that will make CDU the most connected university in Australia, we are striving to ensure that our culture and our community are inclusive of all our staff, students and visitors. We are committed to maintaining a culture where everyone feels respected, safe, encouraged to speak up and supported in achieving their professional goals. You make CDU. And we want you to be exactly who you are.
Brush-tailed rabbit-rat island translocation
Charles Darwin University & Territory Natural Resource Management
We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to investigate the establishment of a translocated population of a threatened small mammal species on a remote island in Northern Australia.
About the project
The PhD candidate will conduct research in conjunction with a translocation program to establish a population of the brush-tailed rabbit-rat on an island safe haven in Garig Gunak Barlu National Park (Cobourg Peninsula) in the Northern Territory. This is an exciting opportunity to conduct PhD research in a remote part of Australia working with scientists, park rangers and Traditional Owners on an important conservation initiative for one of Northern Australia's declining small mammals.
Research opportunities within the project involve:
- Ecological, demographic and genetic research to inform population models to assist with adaptive management of the translocated population.
- Comparing rabbit-rat populations on the island free from feral cats and feral herbivores with the mainland population on Cobourg Peninsula (where these threats are present) to gain greater insight into the impact of threatening processes on populations of declining native mammals.
- Dietary research using scat DNA metabarcoding, in conjunction with movement and habitat use data, to assess resource use and diet selection in a novel environment relative to source populations.
- Further research will be identified by the candidate.
Scholarship and supervision
The PhD candidate will be based in Darwin at the Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods in the Faculty of Science and Technology at Charles Darwin University and would need to successfully apply for an RTP scholarship prior to 12 April 2024 (approximately $32,192 p.a. tax free indexed annually). In addition, a top-up stipend of $10,000 p.a. will be provided. A relocation allowance of up to $2,000 is also available for RTP stipend recipients. The student will be supervised by Prof. Sam Banks, Assoc. Prof. Brett Murphy, and Dr Teigan Cremona at CDU, Dr Kelly Dixon at TNRM/CDU, and Assoc. Prof. Alex Kutt at NT Government DEPWS.
Eligibility criteria
To be considered for this opportunity, you must be eligible for a government funded Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship, have received first class Honours or equivalent, and have demonstrated remote fieldwork experience, preferably with small mammals. Experience in genetics, operating four-wheel drive vehicles (with a manual drivers' licence), working in sometimes challenging environments, and working with First Nations people is highly desirable, as is project management experience or transferable skills. The fieldwork component for this PhD opportunity will involve a significant amount of walking through remote, unmarked terrain, camping with limited or no amenities, and exposure to extreme weather conditions.
Application procedure
For information on the PhD program at CDU, please contact either Sam Banks (sam.banks@cdu.edu.au) or Brett Murphy (brett.murphy@cdu.edu.au).
For further information about enrolment eligibility please contact research.degrees@cdu.edu.au.
To express your interest in the project, please send a CV of no more than two pages and cover letter addressing the criteria to Kelly Dixon, kelly.dixon@territorynrm.org.au
We will be accepting applications until Sunday 17 March 2024.
Thirty years of understorey change in the lowland savannas of Kakadu National Park
Supervisor(s): Brett Murphy, Patricia Werner (ANU)
Project suitable for: Honours
Project summary
Northern Australian savannas are experiencing a rapid loss of biodiversity, and altered fire regimes may be to blame.
It has been suggested that highly flammable annual native grasses, especially Sorghum spp. (spear-grasses), have increased in abundance and fuelling high frequencies of intense fires. This hypothesised phenomenon is an example of a grass–fire cycle.
This project will evaluate this hypothesis, by re-visiting a number of sites in the lowland savannas of Kakadu National Park, that were previously surveyed in the late 1980s.
The dataset from the 1980s includes measurements of grass biomass and assessment of the dominant grass species, and similar measurements will be made now. This data will allow us to evaluate whether grass biomass and grass layer diversity have changed over 30 years, and in particular whether Sorghum has become more dominant.
Funding info: Funded. No top-up.
Closing date: Open
For more information, email brett.murphy@cdu.edu.au
Area of research strength: Savanna & Arid Ecology
Project opportunities in conservation biology, landscape ecology and molecular ecology
Supervisor(s): Professor Sam Banks, Molecular Ecology group (https://sambanks.weebly.com/)
Project suitable for: PhD, Masters or Honours
Project summary
Molecular ecology uses methods in genomics and ecology to understand biodiversity and how it responds to environmental change.
My group is seeking students to work on projects that use laboratory genomics, computer simulation modelling and field-based ecology to contribute to the knowledge and conservation of northern Australian vertebrates.
We are interested in broad-scale patterns of biogeography of native mammals across this region, as well as understanding impacts of major ecological processes (such as fire regimes, climate and refugia) on the ecology and persistence of species across this region.
Funding info: tbc
Closing date: Open
Area of research strength:Biodiversity Conservation, Savanna & Arid Ecology
Project opportunities in tropical savanna ecology
Supervisor(s): A/Professor Brett Murphy
Project suitable for: PhD, Masters or Honours
Project summary
Our research investigates the sustainable management of tropical savanna landscapes. We are seeking passionate and skilled students to work on projects that explore how fire has shaped and maintains the biota of tropical savannas, and how contemporary fire regimes can best be managed for biodiversity conservation, especially in relation to declining small mammals and fire-sensitive vegetation communities.
Funding info: tbc
Closing date: Open
For more information, email brett.murphy@cdu.edu.au
Research group: Tropical Savanna Ecology
Area of research strength:Biodiversity Conservation, Savanna & Arid Ecology