PhD Candidates – Agriculture & Water Sciences – Australia

Love Kangaroos and Koala's? Build your own Australian Adventure and do your PhD in a rural Australian Agricultural town!

Australian PhD Opportunities with Real-World Impact: Water, Climate, Agriculture and Regional Resilience

Are you passionate about tackling the biggest challenges in water management, climate adaptation, and sustainable agriculture? Australia faces the unique challenge of having fragile soils with some of the lowest rainfall in the world, between 10-20 inches per year on average.  Think about being one of the driest countries on earth, while also having a thriving irrigation industry supporting cotton, rice, horticulture as well as broadacre farming.

You can learn about this amazing agricultural country, while living an adventure in an English speaking and safe country. Visit the beach, Sydney Opera House, and see kangaroos and emus in the wild while working with farmers, industry, and having a range of academics around you to support your education.

The One Basin Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is offering fully funded PhD positions based in one of four regional areas in Eastern Australia, where you’ll work at the forefront of interdisciplinary research while staying connected to the people and industries most affected by climate variability.  We will help you to get a visa if you are successful.

With the One Basin CRC PhD research program you will:

✅ Solve Real Problems – Your research will directly address critical issues like drought resilience, water security, and sustainable food systems.
✅ Collaborate Across Sectors – Work with leading universities, industry partners, and government agencies, giving you access to cutting-edge data and real-world case studies.
✅ International Experience, Local Relevance – Bring your American agriculture expertise to the unique challenges of Australia. Take this knowledge home, and have an incredible competitive edge.

What We’re Looking For:

We want curious, motivated candidates from agriculture, environmental science, engineering, social sciences, or related fields. Whether you’re working on precision irrigation, climate risk modelling, policy frameworks, or community-led adaptation, there’s a place for your expertise here.

Who Thrives Here?

• Problem-Solvers who want to bridge the gap between research and real-world action.
• Systems Thinkers who understand that water and climate challenges span industries, ecosystems, and communities.
• Resilient Innovators who thrive in dynamic environments and are ready to tackle complex problems hands-on.

Your Australian Adventure Awaits

You’ll be based in one of our regional hubs, choose from Loxton (South Australia), Mildura (Victoria), Griffith (New South Wales) or Goondiwindi (Queensland)—all are vibrant towns with strong agricultural roots and thriving research communities. Plus, you’ll get to explore the landscapes you’re working to protect, from river systems to orchards, to outback plains.

Your team of academic supervisors will come from at least two of the following universities:

• Australian National University
• Charles Sturt University
• Flinders University
• The University of Adelaide
• The University of Melbourne
• The University of Sydney.

Ready to make your mark? Apply now and bring your skills from America to Australia by visiting the One Basin CRC website, and see PhD listings through the Education and Training page.

Available opportunities are listed: https://onebasin.com.au/phd-internships/phd-opportunities/