17 August 2026
Four Fully Funded UC Connect PhD Scholarships
Working in New Zealand’s Iconic Braided Rivers
The University of Canterbury and the Department of Conservation (DOC) invite applications for four interconnected UC Connect PhD Scholarships in their collaborative research programme.
Working as part of the Freshwater Ecology Research Group (FERG), you’ll join a collaborative cohort of PhD students, University of Canterbury researchers and DOC staff investigating the ecological processes that sustain New Zealand’s iconic braided rivers.
Together, these four projects will investigate the ecological processes that sustain braided river ecosystems, from ecosystem functioning and biological invasions to species persistence, ecological connectivity and freshwater restoration. The programme contributes directly to DOC’s Ngā Awa River Restoration Programme and Critical Ecosystem Pressures Programme (CRESP), generating knowledge to support conservation management across the nationally significant Upper Rakitata catchment as part of the Rakitata River revival programme. Combining ecological theory with applied conservation, you’ll help answer fundamental ecological questions while producing science that directly informs freshwater management and restoration.
Position one: Silent Invasion: Managing Invasive Aquatic Plants in High-country Spring Ecosystems
Position two: Finding Refuge: Understanding the Upland Longjaw Galaxias in Dynamic Braided Rivers
Position three: Understanding How Stable Spring Habitats Help Sustain Dynamic Braided Rivers
Position four: Where Rivers Meet Land: Understanding the Freshwater Foundations of Braided River Birds
