PhD Scholarship in Materials Science or Chemical Engineering for the Development of Novel Controlled-Release Fertilisers and Manufacturing Processes

The New Materials and Technologies Development Research Team led by Professor James Johnston in the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington is seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate in chemistry, materials science or chemical engineering to contribute to research on the development, characterisation, applications, and manufacture of new materials and products derived from a proprietary, nanostructured calcium silicate material, produced sustainably from geothermal resources. The successful candidate will be an integral part of a dynamic and multi-disciplinary research team working on the chemistry and process engineering, manufacturing methods, performance testing, and refinement of novel controlled-release fertilisers and other materials. This PhD project combines aspects of chemistry, engineering, and agriculture, with the potential to contribute to more sustainable agricultural and horticultural farming practices. The overall aim is to develop, characterise, optimise and demonstrate the effectiveness of new and more efficient fertiliser products where nutrient availability matches plant demand more closely, thereby reducing run-off of excess nutrients to surface waters and preventing pollution. The research will involve further developing understanding of the chemistry, characteristics and performance properties of these nanostructured calcium silicate based composite fertiliser materials, together with scaling the science and technology to pilot plant operation and production, as well as on-farm trials of the composite fertilisers produced.