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You're viewing degree information for International students

You're considered an International student if you are:

• NOT an Australian or New Zealand citizen
• NOT an Australian Permanent Resident (including Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders)

Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Level Research

Degree info for International students

Campus Magill City West

Duration 4 year(s) full-time

Mode On-campus

Program Code MPHD

Fees AUD$ 38,300 per annum (per 1.0 EFTSL) for students enrolled in 2025

International Admission by Country See full entry requirements

CRICOS Code See research areas (PDF)

Program level Doctorate by research

Entry requirements

You must check the entry requirements for the type of research degree you wish to apply for and make sure you are eligible.

• If you are an international applicant you also need to check that you meet the English language requirements.
• Meeting the minimum entry requirements does not automatically guarantee entry into a research degree.

Degree overview

• Develop the ability to independently design and execute original research that generates new knowledge, understandings or insights, including through creative practice-based methods.
• Benefit from our extensive national and international research links and strong record in winning national competitive grants.
• Undertake exciting and innovative research in our creative disciplines, which are recognised for their world-class research in contemporary arts, design, creative writing and journalism, creative industries, film, architecture and built environment, communication and culture 1 .
• Work under the guidance of experienced and highly qualified research supervisors.
• Learn from visiting scholars and artists and participate in our vibrant research culture.
• Tailor your PhD studies to suit your research interests and/or work on industry-linked research projects.
• Work in a dynamic and well-equipped research environment.
• UniSA is an unstoppable university for unstoppable people. As one of the World’s Top Young Universities 2 , we’ll ensure you get the experience your future profession demands so it’ll feel like you’re studying one minute and in a career the next.

1 2018 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) 2 UNSTOPPABLE® is a Kellogg Company trade mark used under licence. Ranked #52, 2023 THE Young University Rankings.

What is a research degree?

A research degree is an advanced program of study allowing you to investigate a topic relevant to your field. Under the supervision of world-class researchers, research degree students learn and apply advanced research methodologies to produce new knowledge, understandings and insights, and provide solutions to the world’s challenges. Completing a research degree means becoming an expert in your field. It’s your opportunity to take a topic that interests you, explore it in depth, tackle intellectual, creative and practical challenges, and communicate your findings.

You can study a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Philosophy (by Portfolio of Publications) and Master of Research.

Research degrees offered at UniSA

Doctor of philosophy (phd).

Produces graduates with the capacity to conduct research independently at a high level of originality and quality. By the end of the degree, a PhD student will be capable of independently designing and executing original research that generates new knowledge, understandings and insights (three to four years full-time equivalent).

Doctor of Philosophy (by Portfolio of Publications)

Allows formal recognition of established researchers and/or scholars who do not already hold a PhD qualification, and who have produced research of international standing in their field with an ongoing record of academic publication (work).

Master of research

Students analyse their thesis topic at an advanced level, applying research methodology and techniques to contribute new knowledge, understandings and insights to their field, under appropriate supervision (two years full-time equivalent).

Please note, a Master by Coursework (such as an MBA) involves enrolling in selected courses and participating in lectures and tutorials (online or on campus). It is different to a Master of Research.

Find out more about what you can study.

Why do a research degree?

UniSA research is inspired by the challenges and opportunities of today. In the 2018 Australian Research Council Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) evaluation of Australian universities, all of our assessed research was rated at world class or above. We are vibrant, outward-facing and responsive. We partner with industry, government and communities to seek answers to questions that arise in the real world. 

Learn more about our research .

The transformed PhD

UniSA intends to deliver industry and end-user informed research that supports employer-relevant curriculum. To achieve this, and to produce entrepreneurial and business-aware graduates, we have developed the transformed PhD.

We have added a structured component to research degrees including enhanced skill development, supervisory panels and a technology-enabled oral defence of the thesis. Through these activities you will develop a set of professional, transferable skills relevant to our knowledge-based enterprise economy.

The aim of the transformed PhD is to increase your employment prospects in any career path. You will possess the knowledge, expertise and confidence to meet the emerging needs of academia, industry, government and the community.

Four good reasons to do a research degree

• Challenge yourself. You will need to work hard, be dedicated and think analytically at a high level. You will tackle completely new research and different research methods, or extend research already undertaken.
• Increase your career opportunities. A research degree provides evidence of independent thought and the ability to manage a research project in a given timeframe. Your research could allow you to develop a new specialisation, academic field or career. A research degree at UniSA will also allow you to develop a skillset which sets you apart, putting you at the centre of your professional development.
• Make your ideas public. Your research findings may be published, presented at conferences, provide a commercial return and have a positive impact on society.
• Contribute to society. Discover new methods, understandings and techniques, and solve a real-world problem.

What can I research?

We offer doctoral candidates the opportunity to undertake exciting and innovative research in the following disciplines:

• creative industries
• contemporary art
• architecture
• digital arts 
• media and communication
• creative writing
• performing arts
• film studies

Find a research area

To find a research area, you'll need to match your qualifications and interests to the  research projects  offered at UniSA. These have been developed by teams of academics who will supervise you during your research degree.

Scholarships and projects

A scholarship allows you to focus on your research without needing to do paid work. At UniSA, you can explore high achiever scholarships, vacation research scholarships, as well as Vice Chancellor and President’s scholarships.

We also offer thematically-based scholarships. These scholarships will not only address local, national and international grand challenges, they will also ensure you work across the University, with industry, and with community partners.

Learn more about available scholarships .

Graduate outcomes

There are seven identified graduate qualities and outcomes that result from doing a research degree at UniSA. Importantly, these competencies are transferable to the workplace, whether academic or professional. In brief, a research degree graduate of the University of South Australia:

• understands, can contribute to and critique current research-based knowledge in their field
• is prepared for lifelong learning in pursuit of ongoing personal development and excellence
• is an effective problem solver and researcher
• can work both autonomously and collaboratively as a researcher
• is committed to ethical action and social responsibility
• communicates research knowledge effectively
• demonstrates international perspectives in research

Read about our  research degree graduate qualities  in more detail.

Why Doctor of Philosophy

UniSA provides a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment where you are encouraged to explore your own ideas under the supervision of some of Australia’s leading researchers.

We are widely recognised for our world-class research in contemporary art, design, creative arts and writing, language, communication and culture, architecture and the built environment 1 .

In addition, we will ensure you graduate with transferable career skills that complement your research experience and enhance your global capability when you complete the Engaged PhD program. As part of this degree, you will complete skill development workshops and masterclasses aligned to your interests.

1 2018 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA)

Career outcomes

Your career.

A PhD will give you a competitive edge in the work place. You may choose to pursue a career in academia, or in research with a research institution or university. Alternatively, you may choose to work in your chosen specialisation. A research degree graduate of the University of South Australia:

• understands current research based knowledge in their field and its methodologies for creating new knowledge, understandings and insights within a critical context
• is prepared for lifelong learning in pursuit of ongoing personal development and excellence in research within and beyond a discipline or professional area
• is an effective problem solver, capable of applying logical, critical and creative thinking to a range of research problems
• can work both autonomously and collaboratively as a researcher within a particular discipline or professional area and within wider but related areas
• is committed to ethical action and social responsibility as a researcher in a discipline or professional area and as a leading citizen
• communicates effectively as a researcher in a discipline or professional area and as a leading member of the community
• demonstrates international perspectives in research in a discipline or professional area and as a leading citizen

Before applying, you will need to do some investigation. Our step-by-step guide will take you through the process of preparing your application to maximise your chances of success.

Please check the  research degrees calendar for all key dates.

Eligibility

Check to see if you meet the entry requirements for the type of research degree you wish to apply for.

Life in Adelaide

Current international students talk about living in Adelaide and studying at UniSA.

Every year, over 2,500 UniSA students are supported in their studies through scholarships and grants worth millions of dollars. Check out the scholarships below. One of them may be perfect for you. Visit our scholarships page for more .

More scholarships

Research Training Program international (RTPi) and University Presidents Scholarship

These scholarships will cover your tuition fees and your overseas health cover, and provide and a stipend (living allowance).

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Research Themes PhD Scholarships

These scholarships address local, national and international grand challenges, and encourage collaboration with industry and community partners.

Australia’s University of Enterprise

Study at South Australia’s No. 1 university for graduate careers* and unlock your full potential.

*ComparED (QILT) Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021-23– Full-time Employment Indicator (Domestic Undergraduate). SA public universities.

What others are saying

"My thesis emphasises the importance of preserving and recording family oral histories and photographs that will be left as a legacy for future generations and future researchers."

David Sweet

Doctor of Philosophy Adjunct Research Associate, University of South Australia

Your campus

We have six campuses in metropolitan and regional areas, each with modern facilities including lecture theatres, libraries and laboratories, as well as spaces that simulate real work environments.

Your study spaces

Opportunities exist to study at Magill and City West campuses, depending on your area of research.

Magill campus:

Magill campus is set on stunning grounds, with campus features including:

• multimedia studios and editing suites 
• theatre for stage productions
• TV and radio studios
• gym and outdoor sports field

City West campus:

City West is a state-of-the art campus, in Adelaide’s west end. Campus features include:

• Australia’s only Architecture Museum
• specialised computer suites
• photography darkrooms and studios
• Samstag Museum
• MOD. – Australia’s leading future-focussed museum
• award-winning contemporary art, architecture and design studios and workshops
• state-of-the-art facilities for rapid prototyping and interactive media
• South Australian School of Art Gallery  
• Gym and swimming pool

Student accommodation

We offer advice and assistance to help you find long or short-term accommodation in Adelaide.

Find out more

For information on applying to do postgraduate study by research, including Masters by Research, PhDs or Doctorates, please visit unisa.edu.au/Research/Degrees/

You are eligible for a range of scholarships and grants as a current research student. For example, the prestigious Vice Chancellor and President’s Scholarship, Maurice de Rohan International Travel Scholarships or one of UniSA’s International Travel Grants. See Scholarships and Prizes for more information.

The world’s 5th most liveable city, Adelaide is welcoming and multicultural. It is an ideal home away from home.

International students

UniSA welcomes students from around the world. Discover what you can study, how to apply, and our support services.

Accommodation

We offer advice and assistance to help you find long- or short-term accommodation in Adelaide.

Australian students

Phone: +61 8 8302 2376 Enquiry: unisa.edu.au/enquiry

Phone: +61 8 9627 4854 Enquiry: unisa.edu.au/enquiry

• Research Degree Students
• Starting your journey

Research proposal and confirmation of candidature

If you are a doctoral student (PhD, PhD by portfolio or Professional Doctorate), your research proposal is due six months from the start of your degree .

If you are a Master of Research student, your research proposal is due three months from the start of your degree.

Successful completion of this milestone leads to confirmation of candidature.

You need to submit your proposal, your completed Statement of Agreement and your Research Induction Plan.

The following resources will help you meet the requirements of this milestone.

Your research proposal will be loosely based on the research outline you prepared for admission to your degree, but will provide a more comprehensive guide to the literature, method, methodology, structure and timeframe of your research.

The research proposal is used to assess your performance so far, and the feasibility of your research program. It is:

• an action plan for candidature and a major reference point for the Reviews of Progress
• aligned with the Statement of Agreement, explaining how you will develop the Research Degree Graduate Qualities.

It is extremely important that your supervisors provide input into the development of your research proposal.

• Provisional enrolment and Confirmation of Candidature
• Preparing your Research Proposal
• Submission and review of your Research Proposal

Provisional enrolment and confirmation of candidature

Your enrolment is provisional until your candidature is confirmed.

Your research proposal and Statement of Agreement must be approved by the Academic Unit or Institute Research Management Committee for confirmation of candidature to occur. This has to happen before you can proceed with your research.

The length of your provisional candidacy is counted as part of the total time to undertake your degree:

• Doctoral students have a maximum of 4 years (FTE) to complete but should aim to complete their degree within a maximum of 3 years (FTE)
• Master of research students have a total of 2 years (FTE) candidacy to complete their degree.

For students in research professional doctorate programs , confirmation of candidature requires the completion of 18 units of the coursework component, approved by the Program Director, within six months (FTE) of commencement.

Australian and New Zealand citizens and permanent residents of Australia (domestic) students, please note that if you exceed your 4-year time limit you are required to pay tuition fees to the University.

See the AB-58 Research Degrees Policy and Procedures  for your degree for more details.

Confirming candidature

The Confirmation of candidature form (editable PDF) is to be completed by the Chair of the Research Proposal Confirmation Panel (or equivalent) and forwarded to Graduate Research, Candidature when finalised.

Preparing your research proposal

Research proposals are normally 10 to 20 pages long, and should contain the following sections:

Statement of the research topic and rationale for the research Research methodology Trial table of contents Brief bibliography

See Guidelines for the Preparation of Research Proposals in Research Degrees  for more information.

University guidelines stipulate that a PhD will make 'a significant original contribution to knowledge and/or the application of knowledge within the field of study' and a Master of research will make 'a contribution to knowledge and/or the application of knowledge within the field of study'.

The University recognises that each research degree student may require specific equipment, e-research infrastructure, laboratory or studio space and funds adequate for the completion of the research program. Expenses may include travel arising from field work, experiments and data collection and the cost of consumables.

You and your supervisor will need to identify these project-specific costs when preparing your research proposal. Where your project is a subset of your supervisor's funded research project, these costs could be allocated from the project's budget. Costs must be presented and negotiated with the executive dean/institute director prior to confirmation of candidacy, and included in the Statement of Agreement which is submitted with the research proposal.

See the Appendix AB-58 AD1 Minimum Resources for Research Degree Students  for more details.

Resources related to finding research information, finding and writing research proposals and referencing are available here

Submission and review of your research proposal

The procedure for approving research proposals varies according to the academic unit, institute, or centre. Consult the academic regulations, your supervisor or your Research Degree Coordinator for details.

The following steps are typically involved in research proposal development and review:

Step 1 - Development

Work with your supervisors to complete a Research Induction Plan (usually at the end of the first 2 weeks), outlining the negotiated timeframe for getting the research proposal approved, including lodgement of drafts and return of comments by the supervisor.

Complete your Statement of Agreement (usually at the end of the first month), and work on the proposal itself.

Step 2 - Submission

Following approval by your supervisors, submit copies of your written research proposal, your Research Induction Plan and your Statement of Agreement to the Research Degree Coordinator.

If a timely research proposal cannot be lodged you must request permission to extend the timeframe - at least one month in advance and normally for a maximum of three months .

• Application for Extension to Research Proposal (Online Form)

Step 3 - Assessment

A panel reviews your proposal and makes a determination that either:

• the proposal is accepted and the Statement of Agreement is appropriate for supporting the research project and timelines OR
• amendments are required for the proposal and/or Statement of Agreement to be accepted and candidature to be confirmed OR
• the research proposal and/or Statement of Agreement should not be approved and the research degree student may be suspended OR
• the research proposal and/or Statement of Agreement should not be approved and the research degree student should be transferred to another program.

Step 4 - Notification

The research proposal, Research Induction Plan and Statement of Agreement, along with a recommendation from the review panel regarding confirmation of your candidature, goes to the Dean of Graduate Studies. You are advised of the outcome via your student email.

• If the research proposal is accepted , date of confirmation of candidacy is reported to Graduate Research, Candidature.
• If the research proposal is not considered acceptable , it is returned to you with written information indicating why it was not acceptable. You will have to make revisions in conjunction with your supervisor and re-lodge the proposal for further consideration in a given timeframe. You may need to submit an extension to lodge research proposal form:

If you do not have your research proposal approved within the maximum time allowed, your candidature will be suspended, but you may apply for readmission. Refer to the academic regulations for details.

FTE = Full Time Equivalence

If you are doing a Doctor of Philosophy (by Portfolio of Publications), you will submit a research statement. Enrolment and re-enrolment conditions still apply. See the academic regulations.

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Research Projects

Heavy metals in marine organisms: A source apportionment

Main supervisor : Prof LM Madikizela

Co-supervisors : Dr TS Munonde

Email : [email protected] (Prof LM Madikizela)

Level : Master’s project

The discharge of heavy metals into the open oceans through the contaminated estuarine water is an environmental concern. Several studies have reported the occurrence of heavy metals in the coastal environments. Hence, the proposed study will monitor the occurrence of such metals in the marine environment which include selected organisms, while also tracing their sources. Analytically, heavy metals will be monitored with inductively coupled plasma after microwave digestion. Finally, the distribution of these contaminants in coastal environment and various organs of the fish will be evaluated.

Development of agricultural waste-based material for solid-phase extraction and removal of selected pharmaceuticals and heavy metals in water

Co-supervisors : Dr N Gumbi

Level : PhD project

The contamination of South African water resources with both pharmaceuticals and heavy metals has become a public knowledge. Hence, this study aims to monitor the quantities of these contaminants and their removal in South African waters. Environmental monitoring for pharmaceuticals will be performed with solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography. Both ICP-MS and ICP-OES will be utilized for the measurements of heavy metals. This will be followed with the developments of agricultural waste-based adsorbents for remediation. A wide range of the state-of-the-art, top-of-the-range, analytical tools are available for characterization.

Assessments of selected trace metals from drinking water in areas located near wood preserving industries

Main supervisor : Dr TS Munonde

Co-supervisors : Prof TAM Msagati, Prof LM Madikizela

Email : [email protected] (Dr TS Munonde)

The discharge of trace metals from wood preservation industries contaminates not only the soil, but also our drinking water. The aim of this study is to determine the water quality of the drinking water sources located near wood preserving industries. This will incorporate the use of dispersive solid phase extraction to extract the trace metals prior to their determination using ICP-OES. The water quality index will be determined, then compared to the South African National Standards and World Health Organization permitted guidelines.

Emerging organic contaminants in groundwater: evaluation of the water quality in groundwater

Co-supervisors : Prof MM Nindi, Prof LM Madikizela

Emerging organic contaminants are widely distributed in the environment, including a broad range of natural and chemical compounds, which may cause ecological and human health impacts. This study will focus on the preparation of analytical methods for the determination of selected emerging organic contaminants in groundwater using chromatographic techniques such as HPLC and LCMS.

Antibiotic-resistance mechanisms and virulence factors in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae from hospital wastewater by whole-genome sequencing

Main supervisor : Dr I Kamika

Co-supervisors : Prof H Atagana, Prof Nindi

Email : [email protected] (Dr I Kamika)

Klebsiella pneumoniae has emerged as a human pathogen and sporadic isolates from non-clinical sources were reported. The present study will describe the phenotypic- and genomic-characteristics of a multidrug-resistant (MDR) and potentially hypervirulent (MDR-hv) Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from hospital wastewater. The antibiotic susceptibility profile of isolate will be investigated using disk-diffusion method, broth microdilution method, and agar dilution method, and the genetic characteristics of antimicrobial resistance, mobile genetics elements, and virulence were evaluated by genomic DNA sequencing on the Illumina® NextSeq1000 platform as well as by bioinformatic analysis. Resistome analyses will be assessed, and antibiotic-resistance mechanisms established.

Occurrence and driving mechanism of antibiotic resistance genes in streams and rivers around Johannesburg, South Africa

Co-supervisors : Dr Munonde, Prof LM Madikizela

The overuse of antibiotics has accelerated the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. ARGs have been found in a wide variety of environments including agricultural soils, urban wastewater treatment plants, lakes, rivers and aquacultural facilities. The critical issue is that ARGs do not disappear once released into the environment. As a result, the amount of ARGs can increase and spread if they are selected by antibiotic pollutions or are co-selected by ecologically favourable determinant present in the same MGEs. It is therefore important to identify environmental reservoirs of ARGs and explore their routes of transmission in order to stop their spread into the environment. The present study will investigate the occurrence and driving mechanism of ARGs in streams and rivers around Johannesburg.

Microbial degradation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater system

Co-supervisors : Prof Atagana, Prof LM Madikizela

Since the 1940s, approximately 9,000 compounds collectively known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been employed in several industrial processes and commercial goods. As a result, PFAS have entered the water cycle and are now present in almost all water sources. These substances are non-biodegradable and resistant to common water treatment techniques because they contain the strongest single bond known between fluorine and carbon atoms. They end up in the tissues of living things, including people, where they have been linked to certain cancers, thyroid and liver difficulties, and probably additional, as-yet-unidentified health issues. Notably, I intend to isolate environmental microorganisms and test their ability in breaking down two of the toughest PFASs namely fluorinated carboxylic acids (FCAs) (e.g., 5:3 polyfluorinated carboxylic acid and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate).

Development of green chemistry sample preparation for the detection of biotoxins from aquatic and food matrices

Main supervisor : Prof MM Nindi

Co-supervisors : Dr Moema and Dr I Kamika

Email : [email protected] (Prof MM Nindi)

Food safety and quality are an integral part of global trade, food security and consumer protection. The presence of undesirable and dangerous substances such as veterinary drugs, mycotoxin, and pesticides are of great concern to human health, global international markets, and the economies of the producing countries. Recently, the is growing interest on biotoxins and food borne pathogens. Sensitive and selective analytical methods play a very important role in monitoring these compounds in biological matrices. The research will focus on the development of green sample preparation and/or clean-up methods such as dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME), ionic-liquid dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (IL-DLLME), fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) and supported liquid membrane (SLM) which have inherently high enrichment factors. The developed sample preparation techniques will be incorporated to LC-MS/MS and/or MALDI-TOF/TOF for this project.

Screening of volatile organic compounds in a traditional healing spa using GCxGC-TOF-MS

Co-supervisors : Prof MM Nindi and Prof TAM Msagati

In this study, volatile organic compounds in a traditional healing spa clayey and water will be chromatographically separated, identified through screening approach, and quantified. This will be followed by identifying the health benefits and possible risks associated with the bathing, cosmetic applications, and consumption of such natural resources.

Synthesis of graphene-based functionalized adsorbents for monitoring and removal of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in water

Main supervisor: Prof LM Madikizela

Co-supervisors: Prof JM Madito and Dr N Gumbi

Email: [email protected] (Prof LM Madikizela)

Level: Master’s project

The consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in South Africa is high due to their availability as over the counter medications that can be assessed without medical prescription. Therefore, high concentrations of NSAIDs have been found in South African waters. Therefore, this study proposes the synthesis of graphene-based adsorbents for adsorptive removal of these drugs in water. Graphene-based materials have attracted great interest in many application areas, including the adsorptive removal of drugs from water due to their large surface area and diverse active sites for adsorption. The graphene-based adsorbents are proposed for their inclusion in sample preparation where they will be used as solid-phase extraction sorbents for extraction and pre-concentration of NSAIDs in water prior to chromatographic determination. The adsorption performance of graphene-based adsorbents and its correlation to the interaction mechanisms between the NSAIDs and adsorbents will also be investigated.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) - a surveillance tool for monitoring pharmaceutical drug consumption and public health

Main supervisor : Dr TJ Malefetse

Co-supervisors : Prof MM Nindi; Prof TTI Nkambule

Email : [email protected] (Dr TJ Malefetse)

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a rapidly developing scientific discipline based on the chemical analysis of specific human metabolic excretion products (biomarkers) in wastewater. WBE has opened many possibilities for expanding its application to provide relevant information about human exposure to potentially harmful compounds such as personal care products, pesticides, mycotoxins, brominated flame retardants, pharmaceutical compounds and even pathogens. This project involves the analysis and monitoring of specific pharmaceutical compounds in wastewaters to establish the health and well-being of communities. Therefore, the project requires the application of analytical chemistry techniques for monitoring real-time data trends in pharmaceutical drug use for public health and human exposure. The aim is to develop early-warning systems that could be used by municipalities and health authorities to identify infection hot spots for various harmful chemical agents and diseases.

Cellulose-based electrospun polymer nanofiber mats as efficient supports for thin film composite membranes

Co-supervisors : Prof EN Nxumalo; Dr W Moyo

In this research project, environmentally friendly materials and plant-based cellulosic materials and biodegradable polymers will be employed in the fabrication of nanofibrous mats using a semi-scale electrospinning process. The nanofibrous mats are then used as supports for thin film nanocomposite membranes made via an interfacial polymerization process. This pioneering work will demonstrate that cellulose-based supported membranes can be used as filters for the enhanced removal of organic pollutants in water treatment applications.

Beneficiation of abattoir effluents for the generation of biogas and production of fertilizers

Co-supervisors : Dr M Moreroa; Prof TTI Nkambule

South African abattoirs are battling to manage the waste generated by their operations. Owing to the high cost of disposal, abattoirs frequently dump or bury waste in open fields. The exposed waste attracts flies, maggots, and insects. Furthermore, they generate odours pose serious risk to the environment. When hazardous waste is buried, it seeps into subterranean water, raising additional environmental concerns. A biodigester can contribute towards addressing the challenges of slaughterhouse waste disposal and can also provide an alternative energy source that can be used by abattoirs for heating and cooling purposes. The proposed project will use anaerobic digestion for the treatment of abattoir effluent to produce biogas (an energy source). Moreover, the digestate from the digester will be studied for its potential application as a fertilizer.

Magnetic bionanocomposites for the simultaneous sorption and degradation of pharmaceuticals drugs or emerging organic pollutants in water

Co-supervisors : Dr G Mamba; Dr J Nure; Dr W Moyo

Level : Master’s projects

Magnetic bionanocomposites have received attention for their ability to treat wastewater. They are efficient, environmentally friendly, cost-effective and can be used as adsorbents for organic and inorganic pollutants. Some of these magnetic bionanocomposites can also provide a good habitat for microorganisms. This study seeks to exploit some of the properties of these magnetic bionanocomposites: by: (i) simultaneous sorption and degradation of pharmaceuticals drugs and other emerging pollutants from water; (ii) inoculating them with microorganisms for the extraction of pharmaceuticals drugs and emerging organic pollutants from wastewaters, or (iii) recovering valuable nutrients from various used water streams.

Natural coagulants for the removal of antibiotic resistance genes and bacteria from wastewater

Co-supervisors : Dr S Mosebi, Dr G Mamba, Dr B Nkoane

Email : [email protected] (Dr T.J Malefetse)

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging environmental contaminants that pose serious risks to human health. Wastewater treatment plants are one of the major sources of ARGs. On the other hand, coagulation is one of the efficient primary chemical treatment methods that could be used to remove pollutants from polluted water. Natural coagulants are derived from either plants, animals, or microorganisms. This study seeks to isolate and investigate the effectiveness of natural coagulant(s) in the removal of ARGs from treated wastewater. The removal efficiency of the natural coagulant will be compared with those of commonly used coagulants. Furthermore, opportunities exist for the active component of the natural coagulant to be modified and thus improve its effectiveness.

Identification and quantification of pharmaceuticals drugs in the Vaal River

Main supervisor : Dr G Mamba

Co-supervisors : Prof LM Madikizela, Dr SJ van Rensburg, Prof TTI Nkambule

Email : [email protected] (Dr G Mamba)

The Vaal River serves as one of the major sources of freshwater supply for the Gauteng Region. However, various human activities along the catchment area have led to a continued degradation of the water quality in the river. Among such activities, the failures of various wastewater treatment plants to adequately treat their wastewater result in the direct discharge of polluted effluent into the river. This puts a heavy burden on the drinking water treatment plants. Pollutants of emerging concern such as pharmaceuticals (e.g., antibiotics, antivirals, stimulants, depressants and anti-depressants, sedatives and nonsteroidals), personal care products, and household cleaning products, among others are poorly removed during drinking water treatment. As a result, it is important to identify and quantify the existing pharmaceuticals in drinking water sources in order to understand the potential risks of their presence. Therefore, this work will involve collection of water samples from the Vaal River, extraction, and the use of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to identify and quantify the pharmaceutical drugs in the water samples. Influence of seasonal variations will be investigated by sampling both in the dry and wet seasons.

UV mediated homogeneous advanced oxidation of emerging pollutants and microbials in drinking water.

Co-supervisors : Prof LM Madikizela; Dr W Moyo

Advanced oxidation processes hold the key towards environmental pollution mitigation especially with regards to the removal of emerging pollutants and disinfection of water and wastewater. In the proposed project, UV driven advanced oxidation will be investigated for the degradation of emerging pollutants such as antibiotics and pesticides from water and inactivation of microbial pollutants. Optimization of the key reaction parameters will be carried out to ensure optimal performance of the oxidation process. Chromatographic techniques will be used to identify the degradation by-products and ascertain their degradation.

Remediation of antibiotic drugs and microbial pollution in hospital wastewater effluent

Co-supervisors : Dr I Kamika, Dr TJ Malefetse, Dr T Lukhele

Hospital wastewater is considered a hotspot for pharmaceutical drugs such as antibiotics and their metabolites. Ultimately, this wastewater favors the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria and resistant genes, which can be passed to other bacterial species. This presents a massive threat to human health, where bacterial infections would be non-responsive to the currently used drugs, owing to the resistance of the bacteria. Therefore, it is important to treat wastewater from healthcare facilities to target the removal of antibiotic drugs and elimination of the microbial species before the water is discharged into municipal wastewater collection tunnels. This first part of the research will explore various chemical/catalytic oxidation routes such as photocatalysis, peroxide and peracetic acid, towards the oxidative removal of antibiotic drugs in hospital wastewater. The second part of the project will investigate these chemical oxidants for the inactivation of microbial pollutants in the wastewater.

Removal of disinfection byproduct precursors using coagulant derived from aluminium waste.

Main supervisor : Prof TTI Nkambule

Co-supervisors : Dr W Moyo; Dr TJ Malefetse; Dr G Mamba

E-mail : [email protected] (Prof TTI Nkambule)

Improper disposal of aluminium waste poses a serious risk to human health and the environment. Therefore, a need exists for the development of methods for the recycling/reuse of aluminium waste. This study is aimed at the beneficiation of aluminium waste into a coagulant for application in the removal of pollutants from aqueous systems. The main operating parameters of this process will be optimised using various modelling techniques. The potential benefits of this pioneering work include cleaning up the physical aesthetic environment and producing a value-added coagulant that can be used for water remediation. This initiative has the potential to reduce waste and the cost of production of clean water while adopting circular economy as a key and central concept.

The status and extent of de facto water reuse in South Africa

Email : [email protected] (Prof TTI Nkambule)

The aim of this project is to determine the national extent of de facto water reuse in the South Africa. This will be done by determining the percentage wastewater content of the raw water sources (rivers and dams) supplying the major cities and large towns, and the potential health impact, treatment requirements and public acceptance of de facto reuse through carrying out four case studies. The aim of this project is to determine the wastewater content of the raw water intake from rivers and dams to water treatment plants supplying the major cities and large towns in South Africa, and thereby establishing the extent of de facto reuse. To identify at least top 25 cities impacted by de facto reuse. Perform case studies of high priority de facto reuse water treatment plants, to evaluate the spatial and temporal factors (including climate change) impacting on the extent of reuse in each of the selected case studies. Do a detailed analysis on treatment plant capabilities for treating the water to drinking water standard, raw water quality analysis, and OPEX costs. Finally, the projects aim to establish the public’s knowledge and perceptions as well as acceptance of de facto reuse in the case. This is a Water Research Commission (WRC) of South Africa funded project that will be carried out by the UNISA team in collaboration with Chris Swartz Water Utilization engineers based in Cape Town.

FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

A: ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY FLASHIP

Treatability of nitrites/nitrates and ammonia using membrane aerated bioreactors (MABR)

Main supervisor : Prof TAM Msagati

Co-supervisors : Prof BB Mamba, Prof B Rittman, Prof TTI Nkambule, Prof LM Madikizela

Email : [email protected] (Prof TAM Msagati)

Many Wastewater treatment plants including the ones under the city of Johannesburg in South Africa face the challenge on how to treat nitrites/nitrates and ammonia. This project is thereby proposing the incorporation of Membrane aerated bioreactors (MABR) that will enhance the effectiveness of the plants in the treatment of Nitrites/Nitrates and ammonia.

Synthesis, characterization, and application of hexasome and cubosome lipid nanoparticles of different structure and composition in drug delivery platforms and the assessment of their cellular uptake profiles

Co-supervisors : Prof LM Madikizela, Dr TS Munonde, Prof AT Kuvarega, Prof BB Mamba

Email : [email protected] (Prof TAM Msagati)

Cubosomes are lipid based nanostructured particles of the lipid bicontinuous cubic liquid crystalline phase with the potential application in many areas including in drug delivery platforms due to their structural integrity of the ingredients that it carries. This project intends to synthesize cubosomes lipid nanoparticles with different structures and composition, characterize them and deploy such nanomaterials for targeted use as drug delivery platforms and assess their cellular uptake to determine the potential toxicity and behavioural influence.

B: MARINE SCIENCE RESEARCH

Porous electrospun hydrophobic mixed matrix membranes for efficient vapour passage during membrane distillation

Main supervisor : Prof MM Motsa

Co-supervisors : Prof BB Mamba, Prof TTI Nkambule, Prof TAM Msagati

Email : [email protected] (Prof MM Motsa)

The treatment of high salinity water has been dubbed as costly due to the nature of the required membrane and the composition of the feed water. It requires an extensive amount of amount of energy to overcome the osmotic pressure of seawater and internal resistance of reverse osmosis membranes. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop energy efficient membrane systems for high-water recovery during seawater desalination. This work aims at developing high performance porous membranes for water vapour transport during membrane distillation. The membranes will be prepared using electrospinning techniques and phase inversion to produce self-supporting mats and flat sheets. Furthermore, the membranes will be prepared in hollow-fibre configuration and prepared into modules. Part of the research will also focus on the post-treatment of the brine through recovery of rare-earth minerals and common salts.

Fabrication of graphene-based hollow fibre membranes for water desalination

Co-supervisors : Prof MM Motsa, Prof BB Mamba

Seawater comprises a vast supply of water (97.5% of all water on the planet). Thus, the growth of the installation of seawater desalination facilities to circumvent water shortage problems in water-stressed countries such as South Africa is very crucial. This project seeks to address the problem of water scarcity through the development of desalination technologies to tap the oceans as an alternative source of portable water.

Mineralization of microplastics using nanocomposites: A combined experimental and computational approach

Co-supervisors : Prof LM Madikizela, Prof E Unuabonah

The objectives of this project is to develop a nanocomposite material capable of eliminating selected microplastic from water, to characterize the nanocomposite developed using: Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM); X-ray Diffraction (XRD); UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR); Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Also, to use computational methods in order to provide a framework for the interpretation of the experimental data and, to elucidate the structural and electronic properties of the nanocomposites, as well as to use the synthesized nanocomposites to mineralize MPs in water and use analytical methods to study the efficiency of the prepared nanocomposites.

Stabilization of potable water with lime and carbon dioxide

Main supervisor : Prof JP Maree

Co-supervisor : Prof TAM Msagati

Email : [email protected] (Prof JP Maree)

Soft water is deficient in calcium hardness and alkalinity and needs to be stabilized to limit its corrosiveness towards metals and aggression towards concrete structures. There are several regions in South Africa where the water sources are soft. Demineralized water produced from desalination plants and water reclamation plants also needs to be stabilized. This process involves solid, aqueous, and gaseous phases. The theory to calculate the equilibrium conditions between the phases are well-known and widely used in the industry. However, the information about the process kinetics is not well documented for the purposes of process design and automation. The hydration reaction between dissolved carbon dioxide and water to form carbonic acid is the rate limiting step and an important consideration for process design. The aim of this study is to develop dynamic models based on the process kinetics to identify feasible strategies for design and automation and provide guidelines for the selection of cost-effective process configurations for a particular water quality.

Treatment of iron rich mine water for pigment recovery

Co-supervisors : Prof TAM Msagati, Dr Mogashane

Email: [email protected] ( Prof JP Maree)

The aim of the study is to investigate integrated process for treatment of mine wastewater to produce drinking water and valuable products. The study will include the evaluation of the performance of an existing acid mine water neutralization plant. The performance of the plant will be improved by introducing the following innovative steps to mine water treatment: (i)Recovery of Fe(OH) 3 from the iron(III) by raising the pH to 3.5 with Na 2 CO 3 or CaCO 3 . (ii) Dewatering of the Fe(OH) 3 sludge with a new filter. (iii) Processing of the Fe(OH) 3 to pigment. (iv) Oxidation of iron(II) to iron (III): (Biologically or Chemically) (v) Improved design for the limestone handling and dosing system. In conclusion the feasibility of treatment of acid mine water when pigment is recovered need to be determined.  

C: ASDG-RSP FLAGSHIP

A holistic approach in water resources management coupled with big data analytics

Co-supervisors : Prof TAM Msagati, Prof BB Mamba, Prof V Ngole-Jemme, Prof B Van der Pool; Prof J Van Der Pool, Prof HO Mokiwa

Email : [email protected] ( Prof TTI Nkambule )

This is a multi and Trans disciplinary research involving various aspects of research toward a common goal. Candidates enrolled in this project will work on different aspects of the activities with some working with science aspects related to the development of scientific and technological processes to mitigate the environment from pollution (e.g., remediation of AMD contaminated environment, microplastic research, fabrication of POU devices, etc). Some will work on aspects of aspects that align the practice of the scientific/technological activities of the proposed project to the appropriate policies such that, they are relevant to the communities (science education) (Prof Hamza Omar Mokiwa, College of Education Unisa), and some will evaluate the material flow cost accounting thus providing guidance for practical implementation in a supply chain (Prof Breggie and John Van Der Poll – School of Business Leadership – UNISA).

D: ENERGY FLAGSHIP

Towards solar-driven carbon recycling

Main supervisor : Dr X Fuku

Co-supervisors : Prof W Jingyu and Prof U Feleni

Email: [email protected]

The world is currently facing severe environmental issues in the global temperature increase caused by excessive CO 2 emissions, so it is urgent to explore innovative strategies to achieve carbon recycling. Besides physical carbon capture and storage, utilizing CO 2 to produce chemical fuels is more practical. Converting CO 2 into fuels is very energy intensive and requires a sustainable method with a continuous energy supply. Solar-driven catalysis stands out as a green method by using abundant solar energy as an energy supply. It can convert CO 2 into indispensable monocarbon C 1 and multicarbon C 2+ products through various potential routes with available techniques. Based on readily available technologies, systems combining a photovoltaic (PV) cell with an electrolyzer cell (EC) for CO 2 reduction to hydrocarbons are likely to constitute a key strategy for tackling the above challenge.

Development of a low-cost, durable membrane and membrane electrode assembly for stationary fuel cell application

Co-supervisors : Dr N Hlongwa, Dr M Moshawe and Dr B Sigh

Fuel cells are being perceived as the future clean energy source by many developed countries in the world. The key today for clean power is the reliance of fuel cells not only to power automobiles but also for residential, small commercial, backup power etc. which calls for production on a large scale. The design and development of low cost fuel cell components is key in this regard.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

R1.0 million projects allocations

Novel integration peroxyacetic / modified TiO 2 photocatalytic – electro- disinfection/electro-coagulation green process as an alternative disinfection strategy for the wastewater effluents.

Co-supervisors : Prof TTI Nkambule, Prof AT Kuvarega, Prof BB Mamba

The project will construct simulated laboratory scale simulated plant to mimic the WWTPs plants and use them to optimize the performance parameters. From the performance of the optimization parameters, the project will aim to develop mathematical and statistical model that will be used to regulate and troubleshoot parameters in cases of irregular functioning of the disinfection processes.

Wastewater treatment and resource recovery based on electrochemical anaerobic membrane bioreactor

Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR), is one of the safest and least carbon-emitting wastewater treatment technologies, exhibiting excellent application prospects in sustainable water treatment, resource recovery, and energy conversion in the post-COVID-19 and carbon-neutral era. A major challenge in AnMBR wider application is membrane fouling and laborious operation management. This project intends to establish an electrochemical AnMBR (eAnMBR) system and a low-maintenance water treatment process. By integrating electrochemical, microbial, and membrane separation processes, enhanced antifouling, and anaerobic digestion performance, as well as improved effluent quality, can be achieved. With the safe purification and resource recovery from high-concentration organic wastewater in rural areas, this project is expected to promote the establishment of the water-energy-food nexus and help solve the water shortage and water pollution crises in developing countries.

AASTU JOINT PROJECTS

Extraction, characterization, and investigation of biofunctional properties of postbiotics from mixed probiotics and evaluating their potential as ingredients for functional cottage cheese and whey development with bee pollen

Co-supervisors : Prof AB Belay, Prof TTI Nkambule

Level: PhD project

The general objective of the study will be to extract, characterize, and investigate the biofunctional properties of postbiotics derived from mixed probiotic fermentation and evaluate their biofunctional potential when combined with bee pollen. The specific objectives will be to investigate appropriate substrates for the production of high-quality postbiotic yield and optimize fermentation conditions; investigate the chemical composition, quantitative yield, stability, and solubility of postbiotics extracted from mixed probiotic cultures. The project will also investigate the biofunctional properties of the substrate in relation to antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-antidiabetic, anticancer, and other biofunctional properties. Finally, the project will as well formulate and develop postbiotics and bee pollen-enhanced functional cottage cheese and whey beverages, and evaluate their synergistic effect, shelf stability, bioavailability, and sensory quality.

Honeybee royal jelly: nutritional profile, biofunctional investigation, and development of royal jelly-based fermented functional food

Co -supervisors: Prof AB Belay, Prof TTI Nkambule

The general objective of this study will be to investigate the nutritional profile, biofunctional properties, and development of royal jelly-based fermented functional foods. The specific objective of this study will be to i nvestigate the nutritional profile of royal jelly (fatty acid profile, amino acid profile, and secondary metabolites of royal jelly). The project will also examine the biofunctional properties of royal jelly (in vitro antiproliferative activity, antioxidants, etc.) and d evelop as well as evaluate royal jelly-based fermented functional foods.

AAU COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS

• Groundwater pollution vulnerability mapping flow and contaminant transport modelling

Co-supervisors : Prof B Behailu, Prof WD Thwala, Prof TTI Nkambule

This project will investigate the potential and trend of the aquifer’s retention and movement of groundwater. The quality of groundwater will be ascertained by measuring water quality parameters and thus establish water quality indices and predictive models that are related to quality and the future impact of climate change.

Fabrication of carbon-based functional electrochemical sensors for pesticide detection ( Doctoral Level )

Main Supervisor: Dr K. E. Sekhosana ( [email protected] )

Co-supervisors: Prof U. Feleni, Dr X. G. Fuku and Prof M. J. Moloto

Agriculture is an important commodity which provides food security across the globe. Dairy farming, crop, and meat productions are classified as agriculture. These production classes require hygiene for optimal control of hazards throughout the entire food chain. Crops suffer from pathogens caused by fungi, fungal-like organisms, viroids, and nematodes, to name a few. These pathogens result from the existence of, at least, insects and rodents. Thus, the control measurements are required for the optimal production of crops without compromising the health of human beings and animals. Farmers usually opt for the employment of pesticides to alleviate pathogens. There are several types of pesticides including herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, organophosphorus (OPs) compounds. Among the pesticides, organophosphate and carbamate attract attention in agriculture, commercial and residential applications due to their high insecticidal activity, and cause residues in water, food, and soil. Thus, the implementation of agricultural quality supervision through the development of accurate and reliable pesticide residue detection methods is very crucial. In this case, electrochemical sensors can be the alternative analytical method for pesticide detection due to their high sensitivity, speed, low cost, and portability. Among research advances, demonstration of nanomaterials including those based on carbon with superior properties is very prominent. Thus, the aim of this project is to fabricate non-enzymatic electrodes with various carbon-based templates immobilized with functionalized metallic nanoflowers and nanoparticles for the detection of organophosphates.

Carbon-supported Metal Sulfide Electrocatalysts Developed Via an Electrochemical Approach for the Detection of Catecholamines (Masters Level)

Co-supervisors: Dr N. Palaniyandy, Dr M. J. Madito, and Dr M. Managa

Catecholamines, being hormones secreted by adrenal glands and also described as a monoamine neurotransmitters, are sensitive to emotional stress and, thus, may be released into the body. Although these hormones are responsible for the brain’s reward mechanism, memory, emotions and increased blood flow to the muscles, heart, and lungs, their uncontrolled levels usually result in medical issues such as high blood pressure.  Therefore, a simple electrochemical method is proposed for the early detection of abnormal levels of catecholamines. The electrochemical method will be based on metal sulfide nanomaterials grown on carbon p -electron systems.

Project: Synthesis and characterization of manganese-based hybrid nanomaterials for energy storage applications (Masters Level)

Main Supervisor: Dr N. W. Hlongwa ( [email protected] )

Co-supervisor: Dr M. J. Madito, Dr X. G. Fuku

The development of efficient, green, and sustainable eco-friendly renewable energy storage systems has become critical to meeting the increasing energy demand for our society's socio-economic development due to major issues associated with the generation and use of electricity, grid reliability, and reliance on fossil fuels. The most promising technology for balancing the electric grid and more effectively shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy from the wind or sun are batteries and supercapacitors (electrochemical energy storage devices). Furthermore, because of its high energy density, batteries are employed to power portable electronics and hybrid cars. Due to decreased power density, significant capacity fading at high charge/discharge rates, and restricted cyclability, battery technology is severely hampered (lifespan). Supercapacitors, unlike batteries, offer good power rates and cyclability but have lower energy densities. Because of these flaws in batteries and supercapacitors, they are ineffective when used independently, especially when great power and energy density are desired at the same time. Using them together also limits the size of electrical gadgets. The concept of fully integrated rechargeable hybrid battery-supercapacitor (supercapbattery) electrical energy storage devices is a promising approach to developing next-generation energy-storage systems. With this end-product in mind, we focus on synthesizing new hybrid electrode materials that combine the best features of batteries and supercapacitors to achieve enhanced energy, power density, and cyclability at a lower cost.

Project: Capacitive deionization based on novel graphene-manganese oxide nanocomposite electrocatalyst as the effective electrode in water purification (Masters Level)

Main Supervisor: Dr N. W. Hlongwa, e-mail: [email protected]

Co-supervisors: Prof U. Feleni, Dr S. E. Sekhosana

Capacitive Deionization (CDI) method for water purification shares the same ion storage mechanism as a supercapacitor. This is cutting-edge technology, suitable for low to medium ion concentration water purification. This technology works by desalinated ions driven to and then absorbed on oppositely charged electrodes under low voltage (≤ 2 V). Unlike reverse osmosis and thermal-based distillations, ions are absorbed directly from the water body instead of taking water molecules out during the charge step, which could save lots of energy, during the discharge. The stored ions will be released, electrodes will be regenerated, and partial energy could be recovered, the same as a supercapacitor. The key component in achieving the whole adsorption and desorption process is the electrodes. Many forms of carbon have been utilized for CDI electrodes. The research will involve the synthesis, characterization of novel nanostructured materials to be used as electrodes in the study of water purification. The objectives of this research are to desalinate seawater, and we will begin to use common salt (NaCl, KCl) in the lab to test the CDI device constructed.

Graphene-Based Metal-Organic Framework Hybrids: Effect on the physicochemical characteristics of the materials performance (Masters Level)

Main supervisor: Prof M.J. Madito ([email protected])

Co-supervisor: Prof R. M. Moutloali

An effective technology for remediating organic pollutants from wastewater demands the development and design of multifunctional porous materials with tunable properties. Because of their amenability to de novo chemistry, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have become key materials of interest; however, they are limited by low chemical stability and inappropriate pore sizes. Functionalized/defective graphene can form stabilizing interactions with MOFs, enabling the fabrication of chemically stable graphene-based metal–organic framework hybrids with tunable pore characteristics. In this project, synthetic strategies for preparing graphene-based metal–organic framework hybrids will be investigated. The structure, and properties of graphene derivatives, MOFs, and their graphene-based MOF hybrids as well as the associated structure-property-effect on membrane and electrode performance will be extensively investigated.

Electrode Systems Based on Metal Sulfide Nanomaterials and Rare-earth Double Decker Phthalocyaninato Chelates: Towards the Electrochemical Sensing of Antiandrogens

Main Supervisor: Dr KE Sekhosana ( [email protected] )

Co-supervisors: Dr NW Hlongwa, Dr M Kebede and Prof L Madikizela

Anti-androgens (AAs) are a class of pharmaceuticals which find themselves as emerging pollutants in wastewater due to activities in pharmaceutical industries and hospitals. These contaminants affect the aquatic life. Thus, control and quantification measures are required to mitigate this problem. The electrochemical sensors that have been used to monitor the AAs show that more improvement is required for detection at very low levels. The proposed project will, thus, focus on developing the electrodes based on the new metal sulfide nanomaterials using the electrochemical and hydrothermal methods to develop stable organic-inorganic nanohybrids for enhanced and selective electrochemical sensing of antiandrogens. Pharmaceutical wastewater will be the primary target for water sampling for analysis of the selected pharmaceuticals. 

Mitigating biofouling in membranes using pH-triggered smart enzymatic nanomaterials (Masters Level)

Contact person: Dr C. S. Tshangana ( [email protected] )

Co-supervisors: A. A. Muleja, M. M. Motsa and B. B. Mamba

Water scarcity continues to plague South Africa and other countries globally, to circumvent this concern membrane technology has emerged as a viable technology of choice. Membrane technology has been applied on a large-scale. However, one of the greatest limitations of membrane technology on a large-scale is biofouling. Unlike other types of fouling such as colloidal, inorganic, and organic; in biofouling the microorganisms in the feedwater multiply and attach on the membrane surface creating a biofilm. The presence of the biofilm on these membranes negatively impacts on the operations and economics of the specific water treatment plants. This project therefore seeks to develop a novel renewable anti-biofouling strategy that employs pH-triggered smart enzymatic nanomaterials that are regenerable and are able to prevent the proliferation and formation of biofilms on the membranes. With achieved irreversible fouling resistance on the membranes, the resultant treated water will meet the SANS 241 standards safe for human consumption and will as result increase the operation and membrane lifespan.

Combining bioremediation with low-pressure membrane filtration for efficient wastewater treatment ( Doctoral Level )

Supervisor: M. M. Motsa ( [email protected] ) 

Co-supervisors: Prof E. N. Nxumalo, Dr M. Moreroa-Monyela

Drinking water in South Africa has been successfully treated to acceptable national and world health organization levels with just the convectional drinking water process or systems. However, there has been drastic changes in the composition of the feed water over the years, more drugs have been developed, better personal care products have been commercialized, efficient pesticides and herbicide have been used as well as the exponential growth in various industrial activities that produces wastewater on daily basis. These foreign substances find their way into the receiving water bodies and indirectly into water treatment facilities. In addition, climatic conditions have changed over the years, the average annual rainfall have decreased. All these factors have increased the strain on the current fresh water sources, but most importantly they call for improved, accurate and efficient treatment processes as well as the search for alternative water sources. Therefore, this work seeks to incorporate membrane processes in to existing biological process for treating wastewater for reuse purposes.

Membranes for pre-treatment of brackish waters (Masters Level)

Supervisor : Dr N. N. Gumbi ( [email protected] )

Co-supervisor: Prof L. M. Madikizela

The two-year project is directed towards the development of membranes for use in the pretreatment of brackish water using conventional techniques: non-solvent induced phase separation and interfacial polymerization methods. Optimization of synthesis parameters necessary to generate high performance membranes will be conducted. The Study will also entail the interrogation of separation mechanisms employed by fabricated membranes for the separation of salts from saline waters.

Tuning ultrafiltration membrane performance and stability through controlled membrane structure (Masters Level)

Supervisor : Dr Nozipho Gumbi ( [email protected] )

Co-supervisor : Prof E. N. Nxumalo

The study aims to fabricate high performance polymer blended ultrafiltration membranes through tuning membrane structure and stability over commercial cleaning chemicals. Polymer blend compatibility will be evaluated, and hollow fibre ultrafiltration membranes prepared via traditional nonsolvent induced phase separation methods.

Investigating the influence of superoxide radicals in the degradation of PFAS and membrane filtration (Masters Level)

Supervisor : Dr C. S. Tshangana, E-mail : [email protected]

Co-supervisor : Dr A. A. Muleja and Dr G. Mamba

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) can generate various radical species with the ability to discriminately attack other molecules in the same medium. In this work, the influence of superoxide radicals in the degradation of short chain PFAS will be investigated to elucidate the mechanism of removal. Various materials and energy sources will be studied to achieve this objective. The AOPs system will be assisted by membrane filtration with the aim to ensure efficiency of removing potential by-products and other undesired contaminants in water for drinking purpose.

Use of biomass incorporated metal oxide nanocomposite for total remediation and neutralization of coal mine drainage (CMD) industrial wastewater. (Masters Level)

Supervisor : Dr T. N. Moja, e-mail: [email protected]

Co-supervisors: Prof L-A. de Kock and Prof A. T. Kuvarega

Coal mine drainage (CMD) is a huge concern to the environment due to acidic drainage that ends up accumulating and leaching to neighbouring streams, groundwater, and other water systems, thereby deteriorating the water quality. CMD is usually found in underground and surface mining activities, neglected and dilapidated mines. Acid mine drainage is formed when pyrite (iron sulphide) ‘FeS 2 ’ is exposed and reacts with air and water to form sulfuric acid. This acidic run-off dissolves toxic metals ions such as Copper, Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc etc. which contaminates ground and surface water. These metals are non-biodegradable and have a progressive toxic effect on living organisms as they accumulate over time. To address and mitigate the stated problems found in CMD, the use of an adsorbent derived from an activated carbon nanocomposite will be applied for neutralization and total removal of toxic metal ions causing acidity in mine drainage. Characterization techniques such as Inductive Coupled Plasma (ICP-OES-MS) and BET, FTIR, TGA-DSC-DMA, XRD etc. are used to evaluate the content of the nanocomposite as well as the availability of metal ion concentration in wastewater.

Photocatalytic inactivation of microorganisms in water (Masters Level)

Supervisor: Dr M. E. Managa, e-mail: [email protected]  

Co-supervisors : Prof A. T. Kuvarega and Prof M. J. Moloto

Bi-based photocatalysts have been considered suitable materials for water disinfection under natural solar light due to their outstanding optical and electronic properties. However, until now, there are not extensive work about the development of Bi-based materials and their application in bacterial inactivation in aqueous solutions. The work will focus on the fabrication visible-light-driven (VLD) photocatalysts such as bismuth (Bi)-based compounds conjugated to porphyrins.

Acid-assisted modification of coconut natural fibers and nutshells to enhance their effectiveness in the removal of dyes in textile wastewater (Masters Level)

Supervisors : Dr M. P. Mubiayi, e-mail: [email protected]

Co-supervisors: Dr T. N. Moja, Dr M. E. Managa

Dyes utilized in the textile industry are generated daily and are classified as one of the biggest pollutants of water. This is due to the declining water quality which could negatively affect human health. To remediate and mitigate the effect of dyes on the environment, studies on the use of cost-effective materials are important. Hence, the utilization of natural fibers as adsorbents of pollutants including dyes is significant since it requires minimal chemical modification, is an environmentally friendly process, and contributes to the use of waste.  Coconut trees are farmed and used in many countries and produce waste in the form of nutshells and fibers. This study will focus on the use of coconut fibers and pulverized nutshells to remove dyes in wastewater. Natural fibers will be removed from the coconut shells, the shells will be pulverized and both treated with different low-concentrated acids to investigate the enhancement of their adsorption capacity to remove dyes.

Anion exchange resins functionalized with metal oxide nanoparticles for the remediation of Per- and Polyfuoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water ( Doctoral Level )

Supervisor: Prof L.-A. de Kock, e-mail: [email protected]

Co-supervisors: Prof A. T. Kuvarega and Dr M. E. Managa

Per- and Polyfuoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent “forever” chemicals. Their presence in water sources has been well documented, as have their toxicity and bio-accumulation properties. They present a significant health concern. The mechanism of PFAS uptake by anion exchange resins with amino functional groups has been reported. The mechanism of uptake is reported to be influenced by diffusion, electrostatic interactions and hydrophobic effects. The adsorption of PFAS is also influence by competing anions found in water. This study will investigate the effect of incorporating metal oxide nanoparticles into the ion exchange resin as well as the impact of competing ions. The exhausted resins will also be regenerated in order to determine the mechanisms of preferential adsorption for the different species.

Integrated Advanced Oxidation Processes/Membrane Technology for removal of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in water (Doctoral Level)

Supervisor: Prof A. T. Kuvarega, e-mail: [email protected]

Co-supervisors : Dr M. E. Managa, Dr P. Mubiayi

This project entails the use of visible light energy to activate various chemical oxidants for enhanced degradation of CEC and fabrication of inorganic membranes for filtration of water containing CECs. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) encompasses a broad range of chemical processes in which highly oxidative radicals are generated at ambient temperature and pressure.  The radicals are generally non-selective towards the oxidative degradation of organic compounds and hence AOPs have found wide applications in environmental decontamination including water and wastewater treatment.  In-situ generation of the reactive radicals is facilitated by use of oxidants such as ozone (O 3 ), peroxydisulfate (S 2 O 8 2- ), peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and/or by use of high energy UV photons, solar light, ultrasound energy or electric current or a combination of these processes. Integrated approaches based on coupling AOPs with membrane processes have recently been reported as promising innovations in the field of pollutant degradation. The design of visible light responsive engineered catalysts coupled with oxidant activation systems is envisaged to accelerate the degradation of contaminants as the chemical oxidants increases the quantum efficiencies through generation of more oxidative free radicals or scavenging of photogenerated conduction band electrons.  The degradation of pollutants by AOPs rarely results in complete degradation of pollutants hence the integration with membrane processes as the water polishing step.  In this project, visible light active photocatalysts will be integrated with chemical oxidants and membrane filtration processes for the removal of emerging and hard-to-degrade organic pollutants in polluted water. Focus will be on wastewater from various wastewater treatment plants in South Africa.

Application of peracetic acid activated graphene oxide quantum dots doped natural zeolite for contaminated water treatment (Doctoral Level)

Supervisor: Dr AA Muleja; Email: [email protected]

Co-supervisors : Prof A. T. Kuvarega, Dr I. Kamika

This project presents an attempt to simultaneously degrade organics and disinfect contaminated water. An approach combining PAA activated by graphene oxide quantum dots (GQDs) and natural zeolite will be developed to treat contaminated water. Materials will be characterized with various techniques including microscopic, spectroscopic, thermal, optical, and mechanical analytical instruments. Several influential parameters such as effects of initial pH, contact time, PAA concentration, GQDs loading, and temperature will be studied. The mode of operation i.e., adsorption, filtration and advanced oxidation process will be assessed during the projected experiments. The application of this study will be achieved in a modular pilot scale working system.

Project Title: Solar-powered overall water splitting system: use of plastic waste as co-catalyst (Masters Level)

Supervisor: Dr Xolile Fuku, Email: [email protected]

Co-supervisors : Dr Mxolisi Motsa, and Prof Mesfin Kebede

As a promising substitute for fossil fuels, hydrogen has emerged as a clean and renewable energy. A key challenge is the efficient production of hydrogen to meet the commercial-scale demand of hydrogen. Water splitting electrolysis is a promising pathway to achieve the efficient hydrogen production in terms of energy conversion and storage in which catalysis or electrocatalysis plays a critical role. The development of active, stable, and low-cost catalysts or electrocatalysts is an essential prerequisite for achieving the desired electrocatalytic hydrogen production from water splitting for practical use.

Project Title: Microfluidic Electrochemical (geno)Sensors water monitoring system: Screening of Emerging Pollutants in Waters and Aquatic Species (Masters Level)

Co-supervisors : Prof Lawrence Madikizela and Dr Kutloano Sekhosana,

Water quality monitoring of drinking, waste, fresh and  seawaters  is of great importance to ensure safety and wellbeing for humans, fauna and flora. Researchers are developing robust  water monitoring   microfluidic  devices but, the delivery of a cost-effective, commercially available platform has not yet been achieved. Conventional water monitoring is mainly based on laboratory instruments or sophisticated and expensive handheld probes for on-site analysis, both requiring trained personnel and being time-consuming. As an alternative, microfluidics has emerged as a powerful tool with the capacity to replace conventional analytical systems.

Visible Light Driven Mixed Matrix Membrane Reactor System for Desalination (Doctoral Level )

Supervisor : Prof Edward Nxumalo, Email: [email protected]

Co-supervisors: Prof L. Shao, Prof B. B. Mamba

This is a SASOL funded project that looks at the fabrication of nanostructured mixed matrix photocatalytic membranes for the mitigation of biofouling in reverse osmosis (RO) processes. Through the agency of photocatalytic nanocomposites, the membranes are tailored for RO purposes, assessed for the degradation of microorganisms, their by-products and the degradation of selected organics found in industrial wastewater. A systems reactor tailored for combined photocatalytic and RO system will be fabricated to evaluate the performance of the membranes under real industrial parameters. Ultimately a prototype of a reactor system tailored for bio and organic fouling in RO systems will be fabricated and texted.

Nanostructured metal doped-metal oxide/reduce graphene oxide composites for sustainable environmental remediation (Doctoral Level)

Supervisor: Prof RM Moutloali; e-mail contact [email protected]

Co-supervisors: Prof M. Kebede, Prof F. G. Hone

Environmental remediation is a worldwide idea to provide a sustainable environment, alongside industrialization and rapid urbanization. Harmful organic and inorganic wastes are discharged into water systems by industry and households. This reality urgently requires a suitable wastewater treatment technology to efficient treat the contaminated water for general use by society. Metal oxide nanoparticles have been shown to photo-catalytically degrade these water contaminants. The significant features of the photocatalytic system are the desired band gap, suitable morphology, high surface area, stability and reusability. A variety of naturally abundant metal oxides (MOs) such as TiO 2 , ZnO, SnO 2 , WO 3 and CeO 2 have been extensively used as heterogenous photocatalysts for several decades [3. 4]. These heterogeneous photocatalysis are widely used in the removal of dyes, heavy metals, trichloroethylene and nitrate in wastewater due to their large specific surface area and high reactivity. The incorporation of transitional metal elements such as Co, Ni, Fe, Sn, Cu, W, Ag, etc. into the MOs lattice, like ZnO, structure to tune their properties, including its photocatalytic visible-light response and efficiency. Those metals increase efficient separation and prevent the recombination electron/hole pairs and helps MOs materials exhibited high photocatalytic efficiency with good recyclability. MO composites integrated with carbon materials have also attracted a great deal of attention as photocatalysts for environmental treatment. The project proposes that enhancing the photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanocomposites through modulating the electron transport rate and reducing the charge recombination rate by employing reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in the formulation. The 2D rGO has high chemical stability, electron mobility, and large specific surface area as well as a potential supporting material for nanocomposites for suppressing the recombination of electron-hole pairs. These properties are beneficial for enhancing the photodegradation efficiency of the photocatalysts. The process and mechanisms will be studied both experimentally and computational methods.

Design and fabrications of low cost, highly efficient nanostructured/inorganic ordered heterojunction hybrid solar cells (Doctoral Level)

Supervisor: Prof M. Kebede , e-mail contact: [email protected]

Co-supervisors: Prof F. G. Hone, Dr M. J. Madito

Hybrid organic-inorganic solar cells are considered as an innovative alternative for the next generation of low-cost photovoltaic devices. There are many strategies to improve the hybrid solar cell (HSC) properties, in which the device architecture of the HSC shows a significant effect on the efficiency of the HSCs. Inorganic nanocrystals-polymer bulk heterojunction hybrid solar cells usually have device structure similar to those of organic solar cells. The conducted polymer/ hole transport layer PEDOT:PSS provides an anode buffer material that enables efficient hole extraction. The photoactive layers may be prepared usually by spin-coating a NC/polymer blend solution onto an ITO substrate to form a thin film with appropriate thickness. A top metal electrode/ contact such as Ag, Al and Au will use as cathode which may vacuum-deposited onto the photoactive layer.

The aim of this project is to design and fabricate low cost, highly efficient organic-inorganic ordered heterojunction hybrid solar cells.

Project title: Integration of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and Nanoenzymenes into electrospun cellulose-based polymer membranes (Doctoral Level)

Supervisor: Prof RM Moutloali; e-mail contact: [email protected]

Co-supervisors: Prof A. K. Mersha, Dr C. S. Tshangana

The project combines the expertise from the Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU) and Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS) in cellulose base science and membrane science for water treatment respectively. The project will explore the use of CNCs and nanozymes, synthetic materials that mimic enzyme functionality, into electrospun membranes for the remediation of persistent organic molecules in water as well as mitigate for growth of biofilms on the fibrous membrane structures. The synthetic approach and optimisation of CNCs and nanozymes will form the first of the project. This will be followed by their integration into the electrospun fibers using two approaches to assess the effect of the electrospun fiber structure on the activity and of the nanomaterials in organic compound degradation and inhibition of biomolecule growth on the fibers. The control of intra-fiber structure and relationship to nanomaterial interphase will be investigated to establish roles of the different preparation parameters on function and efficiency. Ultimately, the integrated nanomaterial-electrospun fiber membranes will be assessed under conditions in South Africa and Ethiopia leading to prototype development.

The development of high-entropy P 2 /O 3 biphasic cathode materials for rechargeable sodium-ion batteries for sodium-ion battery (Doctoral Level)

Supervisors: Prof M. A. Kebede, e-mail: [email protected]

Co-supervisors: Dr N. W. Hlongwa,  Dr A. Debebe, Dr A. Kindu

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are promising and appearing as the most competitive in the large-scale energy storage system application because of the abundance of Na resource on the earth, their high energy density, and similar working mechanism with LIBs. Layered high entropy transition metal oxide NaTMO 2 (TM=Mn, Ni, Co, etc.) cathodes have attracted great attention as a potential high-capacity cathode materials for SIBs. This research project targets to synthesize, and characterize electrochemically stable high entropy layered cathode materials for advanced SIBs for large-scale stationary storage applications. After developing the cathode materials, they will be incorporated into full cell, and pouch cells for batttery pack assembly.

Fabrication of carbon block membranes from carbon feedstock for water treatment and energy efficiency (Masters Level)

Main supervisor : Dr A.A. Muleja, E-mail : [email protected]

Co-supervisor : Dr N. Shiba

This project seeks to valorise waste into carbon block membranes for drinking water treatment and energy production to ensure sustainability. Dry and/or wet carbon-based waste will be transformed into biochar and extruded into membranes. The biochar will be extruded to tubular membranes and evaluated for point of use system of drinking water. Furthermore, the gases released during biochar synthesis will be analysed and converted into energy for various uses i.e. heating; electricity and/or fuel. Gas/liquid chromatography will be performed to understand the products (water and gases) whereas focused beam reflectance measurement will be used for  in-situ  analysis of the process synthesis.  

Last modified: 2023/09/19

We have 423 project based learning PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

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project based learning PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

Causal machine learning in aerospace phd, phd research project.

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

Self-Funded PhD Students Only

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Investigating Quantum Machine Learning for Cyber Security

Machine learning and deep learning for advanced medical imaging and diagnostics, harnessing machine learning to mitigate adverse outcomes of preterm birth, funded phd project (students worldwide).

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Self-Supervised Learning for Complex Visual Understanding

Sustainable and robust federated learning for cyber threats detection in 5g networks, a unified approach based on semantic models and continuous deep learning to sensor data uncertainty and inconsistency in smart systems, application of universal design and universal design for learning (udl) in post compulsory education, simulation-based quantum machine learning for advancing ai, epsrc dtp phd studentship in unsupervised and self-supervised machine learning for quantitative mri [fully funded], competition funded phd project (students worldwide).

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but potential funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Enhanced Deep Learning and Semantic-based Predictive Analytics for Reactive IoT Applications and Streaming Data

Simulation-based education for allied health professions (project id shsc0056), optimising dynamic scheduling in smart manufacturing through reinforcement learning phd, 1 year: mres project: investigating the role of machine learning algorithms in the valuation of real estate tokenised assets, self-funded 3.5-year phd – automatic segmentation of femur using deep learning combined with phantomless calibration for rapid personalised fracture risk predictions in clinical applications.

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LSU Writing Project Participates in Place-Based Writing Retreat

September 05, 2024

BATON ROUGE, LA - The LSU Writing Project held its first place-based Invitational Summer Institute on Mallard Island in the Rainy Lake Watershed, north of International Falls, Minnesota. Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell, PhD , director of the LSU Writing Project, received a grant from the Ernest Oberholtzer Foundation to host the week-long writing institute.

Joining Sulentic Dowell for the week of writing, research, and generative conversations around interdisciplinary connections to water were Bethany Hager, executive director of Louisiana A+ Schools, Hayley Linder, doctoral student in the School of Education, and LSU alumni Alvera McMillan, PhD, educational coordinator of LSU Sea Grant , Brittany Pike, PhD, director of teacher engagement for Cyber.org , and Laurie Salvail, PhD, executive director of Cyber.org .

Their week began as guests of Minneapolis-based visual artist Ellie Kingsbury, who hosted the group at her home and curated a visit to George Floyd Square. During the week, participants engaged in an Anishinaabe Ceremony with Elder Pebaamibines from the Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation, located in the Treaty Three Territory in northwestern Ontario. He is the Oberholtzer Foundation’s Elder-in-Residence and the author of  Daga Anishinaabemodaa: Let's Speak Ojibwe . On the return trip, participants also visited Voyagers National Park and Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis.

“The week was extremely productive; we were surrounded by the flora and fauna of Rainy Lake and quite isolated, living and working in rustic structures, free of distractions and modern amenities such as running water and cell phone service,” said Sulentic Dowell. “That isolation fueled our creativity – collectively, we produced seven draft manuscripts, two completed manuscripts, planned three grants, completed one renewal grant, and crafted one leadership plan.”

The LSU Writing Project, established in 1985, is a site of the National Writing Project .

About the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education (SOE)

A school of the College of Human Sciences & Education, the SOE offers undergraduate programs for students who want to pursue a career as a pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade teacher or acquire dual certification in traditional elementary and special education classrooms. In addition, SOE offers 3 graduate certificates, 17 master’s degree program areas, 9 EdS certificate programs, and 2 PhD degrees in 11 areas of focus. SOE’s focus is not only on preparing highly qualified teachers but also on preparing educational leaders, curriculum studies scholars, educational technology experts, applied researchers, higher education professionals, school counselors, and clinical mental health counselors. SOE specializes in scholarly expertise regarding pressing educational and wellness issues across the entire lifespan.

Visit the LSU Lutrill and Pearl Payne School of Education.

The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division of Louisiana State University. The college comprises the School of Education, the School of Information Studies, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development, and the School of Social Work. CHSE has two model demonstration schools: the Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool, which enrolls birth to age four, and the University Laboratory School, which enrolls kindergarten through grade 12. The college also has four centers and institutes: the Early Childhood Education Institute, the Healthy Aging Research Center, the Leadership Development Institute, and the Social Research & Evaluation Center. The college is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and improving quality of life across the lifespan.

Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education website.

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Research Projects for PhD/ MA Students 2022 - 2025 (Supervisor: Prof Juan A Nel)

Three ongoing research projects are available in 2022 (see list below). , fields of specialisation: sexology; community psychology; victimology; social psychology  .

Research Focus Areas: Sexology: Psychology of sexual and gender diversity (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons); Heterosexism in Psychology; Psychology of sexuality in Africa. Community Psychology & Victimology: Crime and violence prevention/ trauma intervention - the victim empowerment and support movement, with a specific focus on the sexually and gender-diverse and other victims of hate; Community organising; Hate victimisation. Social Psychology: Management of diversity and social transformation. Group Psychotherapy; group facilitation skills, with a specific focus on those on the margins.

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3. Co-publication of research outputs emanating from the postgraduate studies is a non-negotiable.

Last modified: 2023/08/07

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• Why UniSA for a PhD

Connect with UniSA's PhD candidates

At UniSA, we provide oppportunities for prospective and existing partners to engage with our PhD candidates.

By connecting with our PhD candidates, you can help to provide valuable learning opportunities, solve challenges in research and enhance our graduates' employability. 

Why connect with our PhD candidates?

Research expertise.

UniSA PhD programs deliver highly skilled researchers who become experts in their chosen field.

Enterprising futures

Our graduates are job-ready, equipped with knowledge and ready to contribute to your organisation.

Skills in practice

Provide an opportunity for experiential learning, enabling PhD candidates to build their skills in the workplace and beyond.    

Careers in focus

Support a PhD candidate's professional development goals and career ambitions.

Ways to connect

Co-design a research project.

Has your organisation identified a particular problem that requires investigation through research? Engage with us to co-design a bespoke project-based research degree that will deliver real outcomes to your business or industry more broadly.

• Structured involvement  – A co-designed research project requires a shared commitment from your organisation and UniSA to ensure a mutually beneficial outcome.
• Moderate time commitment – Nominate an expert from within your organisation to be part of a supervisory team and provide the student with local insight and end-user expertise
• Overall duration of up to four years for a full-time PhD candidate  – there may be different time requirements at key stages of the PhD, and depending on the research degree.  

Mentoring offers opportunities for PhD candidates to gain awareness and insights directly from you about your workplace, industry, values and purpose. This can be undertaken directly between the mentor and candidate or through a formal mentoring scheme.

• Flexible involvement  – the frequency and schedule can be negotiated by the mentor and the candidate. 
• Low to moderate time commitment  – no more than one session every two months. 
• Overall duration anywhere between 1-3 years  – this can be determined as the relationship progresses. 

Industry placement or internship

A placement is a way for a PhD candidate to understand  and work with an  organisation  on a problem. An internship involves the candidate spending time within your  organisation , usually undertaking a research project of interest to all parties. The research project may  or may not be  directly linked with the candidate’s thesis topic.   

• Structured involvement  – there will be an agreed-upon project scope and objectives.  
• Moderate time commitment  – a placement can be set up for autonomous work, or integrated with your organisation as desired.  
• Short term duration  – approximately six weeks to six months maximum.  

The Australian Government facilitates  rebate-based  internship opportunities for PhD candidates via the APR Intern Scheme , to which you can apply directly .  

Join a supervisory panel

A supervisory panel guides a PhD candidate through their research  degree , making sure their project is academically sound and industry relevant. As an e nd-user advisor on a supervisory panel , you  will support the academic supervisory panel with  project co-creation (idea development, in-kind and/or  funding   contributions, etc.) , mentoring the candidate, career development support, and/or providing resources, exposure and experiences related to your industry.  

• Flexible involvement – you may wish to contribute to multiple aspects of the project, or  take a specific role as an end-user advi sor .  
• Moderate time commitment – this can be negotiated with other members of the supervisory panel and the candidate early in the project.  

Find out more

For additional information or to learn about the requirements of working with our research students please contact us .

Explore Enterprising Research Degrees further

Australian students

Phone: +61 8 8302 2376 Enquiry: unisa.edu.au/enquiry

International students

Phone: +61 8 9627 4854 Enquiry: unisa.edu.au/enquiry