PhD Scholarship in optimising the cost of owning and operating centralised chilled water plants

PhD Scholarship in optimising the cost of owning and operating centralised chilled water plants

Investigate the effects of maintenance and operation, load and run time on the expected life and total cost of a chiller.

The PhD project will be completed in the School of Engineering and is funded by a generous 3-year scholarship by the RACE for 2030 Collaborative Research Centre in collaboration with industry partner Exergenics.

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RACE for 2030 will provide a living stipend scholarship for three years of $38,000 per annum (tax-exempt). RMIT University may award fee scholarship to cover program fees for eligible international candidates on a case-by-case basis. RACE for 2030 will also supply up to $3,000 per annum for expenses for the candidate, for items such as a computer, publishing fees, and travel or conference costs.

Open now. 

The application will close once the position is filled.

One scholarship is available. 

  • Applicants must have a first-class or 2A honours or a master's degree in mechanical/mechatronics engineering or equivalent in a related discipline
  • Applicants must satisfy RMIT University’s Doctor of Philosophy entry requirements
  • International applicants must also meet the minimum English language requirements.

Interested applicants should email Dr Ben Cheng ben.cheng@rmit.edu.au and Dr Toh Yen Pang tohyen.pang@rmit.edu.au with the following information

  1. Cover letter outlining interest and alignment with the proposed research, and addressing the eligibility criteria (also see "Further information below")
  2. CV (including the names of two referees)
  3. Copy of Honours/Masters thesis or a first-authored published peer-reviewed journal paper

Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to an interview. The selected applicant will be supported to develop a formal PhD application to RMIT. A scholarship application will only be successful if the prospective candidate is provided with an offer for admission from RMIT University.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate:

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
  • Strong computational, programming, algorithms, and data analysis skills. 
  • Outstanding research skills

Capacity to work independently and as a part of a team. Applicants with the following knowledge and/or experience are highly preferred: 

  • Heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) knowledge and/or experience 
  • Building services industry knowledge and/or experience, particularly in mechanical services 
  • A track record of published (or at least submitted) research articles

Dr Ben Cheng ben.cheng@rmit.edu.au and Dr Toh Yen Pang tohyen.pang@rmit.edu.au.

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RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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