Current postgraduate study opportunities

The ARC is a world-leader in Antarctic research. We are home to approximately 30 post-graduate students from around the world who contribute to projects in fields of research including glaciology, sea-level rise, and palaeoclimatology.

The following contestable and grant-funded PhD opportunities are currently available to suitable candidates.

Contestable opportunities

Deadline for application: 5 June 2026

The ARC receives an annual allocation of VUW Wellington Doctoral Scholarships (WDS). Below is a list of currently available PhD opportunities:

• Research area:  Linking process‑scale physics to regional glacier mass balance
• Research area: Signals in the Sea Ice: Microalgal Diversity Through Time in McMurdo Sound

To enquire, please send an expression of interest by 5 June 2026 to the contact supervisor stated on the relevant project description. Please include your CV, a transcript of your most recent degree, and a short letter of motivation.

Following discussions with supervisors, formal application for a Wellington Doctoral Scholarship is due by 1 July 2026. These applications will be reviewed by an ARC selection committee, with outcomes communicated in early August.

Grant-funded opportunities

Deadline for application: ongoing

The ARC hosts many research projects funded by government agencies, philanthropic organisations and international consortiums. These projects often include postgraduate research scholarships. Below is a list of currently available PhD opportunities.

You should forward your CV, transcript and cover letter/letter of introduction to the supervisor for the research project. Candidates will be assessed by the supervisor and contacted directly.

• Research area: Southern Hemisphere climate and cryosphere impacts from a tipping point in global ocean circulation