PhD

Experience a stimulating intellectual environment and gain industry ready skills doing a PhD at Paihau—Robinson

PhD students at Paihau—Robinson are integral to our project team. They engage in collaborative research work within a research area alongside their academic learning work. The unique practical experience we offer students is highly sought-after by employers in New Zealand and overseas, who are looking for graduates with hands-on skills as well as recognised academic qualifications.

Graduates who have studied with Paihau—Robinson Research Institute find they can introduce the new technology and capability they have learned with us readily in their jobs. Their experience in project management often sees them advance to leadership positions within industry.

PhD research scholarships

Research grants fund these projects and include money for a research students. Current scholarships include:

High-current superconducting rectifiers for cutting-edge energy systems

Supervisor: Dr Dominic Moseley

High temperature superconductor (HTS) magnets enable magnetic fields far beyond the limits of conventional technologies, unlocking transformative applications in fusion energy, advanced propulsion, and high-efficiency electric machines. A critical bottleneck, however, is the efficient delivery of ultra-high DC currents required to fully realise these systems.

The Paihau-Robinson Research Institute (PRRI) is a world-leading centre for superconducting technologies, spanning materials development through to real-world deployment. This PhD project focuses on developing superconducting rectifiers (flux pumps)—a key enabling technology capable of delivering persistent high currents directly within cryogenic environments. While flux pumps delivering currents below 1 kA are well established, no system has yet demonstrated stable operation above 5 kA—a critical threshold for large-scale applications.

The primary goal of this PhD is to: Develop and experimentally demonstrate a conduction-cooled, transistor-based superconducting flux pump capable of delivering sustained currents above 5 kA.

For more information, see our scholarships website page.

Wellington Doctoral Scholarship

You might be eligible for a postgraduate schoalrship based on academic merit. Apply for a doctoral scholarship in March, July, or November.

MacDiarmid Institute PhD research scholarships

You can apply for a research project with The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology.

MacDiarmid Institute PhD Scholarships

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