Research areas

The program encourages students and postdoctoral fellows to submit proposals that are in novel or emerging areas of the program. The program coordinator will ensure that all applicants meet the requirements, and the research areas fit the training program. Approximately 40% will be mainly water-based projects, 40% energy-based projects and 20% with equally balanced aspects of water, energy and sustainability. A short research proposal (1 page maximum included in the nomination form) must be prepared and submitted through the professor. Identify a professor from the list of co-applicants in your area(s) of research interest through this site. Interested candidates are required to contact the professors that will advance and broaden the impact/scope of the proposed research, and present a plan for their own professional development in the areas of water, energy and sustainability. The proposed investigation should be interdisciplinary and allow him/her to obtain research experiences beyond his/her current core disciplinary expertise. The potential areas include (but not restricted to):

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

• Innovative technologies to capture, store, distribute, and optimize renewable energy resources
• Integration of renewable energy resources into existing energy systems
• Fossil fuels, biofuels and biorefineries
• Fuel cells
• Climate change and carbon budgeting
• New urban planning and building design practices

Water and Energy

• Water quality and purification
• Wastewater treatment technologies and strategies, with focus on energy requirements, greenhouse gas emissions and waste production
• Surface and groundwater supply, quality, and monitoring
• Remediation and restoration of contaminated waters
• Eco-toxicity and risk assessment of aquatic environments
• Urban storm water, urban drainage, rainwater harvesting and aquaculture
• Watershed hydrology, simulation and modeling
• Effect of climate change on impacts of water resources

Sustainability

Students are given opportunities to address environmental and sustainability challenges with regional, national, and international significance.

• Integrating socio-economic policy and legislation system considerations into technological innovations; interaction between science, policy and decision making
• Environmental and natural resource governance
• Environmental planning and management