Postgraduate Students

Before sending a Resume or any inquiry to CSES, please carefully read the information on postgraduate study at: http://www.anu.edu.au/graduate/

Highly motivated research students can apply to undertake PhD, Masters and Diplomarbeit projects with the Department of Engineering or specifically within the Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems. Projects are available in the areas of solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies, spanning the range from fundamental to applied research. People with higher degrees in the field of renewable energy have excellent employment prospects in this rapidly expanding sector of the economy.

Currently Available Topics

• Defect detection and quenching in silicon
• Silicon surface passivation
• Plasmon and nano PV science & technology
• Sliver and elongate solar cells
• High performance silicon concentrator solar cells
• Solar air conditioning
• Trough and dish concentrator systems and components
• Solar thermochemical and phase change energy storage
• Sustainable energy in Australia (economic, technical and social issues)
• Many other topics are available, by negotiation

Requirements for Postgraduate Students

As a guide, potential students should be able to demonstrate academic achievement to the level of:

• Australian students - 1st class or 2A Honours or equivalent
• Overseas students - Approximately the top 1% of your country in your field of study.

International PhD enquiries

Before you make contact with a potential supervisor we ask that you provide information to assist us to assess your suitability for PhD study in our centre. The information that we require is:

1. Contact details including name, nationality, address, email address, phone
2. Your curriculum vitae (CV) showing your full employment history
3. Academic qualifications (attach English language transcript). This should include as much relevant detail as possible – GPA (for both undergraduate and Masters, if applicable) details of ranking in final year cohort, any prizes or awards, papers, other relevant indicators
4. Your IELTS or TOEFL results obtained within the last two years
5. Your field of study preference – see http://solar.anu.edu.au/research/research.php for details of the areas of research undertaken in our centre
6. When you expect to start your PhD studies (year and semester)
7. How you expect to meet your study and living expenses during your PhD study period.  Please indicate whether you will be self funded or whether you expect to apply for a scholarship and what the scholarship source is.
8. Whether you have Australian permanent residency status.
   

Once we have this information and you have met all of these mandatory requirements we will send you a list of academic staff members who may be able to supervise your studies.

Please send your information to Solar@anu.edu.au.

Costs - Australians and permanent residents

Tuition fees are generally not payable.
Scholarships are available to provide a living allowance. Top-ups may be available (an extra $5,000-$15,000 per year) for suitably qualified applicants. More information
Possible income sources include:

• The Australian Postgraduate Award - contact us (and visit us if possible) and we will provide detailed information More information
• The Australian Postgraduate Award (Industry) - occasionally available when a member of the Centre has been awarded a grant with such a scholarship attached
• ANU scholarships
• Tutoring and paid employment in research groups

Application form for Australian students

Costs - Non-Australians

The Australian government charges tuition fees for students from overseas. The fees are around A$15,000 per year.
Living expenses also need to be covered (A$12,000-A$15,000 per year). Sources of money to meet these expenses include:

• Scholarships from your own country
• Overseas postgraduate research awards from ANU. These awards are very competitive. More information Application form
• Diplomarbeit students do not have to pay fees
• The Australian aid agency Ausaid offers scholarships to citizens of developing countries.

Occupational Trainees Visa

• For training, with limited employment
• No Australian citizen to be adversely affected
• Skilled people only

The ANU will lodge a nomination for occupational training with the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs on the student's behalf. Once approval has been given students must then lodge an application for an Occupational Trainee Visa. Such application is made at the Australian embassy in the student’s home country.

Students must have current medical insurance and it will be helpful if the student can arrange his/her own medical insurance in their own country before coming to Australia. Students may find that the cost of medical insurance in Australia is quite high.

The ANU provides worker's compensation insurance.

Students can informally attend lectures. The ANU may make a contribution towards travel and living expenses during the visit.

Note that the fee to apply for a PhD position is $75 if it is done on-line and $100 if it is a paper based application.