Landscape-scale modelling of drought adaptation strategies for Australian mixed farming systems

About the research project

Drought remains one of the most significant constraints on Australian mixed farming systems, affecting crop yields, pasture production, water availability, and farm profitability. This HDR project will contribute to a major national collaboration between the Department of Agriculture, the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, and Charles Sturt University aimed at understanding and improving drought resilience across landscapes. The project will leverage a coordinated set of field interventions across four experimental sites, each targeting different strategies to improve drought adaptation, including soil and water management, agronomic interventions, and farm-level decision-making.

The student will develop and apply integrated climate–crop–soil–landscape models to quantify drought risk, diagnose vulnerability hotspots, and test the effectiveness of adaptation strategies across contrasting environments. This may include modelling soil water dynamics, pasture and crop growth under variable climate drivers, impacts of drought on feed supply, and the benefits of interventions such as soil amendments, improved rotations, altered grazing intensity, or precision water management. The project will incorporate high-resolution climate datasets, on-ground measurements from field experiments, remote sensing, and process-based or machine-learning models to generate spatially explicit analyses of drought outcomes.

A key objective is to understand how drought adaptation strategies perform not only at the paddock scale, but across entire landscapes where interactions between soils, topography, microclimates, and management decisions shape resilience. The student will work in a multidisciplinary environment spanning agronomy, climate science, agricultural systems modelling, and farm economics, with opportunities for field visits and collaboration with national project partners.

The candidate will gain expertise in climate risk assessment, modelling frameworks (such as APSIM, landscape hydrology models, or ML-based predictors), spatial analysis, and scenario testing. Findings will directly support development of drought-ready farming recommendations and inform national policy aimed at strengthening climate resilience across Australian agriculture.

This project is suitable for students with backgrounds in agricultural science, environmental science, climate science, geography, modelling, or related fields. Strong quantitative skills and an interest in systems thinking will be highly valued.

Primary supervisor

Meet Doctor Ke Liu

Funding

Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:

• a living allowance stipend funded by University of Tasmania of $34,315 per annum for 3.5 years
• a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)

A tuition fee offset may be offered to eligible international applicants following competitive assessment 

As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.

Other funding opportunities and fees

For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees for undertaking a research degree, please visit our Scholarships and fees on research degrees page.

Eligibility

Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.

Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.

Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:

• Applicants must be able to undertake the project on-campus

Selection criteria

The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.

Additional essential selection criteria specific to this project:

• High levels of knowledge and research skills in agricultural science, crop modelling, climate change, mathematics, engineering or meteorology
• Evidence of research capability from peer-reviewed publications
• Experience in field, glasshouse and laboratory based research
• Experience in process-based crop modelling (e.g. APSIM Next Gen, DSSAT) and programming (e.g. R and Phyton)
• Excellence in written and oral communication
• Relevant degree in agricultural Science

Application process

1. Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
2. Contact Doctor Ke Liu to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
3. In your application:
   • Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
   • Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
4. Apply prior to 1 October 2026.

Full details of the application process can be found under the ' How to apply ' section of the Research Degrees website.

Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.

Apply nowExplore other projects