From climate change to cognitive health, iPhD students are tackling today’s challenges with the resources, networks, and power of three institutions.
Imagine running your own clinical trial, as part of your PhD studies, to determine the effects of a company’s product on cognitive function. That’s exactly what iPhD student Stefanie Evas is doing.
Stefanie is part of a unique collaboration between CSIRO, the University of Adelaide, and New Zealand-based dairy cooperative, Fonterra. Her research explores how specific fats and amino acids in dairy might support cognition, mood, and sleep in older adults. Using cutting-edge neuroimaging and cognitive testing, she’s helping Fonterra evaluate how its products could improve brain health, and potentially contribute to the wellbeing of ageing populations.
This kind of research — driven by science, grounded in real-world impact, and supported by a network of experts — is at the heart of CSIRO’s Industry PhD (iPhD) program. It’s a four-year PhD pathway that brings together post-graduate students, researchers, and industry to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in health, environment, energy, tech and beyond.
If you want your PhD to count — for your career, for your community, and for the planet — the CSIRO iPhD might just be the path for you.
Not your average PhD: Inside CSIRO’s iPhD program
If you’re interested in research that makes a real difference — not just in academia but in industry, government, and the wider world — CSIRO’s Industry PhD (iPhD) program is a game-changing opportunity.
Unlike a traditional PhD, the iPhD is built on an unparalleled level of collaboration. Each project is co-designed and co-supervised by three partners: a university, an industry organisation, and CSIRO. That means students get the best of all three worlds — deep academic rigour, access to industry resources and challenges, and world-class scientific expertise.
“I’m lucky to be able to learn and work with a great team of industry and academic experts from multiple disciplines.”
— Kristin Magarry, iPhD student
The program runs over four years and is designed to equip students with both advanced research skills and industry readiness. iPhD candidates work on real-world problems identified by industry and supported by CSIRO’s national research infrastructure and multidisciplinary teams.
For scholars, that means building a strong network across sectors, gaining hands-on experience in applied research, and contributing to projects that are aligned with practical applications — whether it’s improving food systems, protecting biodiversity, advancing clean energy, or developing new technologies.
“Most of the skills I’ve learnt have been about how to balance lots of interests and keep everyone happy and to negotiate. The project I’m about to run is a combination of lots of people’s interests, all in one clinical trial.”
— Stefanie Evas, iPhD student
A world of research opportunities — and they’re open now
Every iPhD project begins with a challenge — a real-life challenge or industry-relevant issue that needs smart, research-driven solutions. And right now, CSIRO and its partners are offering a wide range of these challenges to prospective PhD students across the country.
Take methane emissions, for example. As one of the most potent greenhouse gases, methane plays a significant role in climate change, but tracking it in the atmosphere is no easy feat. One upcoming iPhD project will be tackling this by combining AI and satellite imagery to detect methane plumes and measure emission rates. It’s the kind of work that could change how we monitor — and ultimately reduce — Australia’s climate impact.
Then there’s a project focused on RNA, the molecule at the heart of everything from vaccines to gene regulation. By using machine learning to predict how small molecules interact with RNA, another iPhD project could pave the way for breakthroughs in drug discovery and biotechnology.
And in Queensland, another iPhD student will be investigating how we can better locate and extract the critical minerals needed to power the clean energy transition — without compromising sustainability. Their work will help fingerprint mineral deposits by analysing the unique geochemistry of Australia’s continental margins.
These are just a few examples of the many scholarship-funded iPhD projects currently awaiting research scholars. In fact, CSIRO is on track to launch 450 iPhD projects across Australia between 2022 and 2033. The opportunities currently span agriculture, health, data science, energy, and more — each one offering the chance to work alongside CSIRO experts and industry partners on research that truly matters. And each project outlines the ideal background and skillset of the student researcher, so it’s easy to find one that matches your strengths and interests.
Revolutionising the PhD experience: the CSIRO iPhD advantage
A traditional PhD is often a solitary pursuit — long hours in a lab or library, limited exposure to industry, and research outcomes that might take years to reach the real world. CSIRO’s iPhD flips that model on its head.
From day one, iPhD students are embedded in a network of support and opportunity. Because projects are jointly developed and designed through cross-sector partnerships that include industry, the research is inherently applied — shaped by real-world needs, and informed by experts who know what impact looks like on the ground.
“The amount and the diversity of what I’ve learned in the program means that, three years in, I’m very, very happy with the decision I made to be part of it.”
— Stefanie Evas
Students benefit from:
- Industry exposure: Work on challenges identified by organisations who will use your findings
- CSIRO supervision: Access to top-tier researchers and facilities across Australia’s national science agency
- Career-readiness: Develop not just research expertise, but skills in communication, stakeholder engagement, and innovation — the kind of capabilities that open doors in academia, industry, and government alike
- Financial support: students receive a scholarship valued at $48,000+ per year plus operating expenses of $13,000+ per year (amounts increase each year)
Increased facilities and equipment access: students gain greater access to a wider range of facilities and instruments because they’re able to use such equipment from CSIRO, their partner university, and their industry partner
“Biosensis [my industry partner] gave me access to quality lab materials, CSIRO gave me access to statisticians and IT professionals, and the university gave me a strong structured program to support my PhD journey… And the benefits for me personally — I’ve got an amazing exposure to the manufacturing and industry environment I probably wouldn’t have got in a university lab.”
— Kym McNicholas, iPhD alumnus.
Because these projects tackle national-scale challenges — from food security to climate resilience to biomedical innovation — the impact is often both immediate and far-reaching. In short, the iPhD doesn’t just prepare you for a career in research. It prepares you for a career with impact.
Because your PhD should do more than gather dust
Whether you’re passionate about science, driven by impact, or looking to launch a career that bridges academic research and real-world application, CSIRO’s Industry PhD program offers a rare opportunity to do it all. You’ll gain advanced research skills, build lasting connections across sectors, and contribute to projects that matter — not someday, but now.
Applying is simple: browse the current opportunities, choose a project, and follow the instructions to apply directly through the partner university. Scholarships are awarded competitively, so it’s worth applying early.
If you want your PhD thesis to help shape a smarter, more sustainable future, find your iPhD project now, take your research skills to where they’re needed most, and step into a future you can help create.