Australian Research Council (ARC) Funded PhD Opportunity at Faculty of Engineering: High-Speed Rail and Sustainable City Sizes in Australia
Location: Clayton campus
Department/Unit: Monash Institute of Transport Studies, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Employment Type: Full-time
Graduate Research Degrees: 3291 - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Duration: 3.5-year fixed-term appointment
Remuneration: AUD 36,063 per annum (tax-free stipend) (2025 rate)
Monash Engineering is a leading global centre for research consistently placing highly in international ranking lists. We engage with industry and other world leading institutes to carry out pioneering research that benefits society and changes the world around us. Our world-class researchers are driven by a passion and commitment to leaving a more sustainable legacy for future generations.
We are committed to training the next generation of research leaders through our graduate research degrees. Our students have the opportunity to make an impact and solve real world issues in a stimulating, supportive environment with access to cutting edge facilities.
The Opportunity
We are seeking 2-4 outstanding PhD candidates to join a nationally significant research program funded by the Australian Research Council Discovery Project titled “Discovering the sustainable size of cities”. This interdisciplinary project investigates how high-speed rail (HSR) investments could reshape the size, structure, and sustainability of Australian cities.
The project brings together a world-class team of researchers from Monash University and international partners, including Assoc Prof Liton Kamruzzaman, Prof Hai Vu, Prof Graham Currie, Prof Eric Miller (University of Toronto), and Prof Roger Vickerman (University of Kent). Together, the team aims to:
- Define sustainable size of cities.
- Develop the first national land use–transport interaction (LUTI) model for Australia.
- Evaluate policy scenarios involving HSR to realign population growth with sustainability goals.
The selected PhD student(s) will join a vibrant team of postdocs, academics, and up to four PhD students working collaboratively across modelling, qualitative fieldwork, and optimisation techniques.
PhD Research Areas
The research team welcomes applications from highly motivated candidates interested in contributing to the ARC Discovery Project. While applicants are encouraged to propose their own ideas, the following areas reflect key research directions identified in the project and offer starting points for potential PhD topics:
- Theorising and Measuring Sustainable City Size
Develop a comprehensive framework for estimating sustainable city size by identifying key determinants (e.g., accessibility, agglomeration, emissions, equity), testing spatial boundary sensitivity, and broadening sustainability indicators beyond current proxies.
- High-Speed Rail (HSR) and National Spatial Optimisation
Examine how HSR infrastructure reshapes urban and regional population distribution, and develop a multi-objective optimisation framework to align the national HSR network with theoretical city sizes and sustainability outcomes.
- Cross-National Theory Testing
Evaluate the generalisability of the sustainable city size framework by applying it to international metropolitan regions, and assess how contextual factors affect its transferability.
- Governance Constraints on Urban Growth
Investigate institutional, political, and financial barriers to achieving theoretically optimal city sizes using qualitative methods, including stakeholder interviews and policy analysis.
- Integrating Theory into Dynamic Models
Embed the sustainable city size framework into dynamic land use–transport interaction (LUTI) models to enable scenario-based forecasting and planning under different infrastructure and policy conditions.
- Understanding Community Perceptions of HSR
Explore how local residents perceive the benefits, risks, and trade-offs associated with HSR infrastructure in their regions.
The successful applicant will design and conduct their own original research project under expert supervision, contributing directly to the Discovery Project objectives.
Candidate Requirements
Applicants will be considered provided they fulfil the criteria for PhD admission at Monash University. Details of the relevant requirements are available at www.monash.edu/engineering/future-students/graduate-research/how-to-apply.
Essential
- A first-class Honours Bachelor or Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., transportation, urban planning, geography, civil engineering, spatial science, or mathematics)
- Demonstrated ability to undertake high-quality research independently and collaboratively
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Desirable
- Experience with modelling tools (e.g., MATSim, UrbanSim, ActivitySim, GIS, or Statistics)
- Experience in stakeholder engagement or workshop facilitation
- Interest in multi-method or mixed-method research approaches
Note: applicants who already hold a PhD degree will not be considered.
Research Environment
You will be based in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering at Monash University, ranked #1 in Australia. The department hosts the Monash Institute of Transport Studies (ITS), which offers a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment focused on solving pressing urban mobility and infrastructure challenges. You will have access to:
- Dedicated research computing and storage infrastructure, supported by the Monash e-Research Centre, for high-performance transport and land use modelling.
- World-class transport modelling and simulation platforms (Driving Simulator, Data Visualisation Lab).
- Extensive spatial and demographic datasets across national and metropolitan scales, integrated through the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN).
- A collaborative and internationally connected team, working closely with experts in Australia, Canada, and the UK.
You will also benefit from Monash University’s comprehensive Graduate Research Development Program, which includes advanced training in research methods, publishing, grant writing, and career planning.
How to Apply
This is a two-stage application process:
Initial Screening and Interview
Interested applicants should email the following documents to Associate Professor Liton Kamruzzaman, md.kamruzzaman@monash.edu by 31 July 2025:
- A cover letter outlining your research interests and indicating your preferred PhD theme(s) within the project (if any).
- A CV that includes:
- Academic degrees with final grades and grading scale (if applicable)
- List of publications (if any)
- English Language Test Score (e.g., IELTS, TOEFL), if required
- Position in graduating class (e.g., top 5%, class rank), if available
- Academic awards, prizes, and recognitions
- Current residency status and country of residence
- Evidence of any scholarship(s) currently held
- Names and contact details of two referees
Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a virtual interview with the project team in early August 2025.
- Formal University Application
Candidates who progress past the interview will be invited to fill in an Expression of Interest form. This will enable the respective supervisor to issue an Invitation to Apply document, which will be needed to lodge a formal application to the university.
The final date for formal application submission is 31 August 2025.
Enquiries: Associate Professor Liton Kamruzzaman, md.kamruzzaman@monash.edu
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