2025 Minesite Rehabilitation Scholarships
Are you a PhD or Masters student researching coal mine rehabilitation? This is your chance to contribute to the future of sustainable mining practices in Queensland.
In 2025, two postgraduate scholarships are available for students conducting innovative research to enhance land rehabilitation measures for coal mines in Queensland.
Each scholarship provides $40,000 per year for up to 3 years, covering living expenses and supporting your research journey.
Research priorities
Applicants are encouraged to align their research proposals with one or more of the following key areas:
- Sustainable post-mining land uses including:
-> native ecosystem rehabilitation esp. listed communities and success criteria,
-> rehabilitation of agricultural land esp. subsidence impacts, and
-> landform design including final voids.
- Measurement of rehabilitation success esp. new and emerging technologies.
- Water management impacts – surface and groundwater quantity and quality.
- Mine closure and transition esp. working with communities to identify rehabilitation outcomes, meeting regional planning expectations, and evaluation of residual risk.
- Other relevant areas of environmental management for coal mining may be considered such as carbon sequestration from rehabilitated land and cumulative impacts.
How to apply
To apply, you’ll need to submit a brief proposal (no more than 10 pages) aligned with one or more of the research priorities listed above. See below for the forms and information required.
View the flyer
View the promotional flyer outlining details of the scholarships on offer.
View the guidelines
View the application guidelines, including criteria requirements and selection process.
Download the cover sheet
Complete and submit the cover sheet with your application
Meet Leigh – former scholarship recipient
Example research projects
Other example projects of current and past scholarship recipients include:
- Microbial Communities in an Ephemeral Stream System and the Implications of Saline Mine Discharge – University of Queensland;
- Water quality management of Queensland coal mining activities: Developing a framework for monitoring long-term environmental effects – Central Queensland University;
- Soil Organic matter and carbon sequestration in rehabilitated mine soils – University of Queensland; and
- Toolbox for assessing fish habitat & health re coal & gas land practices in Fitzroy Basin – Central Queensland University.
More information
Please contact Melissa Was with any further queries.
