Apply for the University of Waikato PhD Scholarship 2026 in Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Receive NZ$35,000 Annually Plus University Fees

Overview

The University of Waikato in New Zealand offers a doctoral research opportunity in Logistics and Supply Chain Management focused on emergency fuel supply resilience and disaster management. Funded through the Natural Hazards and Resilience Platform, the project centres on developing a decision support tool that enables emergency management practitioners to simulate fuel supply disruptions, evaluate potential interventions, and improve the delivery of essential diesel fuel to critical services during and after natural disasters.

Who can apply

The scholarship is open to both domestic and international applicants who hold a master's degree in supply chain management, operations management, operations research, transport engineering, or a closely related field. Candidates are required to demonstrate previous experience in network analysis, optimisation modelling, simulation, analytical research, and coding and computational methods. Desirable qualifications that strengthen an application include knowledge of Geographic Information Systems, advanced statistical analysis, familiarity with fuel supply chains, freight resilience, and experience in emergency management and disaster response. Applicants must also possess strong communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate with emergency management practitioners, infrastructure organisations, commercial stakeholders, and government agencies.

What you get

The successful candidate receives an annual scholarship stipend of NZ$35,000 for a duration of 3.5 years. In addition to the stipend, the funding covers university tuition fees to support the researcher undertaking full-time doctoral studies.

Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete application package by email. The required documents include an updated curriculum vitae detailing academic qualifications, research experience, technical skills, employment history, and publications. Candidates must also provide official transcripts for both their bachelor's and master's degrees, along with a cover letter of no more than 400 words explaining their motivation and suitability for the project. Furthermore, applicants must submit a research proposal of no more than 1,000 words that includes a brief literature review with five to eight references, proposed research questions, a qualitative methodological approach, a quantitative methodological approach, and a list of references aligned with the project's focus on emergency fuel supply, network resilience, simulation, and decision support.

How to apply

Interested candidates must submit their application documents directly via email to the project supervisor, Dr Cécile L’Hermitte.

Key dates

Applications are currently open and must be submitted by the closing date of 15 December 2026.