Supply chains after the shake: A freight transport model to understand resilience and recovery in Aotearoa New Zealand after an earthquake

About this opportunity

If you have a background in logistics or freight transportation and a knack for simulation modelling, this project could be for you. New Zealand’s supply chains are critical to the country’s economy and the wellbeing of society. When disaster strikes, these supply chains are disrupted, often with dire consequences to businesses and consumers.

Transport models are frequently used by government agencies to anticipate the impact of disasters and test the efficacy of recovery strategies. These computer simulations incorporate historical traffic data, infrastructure data, assumptions based on expert opinion and more to create a representation of reality that policy makers can experiment with to support decision making. Freight transport is usually included in these models as a rough-grained estimate. This PhD will leverage ongoing research about freight transport behaviour to build a first iteration of a New Zealand freight transport model. This model will then be used to test the functionality and level of service of freight transport systems across a range of disaster and recovery scenarios, informed by case history. The assessment of both physical network investment and supply chain strategies will enable improved post-earthquake logistics capabilities.

Location

The successful student will be based in Hamilton, enrolled in a PhD in Management at the Waikato Management School.

Scholarship Value

This PhD is funded by QuakeCoRE (https://quakecore.nz/) as a part of Inter-disciplinary Programme 3: A Resilient Aotearoa New Zealand Transport System (https://quakecore.nz/research-qc2/ip3/). As such, the project will tap into data and models developed across several PhD projects (past and ongoing) within the QuakeCoRE community.

Being a part of the QuakeCoRE community will offer opportunities to network with PhD students and academics across all of New Zealand’s major universities. In addition, students attend the Annual Meeting and other networking events and engage with practitioners across a range of organisations involved in earthquake resilience initiatives.

Expected start date: 1 November 2025

Funding: NZD 34,000 stipend p.a., NZD 8,000 p.a. for fees

Duration of funding: 3 years

Eligibility

This vacancy has additional eligibility criteria:

• A strong background in at least one of: freight transportation, logistics, supply chain management
• Experience in simulation modelling, ideally as part of an undergraduate/postgraduate capstone project or masters thesis.
• Coding competence and willingness to learn new coding languages or work with different simulation platforms.
• Excellent communication skills in English (written and spoken)
• A passion for the topic.

The application process

The chief supervisor is on parental leave from 17 April 2025 - 31 October 2025. To ensure that your application

The application process:
Interested candidates should compile an application in a single PDF document comprising:

1) a letter of motivation that clearly outlines your interest in the advertised project,
2) a curriculum vitae, including scientific publications if applicable,
3) academic transcripts,
4) a three-page proposal that displays your ability to conceptualise a project of this kind in the New Zealand context, and
4) contact details for two academic references.

This application should be sent to Dr Nadia M Trent (nadia.trent@waikato.ac.nz).

Very important: Dr Trent is on parental leave from 17 April 2025 until 31 October 2025. To ensure that your application is considered, add the key phrase "QUAKECORE PHD" to your email subject. Emails without this key phrase will not be read.

Each applicant must apply concurrently for admission to the UOW Doctoral Programme.

Timeline

The advert will remain open until the position is filled, with applications reviewed from end of July 2025.

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