Four candidates in the TS–CRC’s environmental management Doctoral program talk about its appeal to those in the midst of busy careers.

The professional Doctorate in Tropical Environmental Management (DTEM) established at Charles Darwin University (CDU) in 2006, differs to the usual PhD in that it offers coursework as well as research, and a professional placement where candidates can conduct their research on the ground.

The coursework component gives candidates time to get back into the academic swing, and time to build skills and expertise in an area they plan to focus on during their research. The program is not restricted to Darwin however— CDU candidates can enrol externally and are required to take at least one unit at both the University of Queensland (UQ) and James Cook University (JCU).

The DTEM program was conceived by CDU’s Prof. Greg Hill and the former CEO of the Tropical Savannas CRC, Prof. Gordon Duff. The program was developed by Dr Penny Wurm, who leads the CRC’s Higher Education Program, with advice from Professor Helene Marsh at JCU and Dr Don Cameron at UQ.

An important element of the DTEM’s development was the input from industry through the CRC’s partner agencies, as well as from CRC partners James Cook University and the University of Queensland.

“The program has just hit the nail on the head for those students wanting to undertake advanced postgraduate study, but who are looking for an alternative to a conventional PhD,” explained Penny. “It’s structured so that it provides a way back in to the academic world, builds postgraduate skills and helps candidates focus their interest—preparing them for the two-year research component.”

The four foundation candidates in the program, Steve Gilmour, Julie Crough, Robert Sawyer and Peter Yates, are all established in their professions and share an interest in further study and research, yet they have very different professional backgrounds and research interests.

“The four candidates are heading in such different directions—it’s a very flexible program. It’s exciting to see how they are using the DTEM to move to where they want to position themselves professionally,” said Penny.

Steve Gilmour

Steve Gilmour has a degree in Engineering and a Masters in Business and Environmental Management and has managed his own consulting company, providing environmental and engineering advice for projects in northern Australia and East Timor. He was the first person to enrol in the DTEM in 2006. Steve has now completed the coursework component of the program, and as the first candidate, has done things a little differently to that first envisaged—he has also completed his professional placement with Darwin Waterfront Development, but is still developing his research portfolio.

“My coursework focused on ecology and natural resources, during which I developed an interest in ecosystem services and wetlands,” he said. “It is from this that my research proposal will come.”

“I would recommend the course absolutely,” he said. “The DTEM is an opportunity for people like myself who have quite a bit of professional experience and want to do more research. The coursework is a major plus; it brings you up to speed. You keep up with a lot of science for your work, but the course lets you do a range of subjects, and get broader experience.”

Robert Sawyer

Robert, like Steve, had his own environmental consulting company, based in NSW, which focused on assessments in areas such as bushfire risk and management, flora and fauna surveys, and whose clients were a mix of government agencies, commercial, industrial and private.

Keen for a switch in focus, Robert points to the likely change in development pressure on the way for northern Australia.

“It’s apparent that there are increasing development pressures in northern Australia and tropical environments worldwide,” he explained. “I want to be involved in guiding development down a more sustainable path in either the public or private sector, but hopefully the public.

His background is a Bachelor of Science with Honours, majoring in botany and ecology, with a focus on nutrient cycling, carbon cycling, and hydrological processes. “I want to take it to a more detailed level, and hopefully focus on the state of play with GIS and remote sensing,” he said.

He also wants to use the DTEM to become more familiar with practical applications of environmental chemistry.

He points to what he calls the uncritical acceptance of journal papers, without any questioning of the methodologies and approaches. “People didn’t seem to understand that a methodology that worked within one study did not necessarily scale up or translate to another,” he said.

He also agrees that the coursework is a useful way to re-enter the academic world as it updates and expands on past academic background. “It also gives an opportunity to make links with potential supervisors, rather than just start out with a research topic.

Julie Crough

Julie Crough has an Honours degree in Science and a Master of Science (Science Education) and has most recently been working in education and communication projects with the Tropical Savannas CRC. Julie has led the Tropical Knowledge in Schools project savanna.cdu.edu.au/education/tropical_savannas_k.html>, in collaboration with colleagues in the NT Department of Employment, Education & Training, and the TS–CRC.

The project is developing online resources for teachers and students that draw upon the latest research in Information Communication Technology, education and sustainable NRM in northern Australia (see article link below).

“My DTEM research portfolio focuses on the implementation and uptake of these interactive online resources” she explained. “Also, I am exploring what other innovative ways are possible to build capacity for teachers and students in cross-cultural settings for our future generations of land and sea managers in northern Australia.

“The DTEM program is an excellent opportunity to explore these options as it offers a flexible balance of coursework and research,” she said. 

Peter Yates

Peter Yates has an Honours degree in Anthropology and has collaborated with Aboriginal communities in bush tucker enterprises around Alice Springs for the past seven years.

“I am interested in livelihoods, food security and sustainable harvest of natural resources,” said Peter. “In the past, I have worked in projects in Africa; in Kenya through the International Livestock Research Institute, and in Niger where I worked to find international markets for the seed of Australian acacias grown in some very marginal areas there,” he said.

Peter also has strong interests in the ecological and food security implications of bio-diesel production in Africa, as well as in market-based mechanisms such as carbon trading.

“I want to find how such instruments might be best designed to support small farmers,” he explained. 

He began his DTEM in 2007, and through his coursework seeks to broaden his ecological knowledge, while building on his strengths in social sciences. He hopes to undertake a placement with an NGO in Africa in 2009.

Benefits

Because DTEM is recognised by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations as a research program, candidates receive the same benefits associated with PhD candidatures.

Requirements

Entry requirements are the same as a PhD (i.e. 2A Honours or equivalent), with the additional requirement that candidates have professional experience of typically five years.

Candidates are also required to take at least one coursework unit at each of the three TS–CRC university partners: Charles Darwin University, James Cook University and the University of Queensland.

DTEM fee waiver

To promote the new program and because of the benefits the program provides to the University, CDU is offering five full fee waiver scholarships to full time and part time domestic students – candidates only have to pay fees for units undertaken at JCU or UQ.