The facilities for both research and undergraduate teaching at ANU was a great part of my decision to study here

New Zealand postgraduate student, Craig McConnochie, recently commenced his PhD in fluid dynamics at the Australian Nation University (ANU) in Canberra. “With climate change, the oceans and air temperature are warming up but we don’t really know how that’s going to effect ice shelves. They’re retreating and melting at the moment but we don’t know if that’s going to accelerate, or stay relatively the same, because we don’t really understand how they are melting,” Craig explains. “So what we are trying to do is better understand ocean circulation and the likely response to increased melting.”

In 2012, Craig was the recipient of the Science Medicine and Health Travel Grant, an opportunity that greatly influenced his decision to commence his PhD at ANU. The grant funded his flights and accommodation and most importantly for Craig, gave him an insight into what studying at the University would be like, to meet the people he would work with and the projects offered. “When you look at doing a PhD, you email people and look at what they are doing on the internet but it’s quite hard to get a sense of what’s actually going on so, for me, it was a great opportunity to actually meet people involved in the project before committing myself,” he says.

The resources offered at ANU were also a key incentive for Craig. “The facilities for both research and undergraduate teaching at ANU was a great part of my decision to study here. It’s a really well set up lab – great facilities and lots of technical support. For example, we have this experimental tank that we are going to grow ice in. We’ll melt the ice and have a look at the melting rates and the circulation in the rest of the tank and then add some different flows and topography and see how that changes the circulation,” he explains.

Having only been in Australia a few months, Craig has found Canberra a relaxed place to adjust to. “Canberra is great! It’s an easy place to settle into, everyone is really friendly.  I love having Black Mountain right next to the University for running and I’ve joined a few clubs – I’m playing football and met quite a few people through that. I’m definitely starting to get some networks already,” he says.

When asked if there was anything further he would like to add about the benefits of the travel grant to future candidates, Craig remarks, “The other really useful thing about the travel grant is that I didn’t know what the standard was in terms of getting funding to commence a PhD, so it was quite nice to talk to someone about that and re-assure myself in a way, that I was good enough.”