Scholarships
External Scholarships:
- PhD Scholarship - $50,000 per year in Quantum Technology in Space, in collaboration with NASA
- PhD Scholarship - $50,000 per year in Quantum Communications
- Sydney Quantum Academy PhD Scholarships 2020
- Data61 Scholarship (Data61 Website)
UNSW Internal Scholarships:
- Australian Postgraduate Awards (APA)
- IPRS
- University Postgraduate Award (UPA)
- University International Postgraduate Award (UIPA)
Before applying for a scholarship you should first contact the supervisor and apply for admission to UNSW. Selection is based on academic achievement and research potential. Different scholarships will have different application deadlines.
For detailed information on how to apply for postgraduate research scholarships please visit the GRS website .
Applicants should note that the scholarships and their conditions (including availability and value) are subject to review and the closing dates or awards may vary from year to year.
Other Scholarships:
- Government, industry and Graduate Research School funded scholarships
- Discipline specific scholarship (Supervisor funded - please see the table below)
| Scholarship Name | Available to | Details |
|
PhD - Using reflected GPS signals for measuring sea state from aircraft and spacecraft Commencing 2020 |
Domestic |
Funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Cubesats, UAVs and their Applications (CUAVA) First Class Honours in Electrical Engineering, with Signal Processing and digital hardware design elements preferable. Contact: Prof Andrew Dempster, a.dempster@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Using reflected GPS signals from a spacecraft to measure total electron count in the ionosphere Commencing 2020 |
Domestic |
Funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Cubesats, UAVs and their Applications (CUAVA) First Class Honours in Electrical Engineering, with Signal Processing and digital hardware design elements preferable. Contact: Prof Andrew Dempster, a.dempster@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Processing signals from a cubesat tether to measure thermospheric plasma Commencing 2020 |
Domestic |
Funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Cubesats, UAVs and their Applications (CUAVA) First Class Honours in Electrical Engineering, with Signal Processing and digital hardware design elements preferable. Contact: Prof Andrew Dempster, a.dempster@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD stipend – Silicon CMOS devices for quantum computation |
Domestic/International |
Two stipend scholarships are available at $32,000 per annum for 3.5 years of study. This is an opportunity to work in the world-leading research group in silicon-CMOS based quantum computing, led by Laureate Professor Andrew Dzurak, which has published over 20 papers in Nature-family journals since 2010 related to silicon qubit technology. As a PhD student you will be working in a team of over 20 talented researchers, including 8 postdoctoral research staff and 12 PhD students. The group has access to 5 dilution refrigerator measurement platforms, and the full silicon-MOS fabrication line at the Australian National Fabrication Facility on the UNSW campus Applicants should have a First Class Honours (or equivalent) undergraduate degree in engineering or physics, or a master's degree with a research component in a related field. A background or having studied in one of the following fields is preferred: quantum or solid-state physics, quantum information, modelling and simulation, cryogenic measurement, electronics. Contact: Dr Chris Escott, c.escott@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD top-up scholarship – Silicon CMOS devices for quantum computation |
Domestic |
Two top-up scholarships are available at $15,000 per annum for 3.5 years of study. This is an opportunity to work in the world-leading research group in silicon-CMOS based quantum computing, led by Laureate Professor Andrew Dzurak, which has published over 20 papers in Nature-family journals since 2010 related to silicon qubit technology. As a PhD student you will be working in a team of over 20 talented researchers, including 8 postdoctoral research staff and 12 PhD students. The group has access to 5 dilution refrigerator measurement platforms, and the full silicon-MOS fabrication line at the Australian National Fabrication Facility on the UNSW campus. Applicants should have received a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship as well as a First Class Honours (or equivalent) undergraduate degree in engineering or physics, or a master's degree with a research component in a related field. A background or having studied in one of the following fields is preferred: quantum or solid-state physics, quantum information, modelling and simulation, cryogenic measurement, electronics. Contact: Dr Chris Escott, c.escott@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Intelligent aggregation of renewable energy resources into virtual power plants |
Domestic |
The candidate must have an undergraduate degree (first class or equivalent) with control systems courses, and courses related to power systems and renewable generation. Ideally, the candidate should also have a master degree specialising in control and/or optimisation of power systems. Previous research experience/publications in the areas of distributed control systems design, distributed optimisation or clustering methods is desirable. Attractive scholarships are available for domestic students: https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships Contact: Dr Branislav Hredzak, b.hredzak@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Topologies for integration of internet of electric vehicles into buildings |
Domestic | The candidate must have an undergraduate degree (first class or equivalent) with power electronics and/or power systems courses, and courses related to control systems and renewable generation. Ideally, the candidate should also have a master degree in power related area and/or control/optimisation of power systems. Previous research experience/publications in the areas of power electronic converters design, power systems, or applied control systems design and optimisation is desirable.
Attractive scholarships are available for domestic students: https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships Contact: Dr Branislav Hredzak, b.hredzak@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD topics available in AC and DC microgrids |
Domestic/International |
PhD topics available in AC and DC microgrids encompassing research in the following areas:
Contact: A/Prof Jayashri Ravishankar, jayashri.ravishankar@unsw.edu.au |
|
Two PhD scholarships in Electric Machine Drives |
Domestic/International |
Rate: $28,092 per annum (2020 rate) for 3.5 years Top-up of $15k also available for candidate awarded with Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship. · First Class Honour Undergraduate in Electrical Engineering or Master degree with a research component · Preferred background in Electrical Drive system or Electric Machine Design. Knowledge of Finite Element Analysis of Electric Machines may also be useful. Contact: Dr Rukmi Dutta, rukmi.dutta@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD in Radar Signal Processing |
Domestic |
Topic: Enhanced radar target detection and parameter estimation Desirable Skills: Signal Processing, Linear Algebra, Transform Methods, Matlab Description: This project aims to push the boundary of radar target detection in heterogeneous environments. This is a challenging task as traditional detectors are formulated for homogeneous environments where clutter suppression is facilitated by the availability of training data. In heterogeneous environments, such as maritime radar, training data becomes limited or unavailable. This complicates the detection of targets and the estimation of their parameters. The project will develop state of the art signal processing approaches for this problem. Contact: A/Prof Elias Aboutanios, elias@unsw.edu.au |
| PhD in Radar for health applications | Domestic/International | Topic 1: Early diagnosis and monitoring of Cerebral Palsy using radar
Topic 2: Diagnosis and monitoring of sleep apnoea using radar Desirable Skills: Signal Processing, Linear Algebra, Transform Methods, Matlab Description: The miniaturisation and reducing cost of radar systems are driving their application in new areas such as health. In fact, radar has a lot of potential for diagnosing and monitoring conditions that involve motion, such as Cerebral Palsy. Unlike other forms of sensing, such as cameras and microphones, radar does not violate the patient’s privacy. It is also robust to environmental factors, such changes in lighting conditions. This project aims to develop radar for health applications and includes two topics: Diagnosis and monitoring of Cerebral Palsy using radar and Sleep Apnoea. Contact: A/Prof Elias Aboutanios, elias@unsw.edu.au |
| PhD in Signal Processing | Domestic/International | Topic: Enhanced Signal Processing Methods for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Desirable Skills: Signal Processing, Linear Algebra, Transform Methods, Matlab Description: Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a popular technique for the characterisation of chemical mixtures and for chemical structure elucidation. However, the full potential of NMR is still far from being realised due to current limitations in the signal processing techniques that are applied. This project aims to develop novel signal processing techniques that can enhance the accuracy, robustness and speed of NMR potentially leading to automated processing. This will enable high-throughput NMR to be used to analyse large quantities of chemical samples in a wide range of applications such as agriculture, drug enforcement and biosecurity. Contact: A/Prof Elias Aboutanios, elias@unsw.edu.au |
| PhD in Radar/Communications Signal Processing | Domestic | Topic: Joint Radar Communications Systems
Desirable Skills: Signal Processing, Linear Algebra, Transform Methods, Matlab Description: Increasing demand for spectral resources by wireless communications services are putting significant pressure on other essential services such as radar. One strategy to alleviate this pressure is to allow both services to coexist. An approach that achieves this is to employ the same hardware and signals to carry out both tasks. Such systems are referred to as Dual Function Radar Communications (DFRC) systems. This research aims to push the state of the art of DFRC systems by developing optimal signal processing techniques for both the communications and radar target detection tasks. Contact: A/Prof Elias Aboutanios, elias@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Analysis and control of heterogeneous microgrids |
Domestic/International |
Contact: Dr Hendra Nurdin, h.nurdin@unsw.edu.au |
| PhD - Quantum noise modelling and feedback control of quantum systems | Domestic/International |
Contact: Dr Hendra Nurdin, h.nurdin@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD Scholarship in Engineering Education, focusing on “Assessment design strategies and effective pedagogies for blended and online learning in Electrical Engineering” |
Domestic |
Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship is available with possible top-up Scholarship. Contact: Dr Arash Khatamianfar, a.khatamianfar@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD scholarship in AI Analytics Methods for Network Traffic |
Domestic/International |
First Class Honours Undergraduate or Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science; Ability to develop working prototypes in collaboration with industry partners. Contact: Prof Vijay Sivaraman, vijay@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD scholarship in Data Analytics Methods for IoT Network Security |
Domestic/International |
First Class Honours Undergraduate or Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science; Ability to develop working prototypes in collaboration with industry partners. Contact: Dr Hassan Habibi Gharakheili, h.habibi@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Development of reflection-free integrated terahertz devices for next generation of wireless communication |
Domestic/International |
Top-up scholarship is available if candidates secure the competitive scholarship. Link to domestic student scholarships: https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships Interested applicants please email Dr Shaghik Atakaramians, s.atakaramians@unsw.edu.au your CV and contact information of three references. |
| PhD - Hybrid planar terahertz devices with multiplexing capability for next generation of wireless communication | Domestic/International |
Top-up scholarship is available if candidates secure the competitive scholarship. Link to domestic student scholarships: https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships Interested applicants please email Dr Shaghik Atakaramians, s.atakaramians@unsw.edu.au your CV and contact information of three references. |
| PhD - Identifying grass seed infestation in Australian Sheep using terahertz radiation | Domestic/International |
Top-up scholarship is available if candidates secure the competitive scholarship. Link to domestic student scholarships: https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships Interested applicants please email Dr Shaghik Atakaramians, s.atakaramians@unsw.edu.au your CV and contact information of three references. |
|
PhD - Big Data Driven Modelling and Control of Wind/Solar Power Energy Systems |
Domestic/International |
Contact: Prof Andrey V Savkin, a.savkin@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Autonomous Navigation of Aerial Drones (UAVs) for Surveillance, Monitoring, Communication and Delivery |
Domestic/International |
Contact: Prof Andrey V Savkin, a.savkin@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Biologically Inspired Big Data Driven Autonomous Navigation and Control of Aerial Drones (UAVs) and Mobile Ground Robots |
Domestic/International |
Contact: Prof Andrey V Savkin, a.savkin@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Towards the next generation of brain/machine interface I
|
Domestic |
We propose a radical new approach to sensing neuronal activity using photonics circuits based on liquid crystal electrodes or "optrodes". Using ab-initio simulations, we have shown that this approach provides fundamental advantages over competing technologies (density of channel, throughput, energy efficiency) and can form the basis of brain/machine interfaces with 100s of thousand of connections, thus revolutionising how man and machine could interact. The project would look into developing and refining the optrode array architecture via simulation in collaboration with fabrication. Contact: Prof François Ladouceur, f.ladouceur@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Towards the next generation of brain/machine interface II
|
Domestic |
As above but focusing on refining the current architecture focusing on improving sensitivity, channel count and bandwidth Contact: Prof François Ladouceur, f.ladouceur@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Off-plane photonics coupling via meta-surfaces
|
Domestic |
A number of applications require light to couple in and out of integrated optics chips perpendicular to the plane of guidance. A number of techniques already exists – mirrors, holographic Bragg reflectors, gratings – but meta-surfaces might prove to be the best approach. We foresee application in the biomedical sphere as well as in sensing applications. Contact: Prof François Ladouceur, f.ladouceur@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - 3D Silica Lithography for Advanced Optical Fibres |
Domestic/International |
Objectives: In this project we aim at developing novel 3D silica lithography for manufacturing optical fibres with structures and materials for new and superior photonic functionalities. Background: Silica, for its unmatched optical, mechanical, chemical and thermal properties, is the most important material that underpins many successful photonic applications - optical fibres, waveguides, fibre amplifiers & lasers. It is difficult to achieve both sophisticated structures and advanced material compositions simultaneously for new / special functionalities when using current fabrication techniques based on chemical vapour deposition or rod and tube stacking. The forthcoming era of additive manufacturing opens up enormous opportunities for dealing with the challenge. This will be essential for further exploring silica based photonic applications. Contact: Prof Gang-Ding Peng, g.peng@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Active optical fibres with ultra-broadband emission |
Domestic/International |
Objectives: In this project we aim at developing active optical fibres for ultra-broadband applications covering O, E, S, C and L bands. Background: Active optical fibres with ultra-broadband emission are essential to fully utilize the telecommunications transmission window (the O, E, S+ and S bands in the range of 1150-1700 nm). These bands make up about 60% of the total fibre capacity and are not able to be used because no proper active fibres available yet.
Contact: Prof Gang-Ding Peng, g.peng@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Tunable diffraction grating for beam steering in autonomous vehicles |
Domestic/International |
Contact: Dr Aron Michael, a.michael@unsw.edu.au for more information. RTP scholarship (https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships) may be available for this topic. |
|
PhD - Advanced piezoelectric micro-actuators for micro-optics applications |
Domestic/International | Contact: Dr Aron Michael, a.michael@unsw.edu.au for more information. RTP scholarship (https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships) may be available for this topic. |
|
PhD - On-chip high speed parallel Atomic Force Microscopy for biological applications |
Domestic/International | Contact: Dr Aron Michael, a.michael@unsw.edu.au for more information. RTP scholarship (https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships) may be available for this topic. |
|
PhD - Low thermal budget technology for smart micro-sensors and actuators |
Domestic/International | Contact: Dr Aron Michael, a.michael@unsw.edu.au for more information. RTP scholarship (https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships) may be available for this topic. |
|
PhD - Development of conformable optrode using low thermal budget polysilicon technology for neural interface |
Domestic/International |
Contact: Dr Aron Michael, a.michael@unsw.edu.au for more information. RTP scholarship (https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships) may be available for this topic. |
|
PhD - Scholarship in Automatic human task analysis from wearable speech, eye activity and head movement sensors |
Domestic/International | Strong Honours Undergraduate or Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering, with background in signal processing and an interest in machine learning.
Top-up scholarships also available. Contact: Prof Julien Epps, j.epps@unsw.edu.au |
|
PhD - Scholarship in Automatic recognition of mental state from speech |
Domestic | Strong Honours Undergraduate or Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering, with background in signal processing and an interest in machine learning.
Top-up scholarships also available. Contact: Prof Julien Epps, j.epps@unsw.edu.au |
| PhD - Distributed Anomaly Detection in the Satellite Communications Networks | Domestic |
Description: The occurrence of anomalies at any node in a satellite communications network cannot be predicted a priori in most instances as they can be manifested due to a complex range of factors, some not occurring previously or even clearly definable. This project involves the investigation and development of signal processing and statistical machine learning methods for detecting anomalies in a satellite communication network. This research will be carried out in collaboration with the Protected Satellite Communications, Cyber and Electronic Warfare Division of the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG). Scholarship: Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship (~$28k per annum) + a potential top-up (see https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships)
Contact: Dr Vidhyasaharan Sethu, v.sethu@unsw.edu.au and Dr Beena Ahmed, beena.ahmed@unsw.edu.au |
| PhD - Neural Differential Equation Models in Speech Processing | Domestic/International |
Description: Neural networks are widely used in many speech processing tasks and underpin most current state-of-the-art speech processing systems. However, they have a number of drawbacks including, but not limited to: (a) being black box systems that make accurate predictions but are not interpretable; and (b) requiring large amounts of data to train. In this project you will investigate and develop novel speech modelling methods based on integrating differential equations with neural networks (https://www.stochasticlifestyle.com/how-to-train-interpretable-neural-networks-that-accurately-extrapolate-from-small-data/). This is a blue-sky research project that seeks to develop the foundations for next generation speech processing systems in the upcoming decade. Scholarship: Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships and UNSW Scholarships (https://research.unsw.edu.au/graduate-research-scholarships) valued typically at ~$28k per annum.
Contact: Dr Vidhyasaharan Sethu, v.sethu@unsw.edu.au |
PhD - Adapting automatic speech recognition for use with impaired speech |
Domestic/International |
Description: Applications of automatic speech recognition (ASR) have now become essential attributes of mainstream mobile devices and consumer electronics. Despite this progress, work on ASR for those with impaired speech is sadly lagging behind due to the absence of sufficiently large training datasets. This project will investigate how acoustic models developed for domains with large amounts of data can be adapted with minimal amounts of data for use in domains with limited data such as impaired speech. It will involve exploring how innovative techniques from machine learning areas such as transfer learning and reinforcement learning can be utilised in this sphere. Scholarship: Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship (~$28k per annum) + a potential top-up (see https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships)
Contact: Dr Beena Ahmed, beena.ahmed@unsw.edu.au |
PhD - Developing a speech based screening tool to detect and track cognitive impairment in the elderly |
Domestic/International |
Description: Dementia screening currently uses resource-intensive structured interviews and in-person cognitive testing; automated speech-based assessments offer a non-invasive, inexpensive alternative that can enable early intervention to delay the progression of dementia. This project will investigate what short term, language independent features can be extracted from speech for use in a multilingual assessment tool that can best quantify patients’ cognitive abilities and thus dementia risk, regardless of the language in which they are assessed. It will also involve exploring how innovative machine learning techniques such as transfer learning and adversarial learning can be utilised in this sphere. Scholarship: Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship (~$28k per annum) + a potential top-up (see https://research.unsw.edu.au/domestic-research-scholarships)
Contact: Dr Beena Ahmed, beena.ahmed@unsw.edu.au |
