Melbourne School of Engineering

Graduate Research Opportunities

This page lists PhD and other research scholarships.

Other opportunities exist. Applicants are strongly advised to identify potential supervisors and check staff webpages for additional opportunities.

Additional funding sources may be available from Graduate Scholarships

 

Application help

For application help please contact David Strover, Melbourne School of Engineering.

Admission to Engineering Graduate Research Degrees is via an Expression of Interest

 

Available Projects

Automating large-scale irrigation networks

Opportunities exist for graduate students to work as part of a team of academic staff and other students conducting research in the area of automating large-scale irrigation networks. The team has over a decade of experience with an industrial partner in this area. The ongoing aim of the broad research program is to develop systems for automatically managing the demand for and supply of water to yield substantial water-savings, improved delivery efficiencies and reduced environmental impact. Problems of interest include, supervisory and hierarchical supply control, demand scheduling, channel control, fault-detection and isolation, sensor placement, data-driven model building and system identification.

Scholarship details: There is funding for two PhD Student to commence work on the project, funded by an APA(I) scholarship of approximately $25000 per annum. The scholarship is open to both local and international students.

Candidate requirements: A successful applicant will have a strong interest in the areas of dynamical systems, control and signal processing, in addition to a Bachelors (with 1st class Honours) or Masters in Engineering, Applied Mathematics or a related discipline.

Further enquiries:

 

 

Nanoscale Gas Bubbles at Solid/Water Interfaces

The presence of nanoscale gas bubbles at solid-water interfaces can dramatically alter the properties of interfaces that are important in minerals, personal products, food, and other industries.  This project will provide the understanding of the mechanism for the formation and stability of the nanoscale gas bubbles and study their effect on colloidal and interfacial properties.  The Atomic Force Microscopy will be a major tool for this research. The successful applicant will work predominately at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Melbourne. Interested students should have a background in chemistry or a four year degree in an applied science field with interests in surface and colloid science.
 
Study Subject: Nanoscale Gas Bubbles at Solid/Water Interfaces
To be undertaken at: The University of Melbourne (Parkville Campus)
Level: PhD/Masters, Research Higher Degree
Availability: This scholarship will be offered to 1 person for 3.5 years
Payment Information: The value of this scholarship is AUD$30,000 (per annum).  This award is to be used for living expenses.  This scholarship is paid fortnightly.
 
Eligibility: This scholarship is for study in Australia for those who have achieved First Class Honours or equivalent. Only citizens of Australia or permanent residents can apply.
 
Contact: DR. Xuehua Zhang, xuehuaz@unimelb.edu.au +61 3 8344 4540.
Or
Prof. Peter Scales, peterjs@unimelb.edu.au.

 

Construction and Maintenance of Roads for Long Term Management

Reinforced concrete is widely used in the construction of transport infrastructure. The long term repeated loading (i.e. traffic loads on roads) accelerates the creep of concrete due to the so called cyclic creep effect, which is responsible for excessive crack widths and deformation of concrete structures.

Creep of concrete compromises the durability of structures, especially has harmful consequences on prestressed concrete structures, which are widely used in highway bridges. Creep is very much dependent on the stress level caused by the daily traffic. A typical question asked when structuring these arrangements is – How to protect private investment before failure occurs through effectively traffic volume and loading management? Clearly, effective transport infrastructure management strategies are much dependent on the accurate and reliable analytical prediction methods which are based on experimental investigation. Integrating these two aspects into long term contracts delivering transport infrastructure development is a challenge, but absolutely necessary.

The objective of this paper is to explore viable means of reducing the rate of creep of concrete transport structures through optimizing traffic volume, weight and speed management with the aim of sustaining transport infrastructure.

Requirements: Students must be eligible for admission to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Melbourne, possess a first class honours degree or a research Master degree in Civil Engineering. Preferably having some experience in analytical modelling and computer programming. Remuneration: AU$20,000 per annum for full-time study for a period of 3 years and 6 months. Commencement Date: As soon as possible
Contact: Dr Lihai Zhang (lihzhang@unimelb.edu.au) or Dr Tuan Ngo (dtngo@unimelb.edu.au). Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering.

 

Treatment of Potable Water in the Presence of Algal Blooms

The processing of blue green algae rich waters and subsequent release of algal metabolites causes taste and odour problems, as well as toxins that affect potable water safety. This project will define a preferred approach to the processing of these waters and provide quantitative analysis tools
to help water authorities guarantee water quality and safety. An APAI scholarship is available to the successful applicant with the work location being predominately at the Australian Water Quality Centre in Adelaide.

Requirements: Interested students should have a background in chemical engineering or a four year degree in an applied science field with interests in chemistry, biochemistry and/or microbiology.

Contact: Professor Peter Scales (peterjs@unimelb.edu.au) Ph: +61 3 8344 6480

 

Computational Modelling of the Role of Joint Motion on the Cartilage Microenvironment

Nearly one in five Australians (approximately 3.85 million) have arthritis and more than 60% of these people are of working age. The understanding of cartilage behaviour in vivo is challenging, but absolutely necessary to maintain the healthy cartilage and improve repair process. The central aim of this project is to develop a computational state-of-the-art model to understand cartilage microenvironment in vivo under a large variety of physical activities induced joint motion in daily life. The research outcome may help to reduce the risk of cartilage damage by overuse, and identify new strategies for cartilage recovery by employing adequate physical therapies.

Requirements: Students must be eligibile for admission to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Melbourne. Possess a first class honours degree or a research Masters degree in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or a related discipline. Preferably having some experience in Finite Element analysis, analytical modelling and computer programming.

Remuneration: AU$20,000 per annum for full-time study for a period of 3 years and 6 months.

Commencement Date: As soon as possible

Contact: Dr Lihai Zhang (lihzhang@unimelb.edu.au) or Dr Tuan Ngo (dtngo@unimelb.edu.au).

Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering.

 

Enhanced Automation of Close-Range Photogrammetry for Defence and National Security Applications the Impacts

A PhD research scholarship for full-time study is immediately available in conjunction with the Australian Research Council (ARC) 3-year funded research project.

Close-range photogrammetry (CRP) is an image-based 3D measurement and modelling technology that is being increasingly employed in defence and national security applications. A current impediment in CRP processing is that available imagery often comes from uncalibrated and/or unknown CCD and video sensors, which inhibits both the attainable accuracy and level of process automation. This project will develop innovative new mathematical models, algorithms and computational systems to enhance the level of automation in photogrammetric orientation and 3D feature extraction. The developments will both advance the state of the art in CRP and make it a more flexible, productive and accurate tool for various 3D measurement applications.

Requirements: Students must be eligibile for admission to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Melbourne; possess a first class honours degree or a research Masters degree in Geomatics, Engineering, Computer Science or a related discipline; possess demonstrated experience in analytical modelling, preferably using photogrammetry; have some programming experience, preferably in C++; and be willing to participate in cooperative project work with the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organization. Application deadline 31 May 2009.

Remuneration: $29,000 per annum for full-time study for a period of 3 years and 6 months

Contact: Professor Clive Fraser 8344 4117 or email c.fraser@unimelb.edu.au

Department: Geomatics

 

An integrated investigation of nutrient generation and delivery processes and pathways from paddock to small catchment scales

An exciting new research project studying nutrient behaviour from farm to stream in small Australian catchments has recently been approved for funding by the Australian Research Council with scholarship top-up and research support for four doctoral scholars based at the University of Melbourne and Monash University. We are inviting applications from students who have or are about to graduate
This project is entitled 'An integrated investigation of nutrient generation and delivery processes and pathways from paddock to small catchment scales', and seeks to improve our understanding of the generation and transport of nutrient and sediment loads from the farm paddock to the small catchment scale. The students will form part of a team to develop a hydrology and water quality model of the catchment, and will work as part of an integrated research team at the 2 Australian Universities.

Requirements: Students should have BEng/BSc Honours in Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Surveying, Earth Science, Mathematics, Physics, Soil Science or other relevant scientific discipline, or Masters degree in one of these subject areas.

Remuneration:  A top-up to a Melbourne University or Monash University scholarship is available. The scholarship top-up will be approximately AU$5,000pa (ie total scholarship allowance of AU$25,000pa tax free when combined with the base scholarship). This scholarship may be further supplemented through tutoring of undergraduate courses.

Commencement Date: As soon as possible

Contact: Dr Russell Adams (rada@unimelb.edu.au) or A/Prof Andrew Western (a.western@unimelb.edu.au)

Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering.

We will also pass on your enquiry to the relevant staff at Monash University and the MSLE

 

Robust Synchronisation: building better clocks for the Internet

Everyone, and most everything, needs a clock, and computers are no exception. However, clocks tend to drift off if left to themselves. It is necessary to bring them to heel periodically by synchronising them to some other reference clock of higher accuracy. An inexpensive and convenient way to do this is over a computer network.

The goal of this project will be to develop algorithms and techniques forming the next generation of clock synchronisation over the Internet. The work will involve the invention of new algorithms, their analysis, and their implementation into a working, robust system.

This project provides a rare opportunity to impact one of the most important infrastructure services of the Internet. The work is supported by a state of the art testbed which includes equipment donated by industry, and is partially funded by Google Inc.

Candidate Requirements: The candidate should have a completed a degree in a related area, which could be in applied mathematics, computer science, or engineering. A knowledge of computer networking, statistics or applied probability would be an advantage.

Scholarship Details: For a student who has successfully obtained another scholarship, such as the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA), a funded top-up scholarship of up to $10,000 per year can be awarded contingent on performance and funding availability.

Merit Research Theme: Information and Communication Systems

Further Inquiries: Principal Research Fellow Darryl Veitch (Electrical and Electronic Eng.)
E: dveitch@unimelb.edu.au x3817
Dr Julien Ridoux ((Electrical and Electronic Eng.)
E: jridoux@unimelb.edu.au x3816


Understanding How Random Neural Networks Compute

This project will study new classes of artificial neural networks that work by transmitting random messages rather than deterministic ones. For example, the inputs to each node are used to draw from a probability distribution to determine the output. Inspiration will be taken from biological neural networks, with the aim to understand how these compute. The project will use concepts and techniques from information theory, control theory and geometry to analyse the fundamental properties of such random networks.

This is an exciting opportunity to work on an inter-disciplinary project that spans the Faculties of Science, Engineering and Medicine, and is part of a broader cross-campus initiative of understanding how neuronal circuitry works.

Scholarship details: For a student who has successfully obtained another scholarship, such as the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA), a funded top-up scholarship of up to $10,000 per year is available contingent on performance.

International applicants are also eligible for this top-up. In cases where the candidate is of exceptional caliber a full scholarship of a similar amount to an APAI (roughly $26,000 per annum) will be made available.

Requirements: The candidate should have completed an appropriate undergraduate course in a related discipline (e.g. engineering, mathematics, computer science) and have interest as well as a background in mathematics.

Further enquiries: Professor Jonathan Manton (Electrical & Electronic Engineering) T: (+61 3) 8344 4974 E jmanton@unimelb.edu.au

 

 

Learning From Experience: A Control Theory Approach

People learn through experience and practice. For example when people learn a sport their coordination improves over time. In a controlled experiment where a person is asked to follow a small light that is randomly moved around a dark room, the muscles in his/her hand are initially tense and the motion is sub-optimal. Over time with more experience the motion is smoother. In the language of control theory the effectiveness of the feedback loop is improved, with a possible increase in the range of control signals.

This project will study this type of learning from both biological and mathematical perspectives. Our aim is to better understand how people learn by using concepts from adaptive control theory, and conversely to use biology to help us better understand how to design adaptive control systems.

This is an exciting opportunity to work on an inter-disciplinary project that spans the Faculties of Science, Engineering and Medicine, and is part of a broader cross-campus initiative of understanding how neuronal circuitry works.

Scholarship details

For a student who has successfully obtained another scholarship, such as the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA), a funded top-up scholarship of up to $10,000 per year can be awarded contingent on performance and funding availability.

International applicants are also eligible for this top-up. In cases where the candidate is of exceptional caliber a full scholarship of a similar amount to an APAI (roughly $26,000 per annum) will be made available.

Candidate requirements

The candidate should have completed an appropriate undergraduate course in a related discipline (e.g. engineering, mathematics, computer science). Experience in control theory is preferred.

Further enquiries

 

The Geometry of Optimisation Problems

This project will take a fresh look at optimisation problems, challenging the generally accepted belief that convex optimisation problems are easy and non-convex problems hard.  The geometry of the class of cost functions of interest will be studied, and this knowledge used to construct novel optimisation algorithms. It is possible that this work can be applied to complex systems such as biological neural networks.

Scholarship details

For a student who has successfully obtained another scholarship, such as the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA), a funded top-up scholarship of up to $10,000 per year can be awarded contingent on performance and funding availability.

International applicants are also eligible for this top-up. In cases where the candidate is of exceptional caliber a full scholarship of a similar amount to an APAI (roughly $26,000 per annum) will be made available.

Candidate requirements

The candidate should have completed an appropriate undergraduate course in a related discipline (e.g. engineering, mathematics, computer science). The candidate must also be able to demonstrate strong mathematical skills.

Further enquiries

 

Active–passive microwave soil moisture remote sensing: Towards sustainable land and water management from space

DEPT: Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering

MERIT Research Theme: Sustainable Systems & Energy

Interested in doing a PhD in hydrologic remote sensing?
An exciting project in soil moisture remote sensing has recently been approved for funding by the Australian Research Council with scholarship top-up and research support for one doctoral scholar. We are inviting applications from students who have or are about to graduate with a Bachelors degree with Honours in Engineering, Surveying, Earth Science, Mathematics, Physics, Soil Science or other relevant scientific discipline.

The scholarship top-up will be approximately AU$5,000pa (ie total scholarship allowance of AU$25,000pa tax free when combined with a Melbourne University base scholarship). This scholarship may be further supplemented through tutoring of undergraduate courses.

The project involves collaboration between the Universities of Melbourne and Adelaide in Australia and the United States Department of Agriculture.  It is expected that students will take the opportunity to spend up to 3 months visiting one or more of the collaborating institutions, and attend at least one international conference, in addition to their involvement in an international airborne field campaign that will support a NASA satellite mission.
This project is entitled “Active–passive microwave soil moisture remote sensing: Towards sustainable land and water management from space”, and seeks to develop the algorithms and downscaling methods needed to obtain high resolution soil moisture information from NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive SMAP (mission); a dedicated soil moisture mission scheduled for launch in 2013.  The student will form part of a team to develop this vision, and will have the opportunity to be involved in field work and airborne remote sensing campaigns, as well as data interpretation and modeling. 

Interested applicants should contact A/Prof Jeffrey Walker (j.walker@unimelb.edu.au) for more details on the project.

Applicants should apply for both a University of Melbourne postgraduate scholarship award through the Melbourne Scholarships Office in the Melbourne School of Graduate Research ( http://cms.services.unimelb.edu.au/scholarships/pgrad) and this scholarship top-up (international students should also apply for a fee remission scholarship). The closing date for scholarship applications is 5pm EST on 31st December, 2008. Applications for the scholarship top-up should be sent to A/Prof Jeffrey Walker j.walker@unimelb.edu.au, and should include a copy of your curriculum vitae, academic transcript and scholarship application. Electronic or faxed submissions accepted.

 

Water Conservation Technologies

Water is a scarce resource that is essential for our existence and our supplies are increasingly coming under pressure. Water conservation is a global movement with three pivotal goals: (i) to ensure sustainability of water for future generations without negative implications on fragile ecosystems; (ii) energy conservation and therefore, the reduction in green-house gases can be aided by water saving measures as water pumping and delivery systems, wastewater treatment and desalination plants consume significant amounts of energy; (iii) minimising water wastage helps to preserve our ecosystems and fresh water habitats for wildlife, as well as reducing the need to build new dams and other water diversion infrastructure. Australia's rainfall is the lowest of the habituated continents. This low rainfall combined with very high evaporation leads to low river flows. Despite this, Australia has one of the highest per capita water consumption rates in the world. The loss of water to processes such as evaporation is one of the major causes of shortages and in Australia can account for as much as 50 % of annual water loss from water storage bodies.

Successful applicants will join a world renowned team of multidisciplinary researchers dedicated to the development of water evaporation mitigation technologies. This CRC for Polymers funded project encompasses a diverse range of scientific disciplines and provides the applicants with the opportunity to develop skills in the fields of: synthetic organic chemistry; polymer science; environmental chemistry; advanced materials science; chemical engineering; analytical chemistry. For more information please contact Dr Emma Prime (Project Manager): eprime@unimelb.edu.au.  
Duration: PhD 3 years in the first instance with a possible extension of up to 6 months on academic grounds.
Requirements: Bachelors degree in the Chemical Sciences or Chemical Engineering with at least upper second-class honours, or a Masters degree with a research component or equivalent; Australian and New Zealand citizens; Permanent residents of Australia.
Remuneration: AU$ 28,000 per annum tax free. Other benefits include travel expenses; thesis reimbursement allowance.
Applications: Applications accepted all year round.

Contact Project Manager; Dr E Prime (eprime@unimelb.edu.au).

 

Environmental Hydrology - Understanding Multiple Human Impacts on Stream Flow Regimes

Farm dams, changes in vegetation cover and channel changes all modify stream flow regimes. Indeed the combined effects are the most extensive human impact on Australia’s riverine environment. Surprisingly little is known about these distributed and interacting effects, with previous research focussing on water resource implications. This PhD project will contribute to our understanding and inform environmental water management in the vast majority of the river network that lies upstream of large dams.

The project team (and potential supervisors) includes: Dr. Michael Stewardson and A/Prof Andrew Western from The University of Melbourne; A/Prof Ian Rutherfurd from Vic. DSE, and Dr. Rory Nathan from Sinclair Knight Merz. This project is funded by Land and Water Australia and will provide an excellent start to either a research or professional career in the water sector.

Requirements: B.Eng., B.Sc. or Masters Degree in hydrology, physical geography, engineering, mathematics or related fields.
Remuneration: Stipend $26,140 pa (tax-free) for 3 yrs. The grant will also cover research costs and includes access to a research assistant.
Closing Date for Applicants: There is currently no closing date for this scholarship.
Commencement Date: ASAP

Dr Michael Stewardson - Ph: 03 83447750       
Email: mjstew@unimelb.edu.au

 

A control systems approach to enhancing the fidelity of physical sailboat simulator

The School of Engineering is undertaking an ARC Linkage project with Virtual Sailing Pty Ltd and the Australian Maritime College. The aim is to improve the fidelity of a sailboat simulator by 1) developing new models of small sailboats and 2) delivering actuation on a reduced degree-of-freedom simulator that optimally recreates the motions of a real sailboat.

Under funding from the ARC Linkage Project, the Department of Mechanical Engineering is offering scholarships for a PhD candidate (3 years) to commence as soon as possible. These will be funded at APA(I) rate of approximately $26000 per annum. Open for Australian & New Zealand citizens.

Further enquiries

 

Rapid Optimisation in Underground Mining Network Design

The School of Engineering together with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics is undertaking a large ARC Linkage project with AMIRA International Ltd. The chief investigators on the project are Professor Hyam Rubinstein, Dr Marcus Brazil and Professor Doreen Thomas. The aim is to optimise the design of underground mines by strategic modelling. There will be exciting opportunities to experience the mining industry and also to learn some interesting theory about shortest networks.

Scholarship details

Under funding from the ARC Linkage Project, the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering is offering scholarships for 2 PhD candidates (3 years) to commence as soon as possible. These will be funded at APA(I) rate of approximately $26000 per annum. Open for Australian & New Zealand citizens.

Further enquiries

 

 

Optimal Deployment of Wireless Sensor Networks

The School of Engineering is undertaking a large ARC Discovery project. The chief investigators on the project are Professor Doreen Thomas, Dr Marcus Brazil and Associate Professor Jamie Evans. Research will be conducted in wireless sensor networks which consist of coordinated sensing devices that offer us new ways to understand and interact with the physical world. Australia is a leading player in developing such networks. For a given technology, the key to both optimising the quality of area monitoring and minimising the cost of a sensor network lies in deciding how best to deploy the sensors. We aim to develop powerful new methods to get the best performance from a planned sensor network. This will enhance Australia's research role in this area and directly benefit applications such as security and environmental and biomedical monitoring.

Scholarship details

For a student who has successfully obtained another scholarship, such as the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA), a funded top-up scholarship of $8000 pa is available.

In order to meet the admission criteria, applicants should have a strong background in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics or equivalent with honours H2A or better. Applications for immediate commencement, or commencement up until March 2009, may be made at any time up to the closing date of 31 December 2008.

Further enquiries

 

Compressibility and permeability of stimuli responsive suspensions: application to modelling mineral dewatering processes

Research scope

The importance of efficient separation of water from solid particles in mineral processing, is gaining emphasis with increasing environmental regulation and economic rationalisation. High molecular weight polymers, called flocculants, are commonly used to induce aggregation and settling of slurry particles. This project investigates the development and use of flocculants that respond to stimuli such as changes in temperature or acidity, to manipulate particle-particle interactions. The approach provides a strategy for improving dewatering efficiency by producing both fast sedimentation of fine particles (by aggregation) and dense (low moisture) sediment beds. A stimulus is used to change the force between particles first to attractive. The particles then aggregate, rapidly settle and can be removed with a thickener. Then, by changing the inter-particle force back to repulsive, the particles in the sediment will undergo further consolidation resulting in additional expression of water from the solids suspension.

The primary parameters which influence the performance of dewatering operations such as thickening are the suspension compressibility and permeability. The techniques to measure these properties and the models used to predict performance of dewatering operations in industry have been developed in our department over the past several years. The aim of the project is to measure these properties of suspensions when the stimuli responsive flocculants developed within our department are used. The results of the measurements will be used to determine the optimum time to "switch" the stimulus in order to recover the most water in the least time.

Scholarship details

There is funding for one PhD Student to commence work on the project. This will be funded at the APA(1) rate of approximately $25000 per annum. The scholarship is open for Australian & New Zealand citizens.

Further enquiries

 

Geopolymer Binders and Concretes: Durability and Applications

Geopolymers have been proposed, and are currently being commercialised, as an environmentally-friendly alternative to Portland cement as a binder material in concretes. Concrete production is currently responsible for around 5% of worldwide human-derived CO2 emissions, and geopolymer technology provides the potential to reduce this by around 80-90% per ton of concrete, for comparable or better performance. There are two major project opportunities available under this broader topic:

  1. Determining and analysing the durability of geopolymer binders and concretes exposed to aggressive environments has been identified by an international panel of geopolymer researchers as being the key to widespread commercial acceptance of geopolymer technology. This project will form part of a major international research effort directed at determining the durability, degradation mechanisms and expected lifetimes of geopolymer concretes.
  2. Geopolymers have been identified as a candidate material for the immobilisation of radioactive wastes, as well as a potential construction material for waste storage bunkers. Safe and effective disposal of wastes is key not only to the potential use of nuclear power generation in Australia, but also in treatment of radioactive wastes from medical, research and mining activities.

One student is to be recruited for each of these project areas, and students will join a highly active research group under the supervision of Dr John Provis and Professor Jannie van Deventer. Students should have a strong Honours or Masters degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science/Engineering, Chemistry or a related field; project specifications will be individually tailored to the needs and interests of the successful applicants.

Scholarship details

The Geopolymer and Minerals Processing Group in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is acknowledged as a world leader in the study of geopolymer technology, and is offering positions for 2 PhD candidates (3 years) to commence in 2009. Tax-free stipends at competitive rates are available for Australian & New Zealand citizens and Permanent Residents.

Further enquiries

 

 

Mathematical modeling of mineral fracture towards energy-efficient mineral liberation

Research scope

Major improvements in the size reduction (comminution) of mineral ores are sought by the minerals industry. The manner in which energy inputs are used and wasted is key to informing these improvement efforts. Mathematical modeling represents the most promising route for achieving the requisite understanding of energy utilization across traditional and emerging technology approaches to comminution. Fracture modelling across broad length- and time-scale spectra is mathematically challenging. This is particularly the case in comminution, where multiple forms of loading on heterogeneous rock can result in cracking, damage and fragmentation through multiple mechanisms.

The proposed project envisages the development and application of fracture models to rock breakage, within a larger-scale research collaboration involving other universities and industry. Relevant modelling approaches may include: DEM; FEM; interface/discontinuity tracking; stochastic network modeling; MD; MC; multiscale modeling; theoretical modeling.

Scholarship details

Under funding from the Australian Mineral Science Research Institute (AMSRI), the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is offering full a scholarship, or top-up of an exsisting scholarship, for one PhD candidate (3 years) to commence as soon as possible. Open for Australian & New Zealand citizens.

Further enquiries

 

 

Moisture Map: A soil moisture monitoring, prediction and reporting system for sustainable land and water management

Research scope

The project seeks to develop a prototype real-time soil moisture prediction tool using a land surface model, numerical weather prediction, and satellite observations of soil moisture from SMOS, the first ever soil moisture dedicated mission.  This will include opportunities to be involved in field work and airborne remote sensing campaigns, as well as data interpretation and modelling. The project involves collaboration between the Universities of Melbourne and Newcastle in Australia, University of Reading in the United Kingdom, CSIRO Land and Water, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, CESBIO in Toulouse, France and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA.

Candidate requirements

We are inviting applications from students who have or are about to graduate with a Bachelors degree with Honours in Engineering, Surveying, Earth Science, Mathematics, Physics, Soil Science or other relevant scientific discipline.

Scholarship details

There is the opportunity for up to 5 doctoral scholars to be a part of this project. The project includes a scholarship top-up of approximately A$5000pa, to be combined with a University based scholarship, totalling $25000pa.

Further enquiries

 

Multi-physics models for drop coalescence

Research scope

The engineering of reliable interactions in emulsions and colloidal dispersions opens up a range of prospects for superior materials handling in a range of processing and waste applications, including in the minerals industry. The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering supports a large experimental program on Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). These efforts are complemented by mathematical modeling aimed at describing the dynamic interactions witnessed under the AFM, and applying the dynamic interfacial interactions modeling capability to engineering problems. One example of an interesting interaction scenario in a colloidal dispersion is drop coalescence dictated by Marangoni convection, driven by the multi-physics and multi-scale coupling of fluid flow, surface tension, heat and mass transfer and thermodynamics. Theoretical modeling has been most successful in bridging between length scales with ease, but new physics and phenomenology such mass transfer and interfacial turbulence represent major challenges requiring significant model upgrades. This project therefore embraces both theoretical and computational efforts.

Scholarship details

Under funding from the Australian Mineral Science Research Institute (AMSRI), the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is offering full scholarships, or top-ups of other scholarships, for one PhD candidate (3 years) to commence as soon as possible. Open for Australian and New Zealand citizens.

Further enquiries

 

Signal processing techniques for estimation of brain activation patterns in functional MRI

Neuronal activity is indirectly observed in functional MRI (fMRI) studies, via the measured Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signal. fMRI is capable of localising specific brain centres and networks, of great interest to the cognitive neuroscience and neurology communities, and is used as a pre-surgical planning tool. This PhD project involves formalism of the detection of brain activity from the BOLD signal as a statistical signal processing problem, and subsequent application of large-scale modelling and estimation techniques that are suitable for application to the whole brain 4-dimensional experimental fMRI datasets.  Implementation of signal and image processing algorithms will make use of joint supercomputing resources between the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the Howard Florey Institute.

Scholarship details

There is funding for one PhD Student to commence work on the project, funded by an APA(I) scholarship of approximately $25000 per annum. The scholarship is open for Australian & New Zealand citizens.

Candidate requirements

The PhD candidate should have a Bachelors (with 1st class Honours) or Masters in Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics or a related discipline.

Further enquiries

 

Smart polymer development and application as stimulant responsive flocculants

Research scope

The importance of efficient separation of water from solid particles in slurries produced from mining or paper milling processes, is gaining emphasis with increasing environmental regulation and economic rationalisation. High molecular weight polymers, called flocculants, are commonly used to induce aggregation and settling of slurry particles. This project investigates the development and use of flocculants that respond to stimuli such as changes in temperature or acidity, to manipulate particle-particle interactions. The approach provides a strategy for improving dewatering efficiency by producing both fast sedimentation of fine particles (by aggregation) and dense (low moisture) sediment beds.

There are several methods of controlling the inter-particle forces to be either attractive or repulsive. The use of pH, temperature or light sensitive "smart" polymers appears to have the potential for significant reduction in mineral tailings volume and enhanced water recovery. Preliminary results with model colloids indicate that for the pH and temperature controlled systems up to 40% reduction in sediment volume is possible within a few hours.

The aim of the project is to synthesise and investigate the use of novel homo- and co-polymers which respond to stimuli such as temperature and or light for dewatering applications. The influence of polymer properties such as molecular weight, fraction of charged monomers and responsive unit chemistry on the polymer solution properties, polymer adsorption and suspension behaviour will be investigated.

Scholarship details

There is funding for one PhD Student to commence work on the project. This will be funded at the APA(1) rate of approximately $25000 per annum. The scholarship is open for Australian & New Zealand citizens.

Further enquiries

 

Using pressure reduction to remove liquids from powder compacts: application to ceramic powder processing of near-net-shape components

Research scope

Materials scientists can produce ceramic materials in the lab in small quantity with any imaginable property. These ceramics will enable emerging technologies such as advanced heat engines and electronics. The obstacle to their widespread use is the lack of low cost, reliable processes for complex shaping. The PhD project will contribute to the development of an innovative process for producing high strength near-net-shape advanced ceramic components. The process requires a liquid (the vehicle for the ceramic powder during shape forming) to be removed by pressure reduction without damaging the ceramic component. The process will minimise moulding time and eliminate the drying stage (factors limiting high volume production).

The focus of the PhD project is to develop a better understanding of the flow of liquids through powder compacts under conditions where the pressure gradient driving the flow is such that the liquid flashes to vapor as it permeates through the powder compact.

Scholarship details

There is funding for one PhD Student to commence work on the project. This will be funded at the APA(1) rate of approximately $25000 per annum. The scholarship is open for Australian & New Zealand citizens.

Further enquiries