Transform society with a research degree at Deakin Applied Artificial Intelligence Initiative

Embark on a transformative journey at Deakin Applied AI with our Graduate Researcher Candidate program, where your passion for creating artificial minds converges with cutting-edge technology, fostering breakthroughs that reshape life, drive businesses, and advance science.

Explore our world-class Graduate Researcher Candidate program, offering you the tools to address real-world challenges using machine learning and reasoning methodologies.

PhD PROJECTS example

Please revisit this list frequently as additional opportunities may become available.

Rapid screening of surface reaction networks using physics-informed machine learning with Dr Sherif Abbas – see project description

GenAI with Professor Mohamed Abdelrazek – see project description

Develop software solutions to tackle hospital ramping with Dr Rena Logethetis – see project description

If you wish to propose a PhD project that is not listed here, please contact the team at a2i2_hdr@deakin.edu.au for further discussion.

Alternatively, you may suggest a researcher you would like to work with by visiting our staff list https://a2i2.deakin.edu.au/about-us/

 

 

Who is the Applied AI Graduate Researcher Candidate program for?

Our PhD and Masters by Research program is designed for those who wish to be part of the next generation of AI creators and tech solution developers. Our PhD programs are 3 years full-time, with the possibility of up to 6 months extension, and can be completed on-campus at either our Melbourne (Burwood) or Geelong (Waurn Ponds) campuses (project-specific).

As a Graduate Researcher Candidate at Deakin Applied Artificial Intelligence Initiative, you will learn alongside some of the sharpest minds in the field of AI and have access to a multitude of strong industry and academic collaborations.

See our Supervisor Profiles

Supervisor profiles

Our researchers consistently publish in prestigious international AI conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AAAI, IJCAI, CVPR, ECCV, ICSE) and Q1 journals. Check out our publications for more details.

We also work with industry leaders across diverse sectors to apply our cutting-edge AI to help solve real-world problems. Check out our industry projects for some recent examples.

Graduates from Deakin Applied AI Initiative have secured research and engineering roles in renowned AI institutions and global companies like Google, Amazon, IBM, Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, REA Group, and more.

 

By pursuing a PhD or Masters by Research at Deakin Applied Artificial Intelligence Initiative, you will:

Access world-class facilities for research, including an in-house NVIDIA H100 server cluster capable of 5 petaFLOPS (FP32).

✓  Become an expert in your field, contributing to global research impact in:

• • Generative AI
  • Health
  • Sustainability
  • Manufacturing
  • Defence
  • Education

✓  Join a globally connected research community with 500+ leading organizations across 65 countries.

✓  Acquire skills highly valued by employers, leveraging Deakin’s #1 postgraduate employment ranking in Australia.

✓  Study at a top-ranking university, with Deakin positioned in the top 1% globally.

 

Scholarships

Deakin Applied AI offers scholarships for prospective students through the Deakin University Graduate Researcher Candidate program and Deakin Applied Artificial Intelligence Initiative scholarship funding, providing:

✓  A tax-exempt stipend of $34,400 AUD per annum (2024 rate).

✓  Full tuition fee waiver for up to 4 years.

✓  Relocation allowance (ranging from $500 to $1,500 for single to family) for interstate or overseas students.

✓  Student support and conference funding of up to $8,500.

✓  Single Overseas Student Health Cover policy for the duration of the student visa (for international students).

 

Selection Guidelines

Entry to the program is based on a demonstrated capacity to undertake significant independent research at a very high standard in your proposed field of computer science.

Applicants applying to undertake a PhD with scholarship must have:

✓  A minimum four-year undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related disciplines

✓ A strong background in computer science and mathematics, plus sufficient specialisation to demonstrate your understanding and appreciation of the body of knowledge relevant to the intended PhD research, for example:

• • Machine learning
  • Linear algebra
  • Probability and statistics
  • Optimization

✓  Meet Deakin University’s English language requirements

 

How to Apply

Applications can be made at any time during the year and will go through a rigorous assessment process. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview with potential Deakin Applied AI supervisors and our Graduate Researcher Candidate coordinator.

Why choose Deakin for your research degree? 

Interested applicants should submit their application to the Graduate Researcher Candidate Team at: a2i2_hdr@deakin.edu.au or directly email the project supervisor.

You may also choose to include some of the following documents: CV or resume, academic transcripts, published papers, research proposal, and reference letters.

 

Want to know more about studying at Deakin Applied Artificial Intelligence Initiative? Hear from some of our past students below.

 

Dr Arun Kumar Venkatesh: Arun’s PhD involved researching ways for AI and humans to effectively collaborate.

 

Hung Duy Tran: Tran’s PhD explores how AI systems understand human behaviour to improve self-driving cars. Watch his story below or read more here about Tran’s PhD journey.

 

Dr Romero Remais: A passion for AI inspired Romero to help machines understand and predict human behaviour through research that’s set for positive impact. Watch his story below or read more here.

 

Dr Thao Le-Minh: Thao’s PhD involved exploring new frontiers in AI by teaching machines to understand the world through the lens of a camera.