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AICF Institute PhD Scholarships

Charles Sturt University, in collaboration with CSIRO’s Data61, invites applications for a fully funded PhD position in Cybersecurity and Data Science. This unique opportunity offers a blend of academic research and industry engagement, allowing candidates to develop expertise across Data Engineering, and Data Science, with a specialised focus on Cybersecurity.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to innovative research in areas such as:

1. Securing Agricultural Digital Twins: AI Model Protection & Data Integrity

  • Developing AI-specific security frameworks to enhance adversarial robustness.
  • Designing AI-powered intrusion detection systems for agricultural digital twins.
  • Ensuring trust and resilience in AI-driven farming ecosystems.

2. AI-Powered Privacy Preservation in Agricultural Digital Twins

  • Exploring federated learning and privacy-preserving AI techniques.
  • Developing AI-driven privacy solutions for secure and collaborative analytics.
  • Promoting privacy-compliant digital twin technologies in agriculture.

Student status:

The applicant must be accepted as a full-time student into a PhD program at Charles Sturt University.

We welcome applications from both domestic and international candidates who are eager to take on research challenges and have expertise in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, or related fields.

Technical Skills:

  • Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, C or C++.
  • Strong understanding of cybersecurity principles, Software Development Methodologies such as DevSecOps, cryptography, fundamental concept of cloud computing and virtualizations and network security.

Research & Analytical Skills:

  • Ability to conduct independent and collaborative research.
  • Experience in machine learning and deep learning is advantageous.
  • Ability to apply problem-solving skills to tackle complex cybersecurity challenges.

Soft Skills:

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary teams and industry partnerships.

Stipend:

This scholarship is valued at $36,050 per annum, for a period of 3.5 years full-time study, payable in fortnightly instalments.

Tuition Fees:

Fee exemption for a period equivalent to 3.5 years (seven sessions) for PhD at full-time study.

Operating Funds:

Scholarship candidates are allocated an allowance of $6,000 per annum for a period of 3.5 years to assist with the reimbursement of costs associated with a candidate's research.

The scholarship is tenable for three years for Research Doctorate studies subject to satisfactory progress.

Scholarship candidates are entitled to 20 paid annual leave working days per year and 10 paid sick leave days per year, however are not eligible for paid primary parental care leave or additional personal leave.

How to apply

Applicants will be asked to apply for enrolment and the scholarship as follows:

Prospective Higher Degree by Research candidates can apply for AICF PhD Scholarship when completing their Charles Sturt course admission application. When given the option to apply for a scholarship select Yes > Full-time AGRTP > Other > Enter AICF PhD Scholarship.  Apply now

Applications will remain open until two successful candidates has been selected.

Contact

Nathan Damaj : ndamaj@csu.edu.au