Graduate research in Engineering and IT
At Melbourne School of Engineering, you will become part of a community of scholars and practitioners, who are dedicated to creating a better world through engineering and IT.
You will study in an environment of cross-disciplinary research excellence, where important discoveries are being made, and research outcomes have real-world impact.
You will work alongside and be supervised by researchers, who are world leaders in engineering and IT, creating technological solutions to some of the key challenges of the 21st Century.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Master of Philosophy (MPhil) students at the University of Melbourne are guided to demonstrate academic leadership, increasing independence, creativity and innovation in their research work.
The University of Melbourne is recognised internationally as a leader in graduate research training.
Graduate research opportunities
The University of Melbourne:
- Provides a comprehensive program of professional development opportunities
- Offers generous scholarship programs
- Offers a comprehensive support network
The Melbourne School of Engineering is involved in numerous research projects, listed below by department. From here you may browse the breadth of research projects currently underway, and go directly to projects that are recruiting graduate researchers in your discipline. If you are interested in joining a research group, email the Primary Contact directly to discuss your expertise and experience.
Biomedical
Research areas include: biomechanics, biosignals, computational bioinformatics and biocellular systems to address issues such as medical bionics, immune system function, infection, epilepsy and cancer treatment.
Projects recruiting All department projects
Chemical & Biomolecular
Within a diverse research program there is a focus on three themes: materials science, separations technologies, and biomolecular engineering. These themes are targeted at key socioeconomic fields, which include medicine; mining; sustainable energy production; water conservation and re-use; and food processing.
Projects recruiting All department projects
Computing & Information Systems
An international leader in research in Computer Science, Information Systems, and Software Engineering. Research strengths of the department include Business Information Systems, Complex and Intelligent Systems, Distributed and Cloud Computing, Computational Bioinformatics, Health Information Systems, Interaction Design, Knowledge Discovery, Optimisation, and Programming Languages.
Projects recruiting All school projects
Electrical & Electronic
Research is focused in four research labs: control and signal processing; communications and networks; electronics and photonics; and neuroengineering. Topics of interest include: mobile and wireless networks; network design and performance monitoring; optical communication systems; sustainability of growth of the internet; computational neuroscience; neuroimaging and neuroinformatics; audition, speech and bionic ear design; bionic eye design and vision; consciousness and communication; information theory; mathematical systems theory; numerical methods; signal processing and radar tracking; and control systems.
Projects recruiting All department projects
Infrastructure
Areas of research investigation include: structural engineering; geotechnical engineering; project management; energy efficiency in buildings; integrated transport; disaster management; geothermal energy; catchment systems; environmental monitoring and assessment; environmental water management, water resource management; next generation flood prediction; impacts of climate change; indoor and outdoor positioning; land administration and 3D cadastre; sensor networks; mobile mapping; environmental modelling; food production; artificial intelligence; and spatial data infrastructure design and development.
Projects recruiting All department projects
Mechanical
Research is focused in the areas of biomechanical engineering and fluids and thermal sciences, with world-leading expertise in areas such as fluid mechanics, turbulence and biomechanics. Project areas include: fundamental fluid mechanics; drag reduction and control; applied thermodynamics and internal combustion engines; gait analysis to assist children with cerebral palsy and to prevent the elderly from falls caused by tripping; investigating joint stress in knee osteoarthritis and hamstring muscle biomechanics during sprinting.
Be ambitious in your research
Commencing in 2020, the Ingenium PhD Scholarship program at the Melbourne School of Engineering will help develop the cohort of future Australian research leadership.
Open to Australian and NZ citizens and Australian permanent residents in all research areas of engineering and IT, Ingenium Scholarships offer a generous funding package that includes a living stipend, travel and professional development opportunities for up to three and a half years.
There’s never been a more exciting time to join us at the Melbourne School of Engineering. Backed by our ten-year MSE 2025 strategy we’re transforming the future of engineering and IT at Melbourne.
3.5 years funding
$45,000 yearly stipend (pro-rata)
Travel and professional development
$10,000 yearly allowance
Get connected
Mentoring opportunities with academics and industry
Applications
The Ingenium Scholarship program is open to Australian and NZ citizens, and Australian permanent residents in all research areas of Engineering and IT. Applicants will be assessed based on:
- Academic excellence
- Strength of PhD research proposal
- Ambassadorial potential
Gender diversity amongst recipients will be actively sought and promoted.
Apply via the PhD application process. You should indicate that you wish to be considered for the scholarship in your application.
Your applications should include:
- Letter of support from your supervisor as to your Ingenium ambassadorial potential.
- A written proposal of the proposed PhD project, and a personal statement on your ambassadorial potential.
Upload both of these together when prompted for the Research Proposal in your online application.
Download selection criteria template (DOCX 21.0 KB).
Applications for 2020 are now closed.
Deadline for 2021 applications: 9 October 2020
This year we are offering additional Ingenium Scholarships for students in Computing and Information Systems (CIS). Students applying for this scheme should follow the same application process.
Join a world-class research community at the University of Melbourne
- Research at MSE
As a PhD candidate in the Melbourne School of Engineering, you will work alongside researchers who are world leaders in engineering and IT, creating technological solutions to some of the key challenges of the 21st Century.
Find out more
MSE is home to a number of major international research centres and Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) that represent joint ventures between universities, industry and government bodies. - Towards MSE 2025
MSE 2025 is the bold 10-year strategy to transform the future of engineering and IT at the University of Melbourne. Putting knowledge into action, MSE is set to open two major new sites within the next five years – Melbourne Connect, being developed as Australia’s leading innovation hub, as well as a new campus at Fishermans Bend. Across both sites, we will see unprecedented opportunity for collaboration and knowledge pooling amongst some of the world’s brightest engineering minds.
Find out more
Our joint PhD programs access expertise, resources and world-class training at the University of Melbourne and a leading institution abroad. The Melbourne School of Engineering has several graduate research joint PhD initiatives.
Our Australian-German Climate & Energy College offers an interdisciplinary environment for Joint PhD training with one of three German institutions: the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the University of Bayreuth, and the University of Potsdam.
Our Jülich-University of Melbourne Postgraduate Academy (JUMPA) is a multidisciplinary Joint PhD training program with the Jülich Research Centre, Germany.
Our Melbourne-CNRS Network is a multidisciplinary Joint PhD training program with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France.
Our Melbourne India Postgraduate Academy (MIPA) is a Joint PhD training program with one of three top Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs): IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Kharagpur.
Our Melbourne and Manchester Graduate Research Group is a multidisciplinary Joint PhD training program with the University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
Our Priestley Scholarships are offered in conjunction with University of Birmingham.
For further information and how to apply, visit the University’s Study website: