Funding is available for applicants interested in carrying out fundamental and applied research in the field of complex systems.
The research will involve theoretical work as well as computer simulations. It will aim to discover fundamental connections between information-theoretic and statistical-mechanical approaches to self-organisation, while investigating a variety of topics in nonlinear critical phenomena, with particular focus on information dynamics during phase transitions.
The PhD will be supervised by Prof. Mikhail Prokopenko. The applicant will join the Complex Systems Research Group (CSRG) at The School of Civil Engineering – The University of Sydney. The CSRG group comprises ten academics, and has wide collaborations across the University, Australia, and internationally. It is a vibrant, world-leading group in the fields of guided self-organisation and critical phenomena forecasting.
Eligibility
Applicants need to satisfy the eligibility criteria for PhD enrolment at The University of Sydney. Backgrounds in applied mathematics, physics, computer science, and specifically in information theory and statistical mechanics will be beneficial.
The successful applicant will demonstrate a strong commitment to academic research in the proposed field. He/she will have excellent written and oral communication skills, as well as demonstrated ability to program in MATLAB, Java, or C++, and will be willing to create and develop original approaches to tackle open questions.
The School of Civil Engineering offers two full-time scholarships for exceptional local or international students from world leading research institutions wishing to undertake a research doctorate degree in the School. These Scholarships are awarded to local or international students with a degree equivalent to an Australian Bachelor’s Degree with 1st Class Honours in Engineering or Science which includes an independent research project and who ranked in the top 10% of the cohort.
Amount awarded
Funding is valued at the APA rate ($26,288pa in 2016, tax exempt), up to three years, subject to satisfactory progress.
For an international student, funding is valued at the APA rate ($26,288pa in 2016, tax exempt), which is paid as a living allowance. The scholarship also includes covering the fees payable by international students.
A top-up of $5,000 per annum may be available based on merit. There is a potential for the applicants to earn an extra $5,000 per annum through assistance in undergraduate teaching.
Closing date:
31 July 2016
For further details and application visit the University of Sydney Postgraduate Scholarships in the Field of Complex Systems page.
