Global Innovation Linkage Project (GIL) PhD scholarships

Utilise Swinburne’s unique ‘National Industry 4.0 Testlab for Composite Additive Manufacturing to develop a highly automated, flexible approach to the manufacturing process of composites.

About The Scholarships
The Global Innovation Linkages project provides a unique PhD opportunity. You will be 1 of 5 PhD candidates to work on industry relevant solutions in the composite manufacturing industry. Working as part of the team on this project, you will contribute to developing a highly automated, flexible approach to the manufacturing process of composite parts for the automotive and aerospace industry, leveraging Swinburne’s unique Nationa Industry 4.0 Testlab for Composite Additive Manufacturing. This is a brand new state of the art research facility that will allow industrial scale composite part production. The production process is centred around a world’s first tape laying process from Fill (Austria) with the Qure process from Quickstep (Australia) and digitalization will be supported by technologies from Plataine (Israel) and Siemens in partnership with ARENA2036 (Germany). Carbon fibre composites are engineered materials which combine the strength and stiffness of carbon fibre with the toughness of an epoxy resin. These lightweight, high strength materials are undergoing an exponential growth in demand.

While focusing on your specific research topic, Swinburne will encourage collaborations with the other PhD candidates to work as a team, link your research findings and create high level publications. These scholarships are part of our partnered PhD program with the University of Stuttgart and all candidates will have the opportunity to spend time in Austria and Germany.

The scholarships are supported by our industry partners and the Australian Federal Government as part of our Global Innovation Linkage Project for Industry 4.0 Manufacturing of High Volume Light Weight Composites. 2 PhD scholarships are still available for PhD candidates that are currently located in Australia.

We Specifically Encourage PhD Research Proposals for these 2 Research Areas Including

• Rapid cure thermoset resin systems / Resin formulation and infusion / In-situ monitoring
o For this research topic you should have a good knowledge of composite materials and polymer chemistry. Your skillset ideally includes resin-flow simulations, sensor integration, and hands-on experience in composite manufacturing, resin infusion, material testing and characterisation.

• Robotically enabled in-line inspection
o For this research topic you should have a good knowledge of computer vision, mathematics, machine learning and sensor robotics. Your skillset ideally includes process optimisation and hands-on experience in sensor integration and robotics.



About You

To be successful in the role, you will have:

• A Research Master’s degree in a discipline relevant to the research topic
• Where applicable, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination certificate with a minimum overall score of 6.5, with no individual band score below 6.0
• Enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for a PhD degree at Swinburne University of Technology
• A background in research relevant to the project:
o Composite materials and polymer chemistry
o Process optimisation
o Sensor integration and robotics
o Resin infusion, material testing and characterisation
o Computer vision
o Mathematics
o Machine learning and sensor robotics
o Programming

About Swinburne University Of Technology
Swinburne is a multi-sector university of science, technology and innovation with more than 54,000 students and 5000 staff globally. Swinburne offers postgraduate, undergraduate, vocational education and online education to provide students with a variety of work-relevant pathways. The University’s mission is to be a world-class university, creating economic and social impact through science, technology and innovation. We aim to deliver future ready learners, research with impact and innovative enterprise.

Swinburne University of Technology has an ambitious goal of growth in research performance and impact, as set out in its 2025 Strategic Plan. Together, we’re working to position Swinburne as an internationally renowned institute in digital research, a digital disruptor and an accelerator of innovation.

How To Apply And Further Information
To start an application click on 'begin' at the bottom of this page and submit a resume and cover letter. For further enquires please contact Professor Bronwyn Fox (Director Manufacturing Futures Research) on blfox@swin.edu.au with the subject 'Global PhD Scholarship'.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application, please contact the Recruitment team on staffrecruitment@swin.edu.au

Should you require further support for an interview due to special needs or consideration, please contact our Maree Norden, Diversity Manager, on inclusion@swin.edu.au. For support or queries related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment, please contact DeadlyCareers@swin.edu.au.

Swinburne is a large and culturally diverse organisation. We are proud to be recognised by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency as an Employer of Choice for women for 10 years in a row and of key initiatives such as our Pride@Swinburne Strategic Action Plan and our Reconciliation Action Plan. Equity and diversity are integral to our 2025 vision to be a world class university creating social and economic impact through science, technology and innovation.

Applications will close when all candidates have been selected

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