The PhD student will work with Dr. Mengbin (Ben) Ye, as part of the Western Australian Premier’s Early to Mid-Career Fellowship program. The student will be located in Curtin’s Centre for Optimisation and Decision Science.
The PhD project is within the broad scope of “understanding and preventing the spread of misinformation”, where there is potential to explore a range of different topics suited to the student’s interest and skillset. This may include
- Mathematical modelling of misinformation diffusion using dynamical systems theory and agent-based models
- Collection and analysis of online social media data, including Twitter and Reddit.
- Systems-theoretic and control-theoretic analysis of misinformation diffusion dynamics
- Development of automated algorithms and machine learning methods for detection of coordinated malign bot activity
The candidate must be comfortable with participating in a multidisciplinary team, and is expected to work with researchers in the social, economic and computer sciences during the course of the PhD.
Eligibility
Candidates must be enrolled full-time, and genuinely interested and willing to learn/engage with the sociological and psychological aspects of misinformation.
The successful candidate must meet the minimum academic entry requirement for admission into the Doctor of Philosophy program https://research.curtin.edu.au/postgraduate/ including the English proficiency levels set by Curtin University.
Candidates should have:
- Master or Bachelor (with First Class Honours) degree in i) mechanical, electrical or computer engineering, ii) data science or computer science, iii) applied mathematics, or an equivalent degree.
- Language requirement (IELTS, Overall 6.5, Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening 6.0 or TOEFL, Overall 79, Reading, 13, Listening 13, Speaking 18, Writing 21).
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Benefits
- This scholarship provides a living stipend of $29,000 per annum, for a maximum of 3 years (with a 6 month extension possible after assessment)
- If the candidate is an international student, the scholarship will also cover the tuition fees for the duration of the award.
Application
Please email Dr Mengbin Ye (Mengbin.ye@curtin.edu.au) an expression of interest using the subject title “EMC PhD Scholarship EOI” and include the following:
- Curriculum vitae
- Academic transcripts
- A cover letter (2 pages max) that addresses the eligibility criteria. Please briefly explain your interest in the project and how your skills and experiences make you a good fit.
You may also use the EOI form (https://forms.curtin.edu.au/Produce/Form/External%20Forms/Expression%20of%20Interest%20for%20Higher%20Degree%20by%20Research/) to help you streamline the process.
Candidates may be invited to a video call with Dr Ye to further discuss suitability and research topic specifics.