Are you interested in advancing your systems engineering and Defence career? The University of South Australia – Australia’s University of Enterprise – is offering an exciting opportunity to apply for a PhD project in artificial intelligence.
The integration and test phases are arguably the costliest stages of systems engineering and the most difficult to de-risk. The objective of this project is to create a framework for reliable estimation of cost and schedule of these stages. This research attempts to integrate systems engineering practices and project management practices by using models of the systems in the integration and test phases. The project will combine system modelling and machine learning approaches for cost and schedule estimation of integration and test phases of systems engineering process.
In this project, you will have access to highly experienced researchers and gain skills in understanding Defence acquisition processes, modelling and simulation, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning methods, systems engineering, and system integration and testing.
Completion of this project will provide you with the experience and knowledge to advance your career in Defence.
What you’ll do
In this research degree project, you will create an overarching model of the integration, and test using network representation tools such as graph theory. The network of the inter-related tasks can be solved as a Bayesian Network for expected time and cost of execution and variances of those, together they can be used to evaluate project level risk.
You will then ascertain the optimality of the integration and test architectures by coupling the model to an evolutionary network optimisation algorithm which will be developed.
There will be opportunities to present papers at international conferences, if travel permitted.
Where you’ll be based
You’ll be based in UniSA STEM. Technology is evolving more rapidly than we would have ever thought possible and we are meeting future challenges through cutting-edge research and the education of tomorrow’s professionals.
Our researchers deliver technical expertise and advice to industry, government and community groups to make commercially viable and sustainable impacts.
Supervisory Team
Dr Mahmoud Efatmaneshnik - Principal Supervisor
Dr Ivan Lee – Co-Supervisor
Associate Professor Ady James – Co-Supervisor
Eligibility and Selection
This project is open to application from both domestic and international applicants.
Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for entrance into a PhD. All applications that meet the eligibility and selection criteria will be considered for this project. A merit selection process will be used to determine the successful candidate.
The successful applicant is expected to study full-time, and to be based at our Mawson Lakes campus in the north of Adelaide. Note that international students on a student visa will need to study full-time.
Essential Dates
Applicants are expected to start in a timely fashion upon receipt of an offer. Extended deferral periods are not available. Applications close at 11.30pm [ACST], Friday, 28 January 2022.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Mahmoud Efatmaneshnik