Australian Research Council

Monash University is advertising up to 2 fully funded PhD positions in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, supervised by Dr Yihai Fang (Senior Lecturer and Director of ICON Research Lab). The projects are ARC-funded and sit at the intersection of civil engineering, construction engineering and management, robotics, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and human-robot collaboration.

The research topics are: (1) context representation and reasoning for safe and efficient human-robot collaboration in complex construction environments, and (2) human-AI shared autonomy for safe and precise crane load placement using multimodal perception and LLM-based reasoning. These projects are ideal for candidates interested in construction automation, intelligent systems, BIM, digital twins, robotics, and AI for safety-critical infrastructure and construction settings.

Funding is strong: the scholarship includes an AUD $37,145 per year tax-free stipend, a full tuition fee waiver, and possible additional income through Teaching Associate opportunities. The post describes the positions as fully funded PhD opportunities.

Eligibility highlights include a background in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline; a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (or expected completion) from a recognised institution; a strong academic record (typically equivalent to 85/100 or above); and preferably prior publications in international journals. Strong programming skills are preferred, and experience with BIM, digital twins, computer vision, robotics, or large language models is an advantage. Applicants must also meet Monash PhD English language requirements.

Application is by email first: send your CV and academic transcripts to [email protected] by 10 July 2026. The formal application deadline is 31 July 2026. The post also points to the supervisor profile and Monash English language requirements for further details.