Defence Innovation Network PhD Scholarship

This PhD scholarship at the University of Newcastle offers an exciting opportunity to develop advanced stealth communication technologies for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in military applications. The project, titled Stealth Integrated Sensing and Communications (Stealth-ISAC), aims to enable UAVs to coordinate and sense their environment without revealing their presence to adversaries. This research is highly relevant given the increasing deployment of UAVs in modern warfare, as seen in the Ukraine-Russian conflict, and the strategic importance of defence technologies in the Indo-Pacific region.

The core objectives of the project are to establish the theoretical limits of Stealth-ISAC, design transmission codes that achieve optimal trade-offs between detection avoidance, sensing accuracy, and communication reliability, and develop advanced beamforming strategies for multi-antenna systems. The research builds upon recent breakthroughs in covert communications and integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), seeking to create signals that are undetectable to adversaries while maintaining operational effectiveness.

Successful candidates will join a team supervised by Dr. Lawrence Ong, Dr. Duy Ngo, and Dr. Chandra Thapa. The scholarship provides a generous funding package: $38,938 per annum (2026 rate) indexed annually, plus a Defence Innovation Network Top-up of $5,500 per annum for three years. The living allowance and tuition fee scholarship are available for 3.5 years, and a relocation allowance of up to $1,500 is included. The position is open to domestic students who meet the minimum eligibility criteria for PhD admission and can commence before 31 March 2027.

Applicants should prepare scanned copies of their academic transcripts, CV, a brief statement of research interests, and a proposal specifically linking their expertise to the research project. Applications must be submitted by email to [email protected] by 5pm on 15 December 2026. Early applications are strongly encouraged. For further details and to apply, visit the official scholarship page.

This opportunity is ideal for candidates interested in electrical engineering, computer science, robotics, and information technology, particularly those passionate about secure communications, signal processing, and defence innovation. The project promises to contribute significantly to the development of stealth technologies for military UAVs, addressing critical challenges in modern warfare and national security.