Trustworthy Systems

PhD/MPhil Research in Trustworthy Systems

Trustworthy Systems is always looking for excellent PhD students. We sometimes look for students for specific projects (which would be listed at the end of this page). But generally we are looking for students across our research projects and broader research agenda. We tend to go through a fair amount of planning and discussions to identify a suitable topic that matches a particular student's interest and background to the supervisor's interests and our strategic directions.

We also supervise MPhil (Master of Philosophy) projects. The UNSW MPhil degree is meant as an on-ramp to PhD research for students who do not have the equivalent of an Honours degree or are otherwise not yet ready to start a PhD. Obviously entry requirements (and expectations on outcome) are lower for an MPhil. It also has a mandatory coursework requirement. The whole degree is to be completed within two years, meaning the research component corresponds to about 1.5 years time, less than half of that of a PhD. Otherwise the two degrees have much in common, and are administrated in essentially the same way, including annual progress reviews and an examination at the end.

Due to the extra year, and the stronger research focus, an MPhil is a better preparation for a PhD than an Honours degree, and in fact we very rarely accept a fresh Honours graduate into a PhD. (We may host them as an intern or employ them as a research assistant for a while to fill the gap.)

Note that in Australian terminology, MPhil and PhD degrees are jointly referred to as Higher Degrees by Research (HDR).

Funding

Domestic students

In contrast to many other countries, in Australia domestic PhD students (i.e. students with Australian citizenship or permanent residency) are generally not funded by their supervisors (local term for what the US calls advisors) but by government scholarships, called Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships. The present (as of Jan'25) RTP rate is $38,438/a tax free, annually indexed. We provide a topup up scholarship, ranging from $10,000/a up to the maximum allowable rate of $28,828/a (to a total of $67,266/a tax free, 2025 rates). This topup is available to strong PhD candidates, holding an RTP, with topics strongly aligned with our research priorities (and, of course, subject to the availability of external project funding).

There are also some scholarships available to MPhil students.

For details on other domestic research scholarships please check the UNSW domestic research scholarships page.

International students

For international HDR students, UNSW generally provides a tuition fee scholarship (TFS) if the applicant's background is considered equivalent to an Australian First Class Honours degree. There are a very small number of RTP and UIPA scholarships available (which include a research stipend at the same rate as applicable to domestic students). Students who obtain an RTP or UIPA will be eligible for a TS-funded topup under the same conditions as domestic students with an RTP.

International students who obtain a TFS but no RTP or UIPA will be provided by TS with a research stipend at the RTP rate, provided they satisfy strong quality and alignment requirements. In some cases, a topup may also be available.

For details on international scholarships please check the UNSW international research scholarships page.

Process

If you are interested in an HDR with us, and think you have the right prerequisites, you should contact the TS group leader or relevant TS academic by sending your transcripts and CV outlining any research experience you have, and how your interests match our research.

Emails that do not show that you have done your homework, can demonstrate an appropriate technical background, and can identify potential matches are likely to be ignored.

Please check the University's key dates for applications.

Operating Systems or Formal Methods

For a PhD we expect you to come with a very strong OS or formal methods background, depending on the area in which you wish to work. Candidates who have both are obviously of particular interest to us, but that is not a requirement. For UNSW graduates this means that we should know you already from the courses we teach. Non-UNSW applicants are expected to otherwise demonstrate strong insights into operating systems or formal methods issues. Having done well in an operating systems or formal methods course is not sufficient on its own.

For an MPhil there is less expectation on the specific background, as this can be acquired during the coursework part.

Specific PhD Topics

The above list is not exclusive, we are willing to consider other topics that are strongly aligned with our research priorities.

An MPhil topic can be a scaled-down version of a PhD topic. Some of the more open-ended Honours thesis topics can scale to the size of an MPhil as well.