Today's changing world needs engineering and technology leaders who identify opportunities and create solutions, working across sectors and industries to deliver security and sustainability.
The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (FEIT) has a long history of tackling big challenges to benefit society. This has been our mission for more than 160 years. Now, we’re confronted with new global challenges.
Complex issues such as climate change and digital disruption need our attention, with a contemporary approach to engineering and IT solutions. In the face of these challenges, we’re using research to create more impact than ever before.
As a graduate researcher, you’ll find a wide range of research topics available. We employ more than 450 academic staff, all experts in their field. This means you’ll find deep knowledge and expertise in your chosen area – mentors who think creatively about complex issues and who’ll help you achieve your research goals.
Diversity is important to us. We promote an inclusive culture, with strong female representation and an increasing number of Indigenous students and staff. More than half of the Faculty's students come from overseas.
Together, we’re driven by a passion to keep finding solutions to the biggest challenges of our time.
Explore our research
As a graduate researcher in FEIT, you can pursue exciting opportunities in a range of projects.
Our priority research disciplines are:
- AI, data science and robotics: Artificial intelligence, big data and robotics are disrupting the world and no one will remain untouched by this evolving technology. FEIT is collaborating across the University to pursue multidisciplinary research opportunities.
- Smart and sustainable development: At a global level, we need more efficient and sustainable use of resources. FEIT research focuses on energy, water distribution, food production and smart infrastructure.
- Health technologies: Expertly designed technologies can ha ve significant impact on global health and wellbeing. FEIT is working with health professionals and patients to deliver healthier communities.
We also offer research innovation programs by sector. Work on real-life business challenges with our industry partners in these areas:
- Transport: creating more sustainable transport systems and more liveable cities.
- Defence: keeping Australians safe in a complex security landscape.
- Water, environment and agriculture: securing vital natural resources for future generations.
- Sustainable mining: improving sustainability in the mining sector.
- Food and agribusiness: assisting food businesses with new products and processes.
- Infrastructure: meeting the infrastructure needs of rapidly growing urban populations.
- Energy: understanding how to transition to a clean energy system.
- Cybersecurity: detecting cyberattacks and governing cyber operations.
Depending on your research theme, you’ll be aligned with one of three schools within FEIT:
Research centres and institutes
FEIT is home to more than 20 major research centres and institutes. These organisations represent joint ventures between universities, industry and government bodies in Australia. Each centre offers its own research opportunities.
Learn how we're making a difference
- We’re reading the body’s electrical signals to treat illness. Embedded electrical devices have been used to treat chronic illnesses. Now, researchers can record and interpret the body’s own electrical signals, and these signals can be used to predict symptoms like those linked to an epileptic seizure.
- We’re engineering a smart city. Engineers are capitalising on the technology already in smart phones and connecting it to sensors on the roadside and in vehicles. This creates an ecosystem of shared communication, which can predict potential accidents. Prevention warnings can then go to a driver, a pedestrian or the artificial intelligence (AI) in a driverless vehicle.
- We created the Biometric Mirror –an interactive application that raises awareness about the social implications of unrestricted AI. It takes your photo, analyses it to identify your demographic and guess your personality characteristics. Its aim is to teach us an important lesson about the flaws and ethics of AI.
- We’re using your smart phone as your therapist. Technology is changing how we interact and is now being used to offer digital mental healthcare.
Collaborate with other disciplines
We work across disciplines to address big, bold questions. Collaborating with researchers from other disciplines leads to creativity and innovation. Depending on the topic, you might work with experts in design, economics or health.
Interdisciplinary initiatives and institutes that relate to engineering include:
Graduate researchers also have access to many other interdisciplinary research opportunities across the University, including PhD Programs.
Partner with an overseas institution
Our international joint PhD opportunities allow you to access expertise, training and resources from two institutions, and spend a minimum of 12 months studying overseas.
Joint PhD projects within engineering and information technology have included:
- Research into machine learning for second language acquisition, with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel).
- Research into decarbonising future transport with ammonia fuelled engines, with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China).
- Research into water resource management, with the Melbourne India Postgraduate Academy (MIPA) (India).
- Research into governance modelling for sustainable geospatial information management using emerging technologies, cyclic soil-structure interaction framework for the foundations of offshore renewable energy structures and subcellular Ca2+ signalling microdomains regulating cardiomyocyte growth and function with KU Leuven (Belgium).
Explore more fully-funded joint PhD projects.
Work in a stimulating environment
Melbourne Connect
Melbourne Connect is a purpose-built, innovation precinct at our Parkville campus. It encourages collaboration between the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and redefines how businesses, researchers, governments and entrepreneurs work together to drive digital solutions.
Fishermans Bend
We are building a new engineering and design campus in the heart of Fishermans Bend. The campus will be a vibrant place of large-scale research and project-based teaching, bringing together researchers, students, established industry and start-ups.
Stage 1 will open in 2031, featuring facilities for industrial-scale testing and prototyping like:
- Aerodynamics and hydrodynamics labs
- Geomechanics and materials testing labs
- Indoor/outdoor fabrication and construction zones
- Energy and propulsion lab and urban ecology lab
Next steps
- Search for a supervisor in your field of research
- Learn more about completing a Doctor of Philosophy - Engineering and IT.
- Learn more about completing a Master of Philosophy - Engineering and IT.
- Find out more about how to apply.
- Explore the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology website to learn more about engineering and IT research.
- Read about the latest research findings in engineering and IT.
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