PhD research scholarships available in electronics

Macquarie University’s Department of Electronics is offering two three-year PhD scholarships to suitably qualified telecommunications or engineering graduates. Applications for both close on December 30, 2005.

Transistor performance

The first scholarship is funded as part of an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant awarded to Macquarie and Mimix Broadband Inc. to investigate Overcoming Transistor Performance Issues for Emerging Millimetre-Wave Applications. The grant provides for postgraduate scholarship assistance equivalent to $36,480 to $46,000 in taxable gross income comprising a tax free stipend of $24,388 per annum plus other provisions including a $5,000 tax-free top up and income from casual laboratory demonstration and tutoring.

The project will investigate the operation of transistors for emerging millimetre-wave applications, such as point-to-point communications and automotive radar. The aim is the development of circuit design methodologies that extract better performance from a given fabrication process.

It will involve interaction with software developers abroad and presentation of results at international forums. The successful applicant will conduct their research at the University’s Electronics Collaborative Nonlinear Research Facility and Mimix’s Sydney design centre.

Qualifications

For this position, the Department is seeking high calibre, suitably qualified telecommunications or engineering graduates with at least upper second-class Honours, or equivalent qualifications. Early career professionals interested in returning to higher degree studies are particularly encouraged to apply.

Circuits for communication applications

A second full-time ARC-funded PhD research scholarship is also available in the Department of Electronics for a project titled Achieving high linearity over broad bands in transistor circuits for communication application. The award provides for $29,610 to $32,280 equivalent taxable gross income including a tax-free base stipend of $18,837 per anum, a $5,000 tax-free top up and income from casual laboratory demonstration and tutoring.

This project will deliver techniques for designing transistor circuits with low distortion for broadband microwave and millimetre-wave applications, such as wireless networks, telemetry and communications. The challenge is to achieve wide bandwidths with good distortion performance, so distortion generated by complicated device properties will be researched to deliver methodologies to solve the problem.

Qualifications

Applicants should have completed an Australian four-year undergraduate degree with at least Honours second-class Division 1 in electronics or telecommunication engineering or equivalent qualifications.

Application information

For both scholarships, the tenure is three years full-time subject to satisfactory progress. Further funding may be available within the Division for research costs.

The awards are open to Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens. For further information on either award, contact Professor Tony Parker on (02) 9850 9131 or via email at tonyp@ics.mq.edu.au

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