Underwater Technologies for Ocean Sustainability
Advancing Ocean Sustainability Through Underwater Communication and Sensing Technologies
This project is part of the UNSW Scientia PhD Scholarship Scheme
Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend and a one-off Global Mobility Grant to conduct international engagement activities.
Oceans support food security, biodiversity and climate regulation, yet many marine environments remain difficult to monitor because reliable underwater communication is challenging. Radio waves and light are absorbed in seawater, while acoustic signals can be disrupted by noise, multipath propagation and Doppler effects caused by movement.
This project will develop robust underwater acoustic communication and sensing technologies to help address these challenges. It will investigate Doppler-resilient waveforms, including hyperbolic chirps, and machine-learning-assisted methods for estimating changing underwater channels.
The proposed techniques will be evaluated through simulations, laboratory trials and field tests. By enabling underwater sensors and autonomous platforms to exchange information more reliably, the research could support monitoring of seabed health, marine habitats, fish stocks and aquaculture.
A supervisory team with extensive wireless and underwater communication research experience will guide the project.
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- Residency: Domestic applicants only.
- Degree program: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
You must meet the minimum requirements below to apply:
- An appropriate Bachelor degree with first or upper second class Honours from UNSW: OR
- A completed Master by Research, with a substantial research component and demonstrated capacity for timely completion of a high-quality research thesis; OR
- a qualification from another tertiary institution at a level considered equivalent by the Faculty Higher Degree Committee (HDC)
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Eligible applicants must contact the Primary Supervisor, Jinhong Yuan - j.yuan@unsw.edu.au. If he agrees to supervise you, you will be invited to submit a formal application to UNSW.
Your email should include:
- CV
- Official academic transcripts
- A brief introduction about you and why you are qualified for this project.
- What interests you about this project and the supervisor(s) expertise.
Research project overview
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Scholarship value
$39,991 per annum (2027 rate) stipend for 3.5 years
$25,000 Global Mobility Grant (one-off) -
Supervisory team
Professor Jinhong Yuan (UNSW, Primary Supervisor)
Dr Akram Shafie (UNSW, Co-Supervisor)
Professor Milica Stojanovic, (Northeastern University, Co-Supervisor)
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Global research partner
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Candidate residency
Domestic
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Degree program
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
UNSW School | Research area
Faculty of Engineering | School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications
Impact focus area
Pillar 6: Accelerate the transition to a sustainable society and planet
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Impact focus area
Pillar 7: Advance economic and social prosperity
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Primary Supervisor
Do you have questions?
The UNSW Graduate Research School manages all postgraduate research applications and scholarships. Get in touch with our team to discuss your research interests and the next steps.