On the Transferability of Machine Learning Models

Fully funded PhD scholarships are available at the Data Science group, University of Queensland for the following project (for start in Oct 2024).

This project aims to improve safety, transferability, and robustness in deep learning models. This project will be part of the Data Science Research Group, Information Technology and Electrical Engineering School, at the University of Queensland located in Brisbane, Australia.

The Data Science group researches and develops innovative and practical solutions for business, scientific and social applications in the realm of big data. The group encompasses a variety of research strengths including: Data and knowledge engineering, Information Retrieval, Computer Vision, and Complex and Intelligent Systems. You will join a world-leading research group currently composed of 13 academic staff members (including 6 full professors, two DECRA fellows and an 2 Future Fellows), 7 research fellows and over 40 PhD students. Members of the group have a successful track record of publishing in top conferences and journals such as ACM SIGIR, ACM CIKM, The Web Conference (WWW), SIGMOD, CVPR, ICCV, ICML, PAMI, JMLR, ICLR and various ACM and IEEE transactions.

The research environment available to the project is world-class. The University of Queensland (UQ) has a strong and internationally focused research culture. It is ranked in the top 1% of world universities in three widely publicized international University rankings.

This project is supported by the Research project scholarship.

Learn more about the Research project scholarship.

Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.

We take into account your:

• previous academic record
• publication record
• honours and awards
• employment history

A working knowledge of solid programming and algorithmic skills, and knowledge of machine learning techniques, particularly deep learning, would be of benefit to someone working on this project.

You’ll demonstrate academic achievement in the field/s of Machine Learning and Computer Vision and the potential for scholastic success.

A background or knowledge of Linear Algebra and Deep Learning is highly desirable.

You must submit an expression of interest (EOI) by 23 April, 2026 23 April, 2026.

Before you apply

1. Check your eligibility for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
2. Prepare your documentation.
3. If you have any questions about whether the project is suitable for your research interests, contact Dr Mahsa Baktashmotlagh (m.baktashmotlagh@uq.edu.au).

When you apply

To apply, submit an expression of interest (EOI) for the program. You don't need to apply separately for the project or scholarship. How to submit an EOI

In your EOI, complete the ‘Scholarship/Sponsorship’ section with the following details:

1. Are you applying for an advertised project: 'Yes'
2. Project: 'Research project scholarship'
3. Scholarship Code Listed in the Advertisement: MACHINE-BAKTASHMOTLAGH
4. Link to Scholarship Advertisement: https://study.uq.edu.au/study-options/phd-mphil-professional-doctorate/projects/transferability-machine-learning-models-0

Submit an EOI