The following AI research opportunities managed by DAIRNet or our partner agencies are currently available.
DICTA 2025 Travel Scholarship
The Digital Image Computing: Techniques and Application (DICTA) event is the premier conference organised in Australia on computer vision, image processing, pattern recognition, and related areas. DICTA was established in 1991 as a flagship conference of the Australian Pattern Recognition Society (APRS).
The 26th DICTA 2025 Conference will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, Australia from Dec 3-5, 2025 and will feature workshops, selected presentations, industry demos and panels, journal-to-conference track, challenges, and keynote talks from distinguished speakers.
Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) is offering up to six travel funding opportunities to support students (Honours, Master by Research and PhD) and early to mid-career researchers (EMCR) to attend the DICTA 2025 conference. This opportunity would be advantageous for individuals undertaking research in AI and computer vision, such as sensing and processing unusual imagery types (radar, hyperspectral), to novel computing for AI (neuromorphic, quantum), to ethical AI, and more.
The funding opportunity provides financial support to students and EMCRs up to the value of $2,500 AUD for travel-related expenses incurred in attending DICTA 2025 and will be managed by DAIRNet on DSTG’s behalf.
Funding may cover:
- Conference registration
- Flights
- Accommodation
- Incidentals (taxi, meals and drinks etc.)
Eligibility and conditions
Successful applicants must:
- Be an Australian Citizen.
- Be a full-time or part-time research student (Honours, Master, PhD) or an EMCR (completed a PhD within the last 10 years, allowing for career disruptions).
- Have previously, currently or are interested in undertaking Defence-related AI research.
- Submit a report to DAIRNet outlining the highlights and outcomes gained by attending the conference within one month of attending DICTA 2025.
Selection criteria
Applicants will be assessed across three selection criteria:
- Research area or interest alignment (40%)
- Relevant experience (40%)
- Academic record (CV) (20%)
Submissions
As part of this application, you must be able to provide a short CV of no more than two pages.
Applicants are encouraged to review the full scholarship details prior to filling out the application.
Only submissions made through the online portal will be considered.
A downloadable copy of the application is available to assist with the development of your submission.
Applications will close on Sunday, 31 August 2025 at 11:59 PM.
Please direct questions to enquiries@dairnet.com
Defence AI Expert Register
The Defence AI expert register has been developed to maintain a comprehensive list of Australian academic subject matter experts that are interested in working with Defence.
The register is open to academics employed by Australian Universities that are signatories of Defence Science Partnership (DSP) and are Australian citizens.
Managed by DAIRNet in collaboration with the Department of Defence, the register serves as an opportunity for engagement and collaboration in the field of AI.
CSIRO Next Generation Graduates Program Scholarships
The CSIRO Next Generation Graduates Program (NGGP) Scholarship has been established to support exceptional students engaged in advanced research in computer vision.
10 scholarships for Honours-level degree study are available to the value of $15,000 (payable in two equal installments after each census date in March and August).
Applications are open for the CSIRO NGGP Scholarships. Funded by a joint collaboration between DAIRNet, the University of South Australia, The University of Adelaide, CSIRO and the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), this initiative supports exceptional honours students advancing research in resilient computer vision models. Applicants can choose from 10 distinct research projects focused on applications of computer vision in healthcare, robotics, and defence.
Eligibility criteria
Applicants must be Australian citizens enrolled on a full-time basis in an approved Honours program. Relevant checks (National Police Check, Australian Government security clearance) will be required. Scholarship holders must complete a 6-day work placement. Acceptance of the scholarship cannot be deferred.
How to apply
Assessment of successful candidates will be made by a selection panel consisting of up to four Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) academics representing the University of South Australia, the University of Adelaide, and the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG).
For further information, view the information flyer and visit the AIML website.
This project was made possible by CSIRO’s Next Generation Graduates Program, an initiative that provides funding and support to attract and train the next generation of technology specialists.
Other Opportunities
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