Automatic Graph Learning Pipelines with Limited Human Knowledge

The opportunity

We are currently looking for a PhD candidate to join an Australian Research Council-funded team, developing an automatic graph learning system with limited human knowledge. The primary focus of this role is to design and learn graph learning models for automatic graph relation inference, along with explainable learning and domain knowledge adaption. This project includes modelling complex structural data with automatic and explainable graph learning for practical governments, businesses, and industries application scenarios. Success in this role requires collaboration with senior multi-university teams and other doctoral students.

Scholarship details

The research would be led by Professor Shirui Pan from Griffith University, involving multiple researchers, spanning studies on “Graph & Network Analytics, Time Series/Streaming Data Analytics, Trustworthy AI, and Large Language Models”, and various AI application scenarios.

The successful candidate will be based at the Gold Coast campus.

The selection of applicants for the award of higher degree research scholarships at Griffith University involves consideration of your academic merit and research background. To be successful within this role, you will be able to have strong empirical skills and interests in graph data analytics and graph learning model design. You will have evidence of a passion for explainable, transferable, and automatic pipeline design, with a strong desire to undertake research in diverse, complex, structural, and relational graph data learning.­

  • Expressions of interest are welcome from domestic and international applicants.
  • Applicants must have completed, or expect to complete, a bachelors degree with honours equivalent to first class honours or a Masters degree (AQF Level 9) incorporating a significant research component of a standard comparable to a bachelor honours degree or be regarded by Griffith University as having an equivalent level of attainment in accordance with Schedule One of the HDR Scholarship Procedure. For further information on the eligibility requirements for the program refer here.
  • Applicants are welcome from any relevant data science discipline, provided they have existing research training or experience in the analysis of graph data, deep learning, model development and adaption, and a desire to undertake a PhD which applies the use of complex graph data towards understanding and enhancing automatic pipeline and system design.

International applicants should ensure that English Language Proficiency requirements for the program are met before formally applying. Applicants to research programs will need to show they meet:

  1. A minimum overall band score of 6.5 on the IELTS (Academic) with no band score less than 6.0 OR
  2. A minimum score of 575 on the paper-based TOEFL including a score of no less than 5.0 on the TWE OR
  3. A score of 79 on the internet-based (iBT) TOEFL with no sub-score less than 19

The 2023 Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship has an annual stipend of $32,192 (indexed) for a period of up to three years of full-time study. Please see the GUPRS Conditions of Award for more information.

A successful International applicant will also be awarded a Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship to cover tuition fees for up to three years. Please see the GUIPRS Conditions of Award for more information.

As a scholarship holder, you will study with a University that ranks among the top 2% worldwide and spans across campuses in South East Queensland. At Griffith University, we’ve worked hard to create a culture that will challenge you to be curious, creative and courageous. We also support the professional and personal development of all our HDR candidates and invest in the skills of our people. Griffith University values diversity, inclusion and flexibility and we encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and people of all backgrounds to apply. Griffith's strategic goals are to also increase the proportion of women in senior academic and administrative roles and in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM).

For project related enquiries please contact:

Professor Shirui Pan


Phone: (07) 5678 0653


Email: s.pan@griffith.edu.au

For administration enquiries please contact:

Griffith Graduate Research School

Email: hdr-scholarship@griffith.edu.au

Please do not select the “APPLY” button. All expressions of interest must be submitted to ‘s.pan@griffith.edu.au’ containing:

  • Statement addressing your suitability for the project/scholarship
  • Research proposal
  • Evidence that you have completed a program with the required grades as detailed in the about you section
  • A curriculum vitae (CV) using the Griffith CV template.
  • Names of two referees

The closing date for expressions of interest is:  Friday  02 February 2024

The preferred applicant will then be invited to apply for the program and scholarship on-line