PhD Scholarship: Advancing statistical models for clustering data with structured dependence

Company Description

Our vision at School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, is to improve the health of all by delivering high-quality education, research for impact, and engagement with the communities we serve. We have strong research collaboration with national academic and industry partners, with far-reaching impact in Applied Statistics to tackle real-world health issues for making a difference.

Job Description

Identifying disadvantaged subgroups is fundamental and decisive in solving many social and economic problems. Modern data present complexities such as heterogeneity and structured dependence, which are ignored by traditional clustering methods, often resulting in misleading findings and unstable statistical inference. New statistical methods are needed to address the problems for clustering data that are subject to such complications.

We are currently recruiting a PhD candidate to work on the ARC funded project titled “Advancing statistical models for clustering data with structured dependence”. This project aims to develop novel methods to identify important subgroups in data with various forms of dependence. It will propose new model-based clustering techniques that can capture complex relationships in data and enhance model validity. The primary intended outcome is to develop advanced methods and algorithms that can accurately identify clusters, patterns, outliers, and model evaluation. The potential benefits are to improve the validity of clustering models for analysing dependent data and direct effective crime prevention in Australia, with key application to Queensland Police Service (QPS) crime-incident data for improvement to the understanding of co-offending crimes, repeat victimisation, and crime hot spots.

Success in this role requires collaboration with the Griffith Criminology Institute (to address the challenges in analysing the QPS crime data) and the participating universities of the project.  The successful applicant will also join the Griffith Biostatistics Unit within Griffith Health and will be based at Brisbane South (Nathan).

Griffith University’s sites are located on the lands of the Yugarabul, Yuggera, Jagera, Turrbal, Yugambeh and Kombumerri peoples.

The successful applicant will be supervised by Professor Angus Ng and an external co-supervisor (Associate Professor Hien Nguyen) at La Trobe University.

Qualifications

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 must hold an honours degree in mathematics, statistics, or closely related discipline and an ability to apply theoretical frameworks to support your methodological development. You will have evidence of a passion for conducting basic and applied research, with a strong desire to undertake collaborative research in mathematical and applied statistics. Relevant statistical computation skills will be considered very favourably, especially familiarity with the R and Python programming languages.

• Expressions of interest are welcome from domestic and international applicants. If you are an international applicant who is currently offshore, please consider the viability of travelling costs before submitting an expression of interest. Please see the FAQs web page for requirements for offshore international applicants.
• Applicants must have completed, or expect to complete, a bachelors degree with honours equivalent to first/second class division A 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.

Please note:

• Preference will be given to applicants having completed research projects leading to publication in peer-reviewed journals. Samples will be requested.
• You must be able to commence the program in the year of offer.

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

Additional Information

About the scholarship
The 2025 Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship has an annual stipend of $34,752 (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.

What Griffith offers
As a scholarship holder, you will study with a University that ranks among the top 2% worldwide and spans across locations 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).
 

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

• Statement addressing your suitability for the project/scholarship
• A one-page research proposal targeted toward the project focus (see “Draft your proposal” here for guidance)
• Evidence that you have completed a program with the required grades as detailed in the about you section, including a  copy of your academic transcript
• A curriculum vitae (CV) using the Griffith CV template.
• Names of two referees

Closing date for expressions of interest: Friday 25 April 2025 at 5pm AEST

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

For project related enquiries please contact:
Professor Angus Ng
Email: s.ng@griffith.edu.au

For administration enquiries please contact:
Griffith Graduate Research School
Email: hdr-scholarship@griffith.edu.au