The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s (CSIRO’s) Next Generation Graduates Programs are to involve more than 75 businesses and universities supporting 165 university scholarships aimed at tackling 12 real-world challenges.
In a statement, the CSIRO said students would work on a broad range of social, economic and industrial challenges.
The Organisation said these included improving outcomes for disadvantaged school students, data-centric and machine-driven engineering, AI in mental health, smart manufacturing and sensing, digital privacy and cyber-security, national quantum technology capabilities, and enhancing industry operations through the metaverse.
Director of CSIRO’s Data61, Jon Whittle said understanding AI and emerging technologies would be an advantage for the next generation of Australian researchers.
“This Program offers university students a unique opportunity to be a part of a multi-disciplinary team and work across industry, research and the university sector,” Professor Whittle said.
“Students will be solving real-world challenges with industry and research experts as well as a diverse range of other honours, masters and PhD students in a truly multi-disciplinary environment,” he said.
Prof Whittle said the range of universities and industries putting forward submissions for the Next Generation Graduates Programs demonstrated how ready Australia was for this kind of collaboration.
“Over the next six years, the Next Generations Graduates Programs are expecting to fund at least 480 nationally-competitive scholarships to attract and train the next generation of technology specialists,” he said.
“CSIRO has estimated that Australian industry will need up to 161,000 new AI specialist and AI savvy workers by 2030.”
Student enrolments open in May and will be led by partner universities.
Further information on the Next Generations Graduates Programs, including how to apply, can be accessed at this PS News link.
