[Australia] PhD Scholarships - Capital Markets CRC

PhD Scholarships
Up to 30 Scholarships for 2008 and 2009 at A$50,000 per annum
Exciting research with opportunities for international travel.

We are seeking graduates with qualifications in one, or more of:

* Finance

* Accounting

* Information Technology

* Computational Linguistics

The Capital Markets Cooperative Research Centre (CMCRC) has been a very successful research centre that has won prizes for its research and has already spun-off several businesses. The research work of the existing CMCRC is described below. Funding has recently been obtained for a much larger CRC that will operate internationally. The CMCRC’s research is supported by government, industry partners, security exchanges, and regulators in Australia, the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, Scandinavia, and North America. As a consequence of this international expansion, the PhD program has more than doubled from 70 to over 140 students. Students are based in Australia and overseas and have some opportunity to travel.

The CMCRC provides an exciting, high calibre, and well resourced research environment for work in capital markets. The research objective is to create better capital markets locally, regionally, and globally. CMCRC research is about providing a better understanding of financial markets (their operation and their price behaviour) and research which facilitates the provision of advances in technology to capital markets. In the CMCRC there is a particular focus on the enhancement of market integrity and security. CMCRC research is also about realising commercial benefits from innovation, and the CMCRC provides direct participation in commercial results for PhD Students.

Programmes currently operate in the areas of market design and market behaviour, surveillance and compliance, data mining, language technology, visualisation, and the analysis of accounting and audit data relevant to security markets. Interdisciplinary research is encouraged. Applications are invited for full-time scholarships to support PhD studies. We seek highly motivated and enthusiastic scholars from the disciplines above, who wish to work in the area of financial markets. Up to thirty offers will be made, dependent on the calibre of the applicants and the expanding needs of the CMCRC research programmes.

Successful candidates will have a 1st class honours degree in one of the disciplines above, or a Masters degree with a major research component, an exceptional academic record, strong written and verbal communications skills, and an ability to work in a team environment. The successful applicants will work closely with one or more industry partners, and consequently will need to be flexible with regard to their research topic. Students will be enrolled at The University of New South Wales, The University of Technology Sydney, The University of Sydney, Macquarie University, or an overseas university associated with the CMCRC, such as the University of Reading. Students generally apply to the CMCRC before they apply to the university, but applications may proceed simultaneously.

Subject to satisfactory performance, scholarships are tenable for up to three years commencing in 2008 or early 2009. Scholarships of up to $50,000 pa will be offered. The scholarship is tax free. Australian residents in our program obtain RTS places, which means that they do not pay tuition fees or HECS. Three rounds for application are planned for 2008. The first round closes on 15 May 2008. The second round closes on 30 September 2008, and the third round closes on 30 November 2008.

Additional information for international students.
International students are eligible to apply for scholarships. However, the CMCRC does not pay university tuition fees for international students. Overseas students can usually apply to their university or faculty for a fee scholarship, or fee waiver. CMCRC students are usually successful in such applications, but this is a matter for the student and the university, not the CMCRC. It is particularly important for international students to demonstrate the quality of their qualification, their capacity for research and their ability in written and spoken English. Short-listed applicants will be interviewed.

Application forms should be sent to:
Capital Markets CRC
PhD Scholarship Selection Committee,
GPO Box 970, Sydney, NSW 2001

Enquiries can be directed to:
Dr Will Renner,
Senior Education Manager, CMCRC.
Phone: +61 (0)2 8808 4215
Fax: +61 (0)2 8808 4201
Email: scholarships@cmcrc.com