Internship program details

if you have
• a clearly defined research project
• an Industry partner
• a post-graduate student or research fellow from an AMSI member institution
• an academic mentor from an AMSI member institution

You are eligible to apply. We will help you find any missing partner(s).

Apply

Download, read and complete as far as possible the
• 3-page Expression of Interest (EOI) form
• Terms and Conditions
• then e-mail them to Dr Thomas Montague at

Frequently asked questions

Interns
Mentors
Industry Partners

Interns (those doing a post-grad Diploma, MSc or PhD)

Who is eligible to be an AMSI industry intern?
Ideally interns must be undertaking post-graduate studies at an Australian university and have a strong background in the mathematical sciences. Those based at AMSI member institutions that have just completed a PhD with strong mathematical and statistical capabilities are welcome to apply too.

I am an undergraduate student. Am I eligible for an internship?
Not at this time. The AMSI Industry Internship program is for post-graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. However, students may apply for an internship to take place in the summer before they commence their Masters or PhD, providing they have been accepted into a Masters or Doctoral program at an Australian university.

Can I apply for an AMSI internship if I am attending a university outside Australia?
No. You must be either enrolled at an Australian university or have recently completed your MSc or PhD at an Australian university or have some association with an AMSI member university.

I am not an Australian citizen but attend an Australian university. Am I eligible for an internship?
Yes you are eligible as long as you are enrolled at an Australian university and the terms and conditions of your visa allows you to work in Australia.

What is the turn-around time on approvals after the proposal has been submitted?
It takes approximately 2 – 3 weeks for approval of an internship proposal.

Can an internship be held outside of Australia?
Foreign companies can be industry partners but at present the internship has to be conducted in Australia with a mentor based at AMSI member institution.

I am an international student holding a student visa can I apply?
If you are an international student and you are allowed to stay in Australia on a student visa. You need to be aware that your visa must allow you to work in Australia.

Before applying for this program please check with your supervisor or university and find out if you can legally work in Australia. There is information on Australian Immigration website about working while studying.

Mentors

What is expected of an academic mentor?
AMSI expects academic mentors to oversee the scientific rigour of the research project, ensure the intern is paid their allowance, oversee reporting and actively engage with the industry partner. To foster a relationship with industry partners Mentors should touch base  (meet or talk on the phone) with their industry partners at least once per month.

What is in it for me when I act as an academic mentor?
The academic mentor will receive $5K for their support and supervision of an intern. This money will be paid to the university to support the internship project or cover related expenses; i.e. travel associated with the internship, the purchase of computers or conference expenses etc.

I am interested in taking part in AMSI internship program but do not have an industry partner. Can you assist me with finding an industry partner?
Yes we can assist with locating an appropriate organisation if your research interests can be well defined and if you can suggest several prospective partners. This is the most difficult method of securing a partner and can take a considerable amount of time.

Can the industry partner be outside of Australia?
The eligibility of a foreign company to participate in the scheme shall be considered on a case by case basis. AMSI will need to be convinced that the equivalent opportunity is not available with a Australian partner.

Is any money taken out of the grant for overhead by my university? In other words, do we get the full amount of the internship grant?
The mentor’s university may not take any of the funding from the internship grant for overhead.

Who prepares and submits the proposal, the intern or the mentor?
Project proposals should be developed collaboratively and submitted by the academic mentor.

I hold an adjunct position at an Australian university. Am I eligible to participate as an academic mentor and receive the internship grant?
An adjunct fellow is eligible to be a mentor for a intern and receive $5K for their support and supervision.

Is an internship renewable?
While not technically “renewable”, a follow-up proposal can be submitted to further research undertaken in a previous internship. However, this second proposal will be considered using the same procedure as the original internship. Please note that the final report must be submitted for the original internship before the second internship proposal will be reviewed.

Is there a deadline for submitting proposals?
Proposals can be submitted at any time

.

Are funds paid to the intern considered a scholarship or employment?
In January 2008 we made an application to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) requesting that the funds for interns be considered a tax-free scholarship. The application is still under consideration by the ATO as of September 2008. Until we have been notified to the contrary, interns will need to be employed by their host university and may be liable to pay PAYG tax.

Is it possible to extend the internship period beyond the end date stated in the Terms and Conditions agreement?
The internship award is usually awarded for 3, 4 or 5 months. The schedule in your Terms and Conditions agreement will state the “End Date” of the award. Any funds not spent by this End Date must be returned to AMSI unless an extension is granted. To obtain an extension, you must contact AMSI before the End Date and provide a justification for your request.

Industry

What is AMSI's policy regarding Intellectual Property (IP)?
AMSI makes no claim whatsoever to IP. Our default position is that ownership of Project Intellectual Property created during the project will vest upon its creation in the Industry Partner. See clauses 4.1 to 4.4 of the Terms and Conditions Agreement for details.

What is the program’s policy regarding confidentiality and disclosure?
We support the creation of confidentiality and non disclosure agreements between participating parties providing the reasonable rights of interns and their mentors are maintained. It is important that these agreements don’t impair the ability of academic mentors or interns to publish their results or for a student to complete his/her thesis. In some instances, these agreements can call for delays in the period before which publications should take place.

Can our industry contribution be “in-kind”?
No. Industry partners are required to contribute $3,000 per month towards a 3-5 month internship.

Calculating train running patterns to best meet demand

Mentor: Prof Phil Howlett, University of South Australia
Intern: Amie Albrecht
Industry Partner: TTG Transportation Technology Pty Ltd
Project Duration: January to May 2008

Passenger train timetables in Australia and elsewhere are manually developed every twelve months in response to infrastructure changes and fluctuations in demand. This project seeks to develop methods to calculate train running patterns that best meet demand.  Methods to be developed will incorporate constraints such as train availability, capacity, track section running times, dwell times, rolling stock, track topology and capacity and the availability of staff. Findings are expected to lead to better, more robust train timetables.

Robust models for derivative pricing

Mentor: Dr Sergei Schreider, RMIT University
Intern: Matthew Fernandes
Industry Partner: Tibra Capital Pty Ltd
Project Duration: December 2008 to February 2009

This project will look to establish a formal relationship between theoretical and empirical formulas currently used to describe the pricing of European vanilla options.

Design and testing of an object-oriented network flow modelling system

Mentor: Dr Yakov Zinder, University of Technology Sydney
Intern: Alison Mitchell
Industry Partner: Hugh Bannister, Intelligent Energy Systems
Project Duration: February 2009 to July 2009

This project aims to develop and test a new approach to building mathematical models of complex systems, especially those involving the flow of commodities such as energy, water and industrial materials.

Improving integrated transport models for Melbourne

Mentor: Professor Hyam Rubenstien, The University of Melbourne
Intern: Chris Goddard
Industry Partner: Fotios Spiridonos, Department of Transport
Project Duration: February to June 2009

This project will review the algorithms of the four step strategic transport demand models for Melbourne and assist economists within the Department review the mathematical structures that underpin models used to describe and predict how people choose to travel (mode choice).  Such transport models are frequently used to inform the planning and policy decisions of government.

Failure distributions of aircraft components

Mentor: Associate Professor Bill Blyth, University of Melbourne
Intern: Dr. Con Lozanovski
Industry Partner: DSTO
Project Duration: December 2008 to February 2009

Defence equipment suppliers routinely provide estimates of the life span of the material and equipment they supply.  Initial estimates are often very conservative but they can be updated once equipment has been  in operation for some time.  This project will examine a range of techniques that may be used to estimate  failure distributions of low cycle aircraft components.

Modelling commodity prices

Mentor: Dr Nino Kordzakhia, Macquarie University
Intern: Karol Binkowski
Industry Partner: Dr Pavel V. Shevchenko, CSIRO
Project Duration: January 2009 to April 2009

This project aims to develop a stochastic volatility model to explain the non-Gaussian behaviour in commodity prices and implied volatility skew in option prices. The model will extend a two-factor framework published in Management Science by Schwartz and Smith in 2000.

Analysis of traffic flow in urban road networks

Mentor: Dr Tim Garoni and Dr Jan de Gier, MASCOS - The University of Melbourne
Intern: Omar Rojas
Industry Partner: VicRoads  (Andrew Wall, VicRoads Network Operations)
Project Duration: January 2009 to June 2009

This project seeks to determine the critical measures of road network performance and quantify any under performance of the existing network using Celluar automata models. It is hoped the models will assist to characterise generic network features and assist to quantify gains from dynamic updating of traffic controls.

Trends and patterns emerging from National Dairy Farmer surveys 2004-2009

Mentor: Professor Panlop Zeephongsekul, RMIT University
Intern: Dr Sandamali Dharmasena
Industry Partner: Ms Joanne Bills, Dairy Australia
Project Duration: March 2009 to June 2009

A national dairy farmer survey has been conducted every year since 2004. Each year data collected have been used in the creation of the Industry Situation and Outlook reports and to assist in the development of industry strategies. This project will combine all available data sets in an attempt to identify longer-term industry trends and profiles not reported elsewhere and to assist with industry planning.

Profiles for health and safety - a preliminary analysis of work and safety

Mentor: Professor Panlop Zeephongsekul, RMIT University
Intern: Rashmi Udugampola
Industry Partner: Mr Howard Cameron QBE, Frank Mielke DHS
Project Duration: March 2009 to June 2009

QBE manage workers compensation claims on behalf of the Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS).  This project will analyse Workcover claims data held by QBE.  The project aims to identify patterns and trends in work place accidents to assist DHS improve workplace practices and increase worker safety.

A pulse-width modulation system for waste water mining

Mentor: Dr.ir. René A. Rozendal, Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland
Intern: Balavelan Thanigaivelan
Industry Partner: Dr Howard Leemon, Bilexys Pty Ltd
Project Duration: June 2009 to September 2009

Bilexys has developed an innovative waste water treatment system that incorporates a microbial fuel cell as part of the waste treatment process.  This project aims to harmonise the output of an array of electrochemical cells by developing algorithms for a pulse-width modulation system that will ensure constant output while minimising microbial losses in underperforming cells.

The value of travel time for different groups of people

Mentor: Professor Nilss Olekalns, The University of Melbourne
Intern: Dr Donatella Cavagnoli
Industry Partner: Mr Ed McGeehan, VicRoads
Project Duration: June 2009 to October 2009

This project will apply recent advances in econometrics to better estimate transport demand functions currently used to model the value of travel time for differing groups of travelers. Improved estimates will assist to enhance the evaluation of infrastructure proposals and provide more accurate estimates of the economic costs of traffic congestion.