Research Opportunities

Open Positions

I am looking for self-motivated PhD students, Master by Research (MRes) students, and visiting students/scholars to join my research group at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.

    Note: Positions are available on a rolling basis. If you are interested, please reach out as early as possible.
  

Research Areas

My group works on problems at the intersection of Programming Languages (PL), Software Engineering (SE), and Security. Specific topics include but are not limited to:

Program Analysis Abstract interpretation, typestate analysis, value-flow analysis, pointer analysis
Software Security Vulnerability detection, dynamic testing, ReDoS, memory safety
AI for SE Graph neural networks and language models for code understanding, bug detection, and program repair
Formal Methods Verification techniques, static analysis frameworks (e.g., SVF)

Scholarships & Funding

Macquarie University offers competitive scholarships for research students:

PhD Students

International Scholarship: Tax-free stipend of approximately AUD $39,700/year, plus free tuition for 3 years.
Cotutelle PhD Program: For students enrolled at overseas universities. Scholarship of approximately AUD $39,700/year (2024 rate) for 1–2 years. Graduates receive degrees from both their home university and Macquarie.
CSC (China Scholarship Council): Macquarie covers tuition fees (AUD $45k/year) and both CSC and Macquarie provide stipends totaling approximately AUD $38,500/year.

MRes Students

International Scholarship: Tax-free stipend of approximately AUD $39,700/year, plus free tuition for 1 year. Living allowance from project funding may be available for the second year of a 2-year MRes.
Road to Research Scholarship: Approximately AUD $39,700/year for onshore applicants.

Additional Support

Conference travel: PhD students can receive up to AUD $7,500 for attending international conferences ($5,000 from the university and $2,500 from the department).

Requirements

A strong background in computer science, software engineering, or a related field.
Solid programming skills (e.g., C/C++, Java, Python).
Interest or experience in at least one of: program analysis, compilers, software testing, or machine learning for code.
Good written and oral English communication skills.
English proficiency (for international applicants): IELTS 6.5+ (no band below 6.0), TOEFL iBT 83+, or PTE 58+.
Prior research experience or publications are a plus but not required.

How to Apply

If you are interested, please send an email to xiao.cheng@mq.edu.au with:

Your CV/resume (including education background, publications if any, and programming experience).
Your academic transcripts (undergraduate and/or postgraduate).
A brief description of your research interests and why you want to join the group.
English test scores (if available).

I will try to reply to every email, but please understand if there is a delay. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview.

About Sydney & Macquarie University

Macquarie University is located in the Macquarie Park innovation district in Sydney, Australia. It is ranked among the top 200 universities worldwide and is surrounded by one of Australia's largest business and technology hubs. Sydney is a vibrant, multicultural city consistently ranked among the world's most liveable cities.

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