2023 AIMS Funding Opportunity: Machine Learning for Bioacoustics for African Students

Apply for the 2023 AIMS Funding Opportunity: Machine Learning for Bioacoustics for African students on Trueport your best worldwide scholarship website on the internet. The AIMS South Africa, the National Research Foundation (NRF), and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) are seeking to fund one student to work in the scope of machine learning and bioacoustics. The student will share office space with a cooperative and energetic team of researchers in the beautiful city of Muizenberg, South Africa at AIMS.

The project will utilize audio soundscape data recorded in China which includes vocalizations of the world’s rarest primate, the Hainan Gibbon. The student will examine how advances in deep learning can be applied to bioacoustics problems, in particular, how can the sounds of animals be automatically detected. Using unsupervised and supervised learning algorithms, the candidate will explore auto-encoders, transformers, and cluster algorithms to automatically identify/classify sound categories. The methods developed would support ecologists by equipping them with easy-to-handle tools based on deep learning to boost their data processing. The student may also record audio data in Cape Town and use audio recordings from other locations to validate their algorithms.

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Eligibility for the 2023 AIMS Funding Opportunity:

• Applicants must be South African OR a national from one of the eight (8) Square Kilometre Array (SKA) African partner countries (Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia) holding a study permit/ permanent residency in South Africa. Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Eligible Countries: Africa

Type: Masters

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award:

• A single scholarship award of one hundred and seventy-two thousand nine hundred Rand (R 172 900) per annum will be provided to the student for a maximum period of two (2) years.
• A once-off travel grant to the value of fifteen thousand Rand (R 15 000) for the student to participate in a workshop/conference that is related to their research over the two (2) years of the scholarship award.
• A once-off laptop grant to the value of twenty thousand Rand (R 20 000) for the student to purchase a laptop required for their research.
• The funding will enable AIMS to facilitate accommodation, living expenses (including breakfast, lunch, and dinner)

Eligible Field of Studies:

• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Mathematics
• Statistics

Method of Application: Applications must include a complete CV, proof of bachelor completion, a cover letter detailing the candidate’s experience in programming and machine learning, availability to start, and interest in the project. Send your application as a single PDF file to dufourq@aims.ac.za on or before the deadline.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an online interview. Contact Dr. Emmanuel Dufourq (dufourq@aims.ac.za) for details regarding this funding.

Applications Deadline: February 20, 2023

2023 AIMS Funding Opportunity: Machine Learning for Bioacoustics for African Students