CSIRO Industry PhD Scholarship: Secure, privacy-preserving, and trustworthy multi-agent interoperability framework

Funding and duration

four year scholarship package totalling approximately $48,000 per annum tax exempt (2026 rate); four-year scholarship and research training program.

Project overview

Project title

Secure, privacy-preserving, and trustworthy multi-agent interoperability framework.

Project description

This Project develops a secure, privacy-preserving interoperability framework for multi-agent AI systems, safeguarding digital sovereignty and compliance across critical infrastructures. Expected outcomes include industry-ready protocols and evaluation frameworks which will enable safe AI collaboration with transparent decision-making. The Project will potentially strengthen Australia’s sovereign AI capacity, ensuring trustworthy deployment across diverse sectors.

Supervisory team

University

Name of university supervisor | Professor Ibrahim Khalil

Name of university | Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

Email address | ibrahim.khalil@rmit.edu.au

Faculty | School of Computing Technologies, STEM College

CSIRO

Name of CSIRO supervisor | Dr Dilum Bandara

Email address | dilum.bandara@csiro.au

CSIRO Research Unit | Data61

Industry

Name of industry supervisor | Mr. Roshan Elvitigala

Name of business/organisation | QANT Labs Pty Ltd

Email address | roshan@qantlabs.com.au

Further details

Primary location of student | Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Industry engagement component location | QANT Labs Pty Ltd, Melbourne Connect, Level 2/700 Swanston Street, Carlton VIC 3053, Australia

Other locations | CSIRO Marsfield, 26 Pembroke Road, Marsfield NSW 2122, Australia

Ideal student skillset | Essential: Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science, Software Engineering, AI, or related field.Strong programming skills (Python, C++); knowledge of machine learning, large language models (LLMs), distributed systems or cybersecurity.Understanding of secure communication protocols, strong research, analytical, and teamwork skills. Desirable: Experience with privacy-enhancing technologies, explainable AI (XAI), zero-trust authentication, encryption, cloud/edge computing, and multi-agent systems.Prior work with LLM finetuning, context engineering, or deployment; familiarity with knowledge graph tools.Publications or conference presentations, effective written and verbal communication for technical and non-technical audiences.

Application close date | Open until position filled

Apply | Contact Professor Ibrahim Khalil