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History and purpose

Wellington city has regained a taonga, the kākā. However, this large forest parrot faces unprecedented threats in the city, including new diseases, unintentional poisoning, and conflict with humans. For the ‘urban’ kākā that now nest and forage in Wellington city, a lack of individual-based data limits our ability to understand and mitigate these current and emerging threats.

The successful PhD candidate will join a research project aimed at creating the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool for recognising individual birds in complex real-world images, without the need for manual marking. We hypothesise that, by combining unsupervised machine learning and deep feature extraction, we can use AI to recognise individual kākā in complex real-world images. The candidate will contribute to this project by developing new deep learning and computer vision approaches that allow for reliable, efficient, and explainable recognition of individual kākā in Wellington.

The successful candidate will join the MBIE Smart Ideas funded project “Recognising Taonga with AI: Facial Recognition for Kākā Conservation Management”. Tikanga Māori will underpin this mahi to ensure that the development and use of an AI tool for recognising this taonga species adhere to kaupapa Māori values. Our cross-disciplinary team consists of experts in behavioural and urban ecology (Dr Rachael Shaw), applied AI (Dr Andrew Lensen), and kairangahau Māori (Terese McLeod). The candidate will also collaborate with conservation practitioners from Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, Wellington City Council, and Greater Wellington Regional Council to ensure the effective translation of our research into conservation management practices.

Who is eligible? 

We are seeking a highly motivated person with an excellent academic record, a good understanding of artificial intelligence and computer vision/deep learning, and an interest in contributing to cutting-edge AI research on kākā conservation.

The ideal candidate will have: 

• Masters degree with an excellent GPA.
• Background in artificial intelligence and computer vision, or a related field
• Strong statistical, mathematical, and programming skills (preferably in Python)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• An interest in contributing to the development of AI-based methods in ecology and conservation
• Experience in applying AI techniques to real-world problems
• A desire to build cultural competency

Selection criteria

Applications will be assessed on the basis of academic merit, a background which aligns well with the research project, and an expressed interest in the research area.

Application process

To apply for the PhD position, please send the scholarship specific documentation to project leaders using the email address:  
bird-ai@vuw.ac.nz

Applications should include the following documentation:

• Cover Letter
• CV
• Copies of academic transcripts
• Writing sample (e.g. a first-author publication, or Master’s thesis chapter)
• Names of two referees

Selection process

Selection will be made by the project leaders (Dr Andrew Lensen, Dr Rachael Shaw, Terese McLeod).

Additional information

The $35,000 per annum stipend will be paid directly to the student in monthly payments. Tuition fees & levies will be paid directly to the University.

The student must complete regular PhD progress reports to a satisfactory standard.

Acceptance of this scholarship include conditions similar to those of the Wellington Doctoral Scholarship (i.e. excepting those relating to the decision makers).

Regulations and conditions

1. A completed online application must be submitted by 4.30 pm on the closing date. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Any required supporting documentation (including references) must also be received by 4:30pm on the closing date in order for the application to be considered.
2. The Successful recipient must meet the admission requirements as a PhD candidate at Victoria University of Wellington, which includes fulfilling the English language requirements.
3. The research is externally funded and integral with industry engagements. Accordingly, the student will be required to enter into Non-disclosure agreement(s) as required. Also the student does not have any claim to Intellectual Property developed during the research.
4. Should the recipient withdraw from Victoria University of Wellington during the tenure of this scholarship or fail to achieve a satisfactory progress, partial repayment of the Scholarship will normally be expected. Recipients must advise the Scholarships Office if they intend to withdraw.
5. Recipients are expected to act as Ambassadors for Victoria University of Wellington and participate in appropriate events or marketing if requested.