Role type: Three year fixed-term
School: School of Mathematics
University:Monash University Clayton Campus, Melbourne, VIC
Join an ARC-funded research project developing numerical methods to simulate the flow of dense viscous liquids through a deformable granular mush. The project aims to improve fluid-dynamical understanding of how magmatic ore deposits form. Such deposits contain critical minerals including nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum-group elements that underpin the global transition to Net Zero.
You will be responsible for developing novel numerical methods to model continuum problems in a two-liquid/granular medium and for interpreting the results physically. These models will capture how a dense fluid migrates, spreads and becomes trapped within a deformable, yield-stress material. Working alongside a co-supervised PhD student and the wider investigator team, you will build and extend simulation tools to explore droplet migration, instability and gravity-driven flows within this setting. There is scope to bring your own perspective to the numerical approach, and your work will feed directly into peer-reviewed publications in leading fluid mechanics journals and presentations at both specialist and general conferences.
The position is part of an interdisciplinary team spanning applied mathematics and economic geology and is based in the School of Mathematics at Monash University. You will work closely with A/Prof Anja Slim at Monash, Dr Edward Hinton at the University of Melbourne and A/Prof Duncan Hewitt at the University of Cambridge. The position includes extended visits to Cambridge’s Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. You will also have regular opportunities to work with the project’s economic geology team, testing your models against real field and experimental data and seeing your results feed directly into questions about how magmatic ore deposits form and where they might be found.
This is a chance to help develop some of the first physical models of how magmatic ore deposits form. Despite their economic importance, these systems remain largely unexplored from a fluid-dynamical perspective, offering substantial scope for fundamental new insights.
Applications must be made via the Monash University portal
Confidential enquiries can be sent to sci-maths-jobs@monash.edu
The Sacks Award recognizes sustained, high-quality cross-disciplinary research involving the statistical sciences.
Born in Fremantle, Western Australia, Noel studied mathematics at University of Western Australia and the US, where obtained his Ph.D. in statistics from Princeton University.
Today, Noel is Director of UOW’s Centre for Environmental Informatics in the National Institute for Applied Statistics Research Australia (NIASRA) and a Distinguished Professor in the School of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
He is also an Affiliate at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Missouri in the Department of Statistics and Data Science.
His cross-disciplinary research involving the statistical sciences, includes global CO2 flux, regional climate, sea surface temperature, air pollution, disease mapping, ocean biogeochemical cycles, soil carbon dynamics, glacier movement, and river pollution.
This is not the first honour to have been bestowed on Noel. In 2009 he received the R.A. Fisher Lectureship, from the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies (COPSS), and in 2014 he was awarded the Pitman Medal by the Statistical Society of Australia in recognition of his outstanding achievement in, and contribution to, the discipline of statistics.
Media Enquiries:
Robbie Byrne
Marketing, Communications and Events Coordinator, AMSI
robbie.byrne@amsi.org.au
A report published by the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) investigating the state of university support systems for mathematics students in Australia has revealed that while most universities provide mathematics support for students, it is fragmented, understaffed, underfunded, and difficult to find.
The 2026 Mathematics Learning Support in Australian Universities report was conducted from a desktop review and staff interviews at 40 Australian universities. It was researched by Emeritus Professor Linda Galligan (UniSQ), Associate Professor Leanne Rylands (Western Sydney University), Dr Raquel Salmeron (UniSQ), Dr Fu Ken Ly (University of Sydney), Dr Joshua Peate (Macquarie University), Dr Michael Brickhill (Southern Cross University), and Sophie Kennedy (AMSI).
State of play
The decline of mathematics participation across Australia is well documented. AMSI’s Year 12 Mathematics Participation Report Card 2025 revealed a deepening crisis in secondary school mathematics participation across the country, with the proportion of students studying higher and intermediate mathematics dropping to 8.4% and 16.8% respectively in 2023.
Australia has a growing mathematics skill gap. Participation in, and levels of, mathematics studied in senior secondary school has been in decline for over three decades, leaving many students underprepared for the demands of university study. Therefore, it is important that prospective mathematics undergraduates are confident that university-level support is both comprehensive and easily accessible.
Findings
The report’s findings suggest that Australian universities need to improve the numeracy support they provide in order for to students develop the skills required to succeed in their studies.
36 of the 40 universities surveyed provide some form of mathematics support. There is no uniform model. Rather than following a standardised national model, support is context‑driven and informed by institutional priorities, student demographics, and resourcing.
Some learning centres, particularly within mathematics departments, are staffed by academics within the discipline. Others, meanwhile, are staffed by those from an enabling program, by PhD students, by casual staff or by professional staff. Some universities do not have a dedicated learning centre, but provide support within other programs or sections of the institution.
Reasons provided for an absence of adequate support services included time constraints, staff changes and reductions in resources.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) was regularly mentioned as an emerging issue in mathematics teaching, diagnosis, and assessment. Drawn by its availability and ease of access, students are turning to AI as a shortcut for developing numeracy skills. This growing dependency could be fuelled by a fragmented approach to in-person mathematics learning support at university level.
It is anticipated that the influence of AI will grow exponentially as students become more aware of AI’s growing capabilities. However, this reliance deprives students of meaningful learning experiences, leaving them without the essential numeracy skills they should have upon graduation.
Green shoots
In some instances, there are signs of positive change. There is now more online assistance for both remote and on-campus students, with increased availability of well‑designed asynchronous options. Support is often better targeted today, especially through user‑friendly self‑testing tools linked to materials available in both print and video formats.
While there is concern about the future, especially around the use of AI, people working in the sector are connecting with organisations such as AALL Mathematics Advisors SIG, the LANTITE CoP, and the NAEEA STEM and Mathematics SIG for advice and assistance.
Recommendations
The report identified four recommendations for universities and government bodies to act upon. These recommendations will help to ensure university-level mathematics students have fair and equal access to mathematics supports:
1. Universities need to establish a designated role at each university where one academic has a thorough knowledge of all aspects of mathematics and statistics support and preparation in their university.
2. Form a national group consisting of university staff who actively support current students and prepare future students with mathematics and statistics.
3. Ensure resources are shared within each university and between them via a dedicated website.
4. Develop a numeracy framework to support the systematic embedding of academic numeracy across tertiary institutions.
Speaking on the publication of the report, AMSI Director Professor Tim Marchant said: “Mathematical literacy is critical to Australia’s future, yet too many students arrive at university underprepared and unsure of where to turn for help. This report shows that, while most universities offer mathematics learning support, it is often fragmented, hard to find, and subject to under‑resourcing.
“We cannot afford to leave students to navigate this alone or to rely on AI tools as a substitute for genuine understanding. We are calling for coordinated, well‑resourced and research‑informed support structures across Australian universities so that students who need help with numeracy can access it easily and build the skills they need to succeed in their degree and beyond.”
Co-author of the report, Emeritus Professor Linda Galligan (UniSQ), added: “We have all read about the decline in students completing mathematics at secondary school. Yet Australia needs STEM and data-driven professionals, as well as teachers, health experts, and business analysts.”
She continued: “The onus is on universities to ensure that students do not stumble at the first hurdle. When our researchers audited universities, they were hard-pressed to find clear answers to some simple questions. Universities should do better so that new students have the numeracy skills needed for their degree.”
About AMSI
AMSI is a not-for-profit peak body for the mathematical sciences with a breadth of members including Australian universities, professional societies, government agencies and industry. We champion mathematics, statistics and data science for Australia’s advancement through advocacy, facilitation, and collaboration.
Media Enquiries:
Robbie Byrne
Marketing, Communications and Events Coordinator, AMSI
robbie.byrne@amsi.org.au
School: School of Mathematics
University:Monash University Clayton Campus, Melbourne, VIC
Salary: $123,138 – $146,228 pa Level B OR $150,841 – $173,931 pa Level C (plus 17% employer superannuation)
Join Monash University’s School of Mathematics as a Lecturer or Senior Lecturer in Discrete Mathematics (Level B or C) and contribute to world-class teaching and research in one of Australia’s leading mathematics schools.
In this role, you will work closely with colleagues across the School of Mathematics to advance research in discrete mathematics, deliver outstanding teaching, and support the development of undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Research areas of interest include combinatorics, graph theory, design theory, and algebra with a combinatorial flavour.
Applications must be made via the Monash University portal.
Confidential enquiries can be sent to sci-maths-jobs@monash.edu
Applications Close: Sunday 13 September 2026, 11:55 pm AEDT.
STEM teachers and careers advisers from across Victoria attended AMSI’s Industry Day for Teachers event in Melbourne on 30 July 2026. The innovative professional development event for high school educators is designed to highlight the many career opportunities open to mathematics, specialist mathematics and STEM students.
Hosted by Swinburne University of Technology and AMSI industry partner CSL, the Invergowrie Foundation and Swinburne-funded event took place at the University’s Hawthorn campus (morning session) and at CSL’s state-of-the-art global headquarters in Parkville (afternoon session).
By showcasing the many exciting career opportunities open to maths students across Australia, the free event sought to provide teachers and careers advisers with the necessary knowledge and tools to inspire their students to confidently choose STEM subjects at high school level, aware that choosing these areas of study has the potential to enrich and diversify their study and career options later in life.
From AI to engineering, modelling to gem faceting, attendees learned about the wide range of careers influenced by mathematics and the increased demand for maths and stats in the workforce.
The morning session at Swinburne commenced with Plante founder Nguyen Hanh Nguyen, who spoke about how mathematical thinking shaped the company’s innovative plastic-free biodegradable planting products. Other industry speakers included AI researcher and CoCo the Creator founder Duy Khoa Pham (pictured), who examined how maths guides the governance of AI agents.
Following a program of further industry and academic speakers, the event moved to CSL’s global headquarters in Parkville, where attendees were treated to a lab tour, employee panel conversation, and a Q&A session. Hearing first-hand from a diverse cohort of CSL employees encouraged teachers to appreciate the critical role maths plays in underpinning the fundamental operations of biomedical companies like CSL.
Speaking after the event, AMSI Director Professor Tim Marchant said: “Maths is the language that underpins the modern world. It takes an event like this to illustrate to teachers that a student who studies mathematics all the way through to Year 12 is one with endless study and employment opportunities.”
Federico Frascoli, Department Chair, Mathematics School of Science, Computing and Emerging Technologies at Swinburne added: “Swinburne is very proud to support educators and help them appreciate the importance of mathematics for industry. Our discipline develops and nurtures problem-solving and logical skills that are currently in high demand. Mathematics is at the forefront of all current and future technologies, from AI and personalised medicine to quantum computing and finance. Swinburne graduates are leaders in many high technology industries where mathematics sits at the core of creativity and innovation.”
Missed this event? AMSI will hold a second Industry Day for Teachers event on Thursday 10 September at La Trobe Albury-Wodonga campus. Secure your place here .
Robbie Byrne
Marketing and Communications Coordinator, AMSI
robbie.byrne@amsi.org.au
48 outstanding mathematicians from across Australasia and Southeast Asia recently gathered in Brisbane to research, network and collaborate at the 20th AMSI Winter School.
Held from 6 to 17 July 2026, the milestone edition saw the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) team up with the University of Queensland (UQ) to delve into the fascinating world of geometric analysis.
Geometric analysis is a vibrant and rapidly evolving space in mathematics. It lies at the intersection of differential geometry, global analysis, differential equations, and mathematical physics. AMSI believes that recent advances in the discipline, particularly around Ricci flow, geometric measure theory, and nonlinear PDEs underscored the need for this year’s Winter School to focus on the discipline.
UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Deborah Terry AC dedicated a welcome on behalf of the University at the the opening ceremony. This was followed by a presentation showcasing highlights from previous AMSI Winter Schools. The opener was also an opportunity for former organisers to come together and enjoy a trip down memory lane.
Academics
Winter School teaching sessions were led by some of the finest minds in geometric analysis. Lecturers who taught at the event included Prof. Dr Christoph Böhm (University of Münster, Germany), Prof. Song Sun (Zhejiang University, China), Assistant Prof. Jiewon Park (KAIST, Korea), and Associate Prof. Julie Clutterbuck (Monash University, Australia).
Public Lecture
The Winter School Public Lecture is a well-established highlight, and this year was no exception. Held in partnership with BrisScience and led by Dr Agnese Barbensi (UQ), the lecture, which is open to the general public, offered a stimulating introduction to the field of topology. Enthusiastically presented to a capacity audience at the 250-seat State Library of Queensland, Dr Barbensi offered an enjoyable and accessible introduction to “space and shape in its most basic form.”
Attendees
2026’s program welcomed a diverse cohort, with student representation from seven countries including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines.
Students and early-career researchers from Southeast Asia and the Pacific were supported by a tranche of travel bursaries courtesy of the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS) in Scotland.
Participant Talks
To encourage the sharing of research and building of networks, Participant Talks were held where mathematicians discussed their research or thesis topic over a 10-minute slot. With $400 in prizes up for grabs, the Talks were hotly contested. Thomas Tawfik from the University of Otago, New Zealand won the overall prize while Henry Wood from UQ took the runner-up position.
Participant Talk overall prizewinner Thomas Tawfilk (University of Otago) with Event Director Ramiro Lafuente (UQ)
School activities went beyond mathematics. Attendees enjoyed opportunities to become acquainted outside of class thanks to light-hearted conference dinners, catered breaks, pitch nights, icebreakers, game activities and free nights to explore Brisbane. Students also bonded over their mutual research interests and the ongoing World Cup coverage.
As the program drew to a close, it was evident that participants had not just enhanced their mathematical skillset but had built friendships that will go far beyond their academic endeavours. Anna Muscara, AMSI Acting Program Manager for Research & Higher Education, highlighted the importance of the event as a place for researchers to share ideas “In a field of study that can be isolating, AMSI is proud to have Winter School in our suite of flagship events. Since 2005, the event has helped to build a community of emerging researchers while building Australia’s capability in the mathematical sciences”
Event Director Associate Professor Ramiro Lafuente (UQ) added, “Since its inception in 2005, Winter School has played a vital role in developing the next generation of mathematical scientists by providing graduate-level training in emerging research areas while strengthening the national mathematical sciences community. The 2026 program was particularly successful, attracting strong participation from across Australia and overseas (thanks to a generous grant from ICMS). The students’ response and the breadth and depth of interactions among them and with the lecturers reflected the continuing importance of these initiatives in sustaining Australia’s mathematics research pipelines and fostering future collaborations.”
About
AMSI Winter School is an annual two-week event designed for postgraduate students, early-career researchers and industry professionals in the mathematical sciences and related disciplines.
View our full AMSI Winter School album below:
Media Enquiries:
Robbie Byrne
Marketing, Communications and Events Coordinator, AMSI
robbie.byrne@amsi.org.au
Role type: Full time
School: School of Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry and Physics
University: Murdoch University, Perth WA
Salary: $115,512 – $162,403 p.a. + plus 17% Superannuation
Murdoch University is seeking a Lecturer or Senior Lecturer (Statistician) to join their School of Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry and Physics in Perth, Western Australia.
This continuing full-time academic position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to high-quality teaching in Statistics and Data Science at undergraduate and postgraduate levels while developing a strong research profile.
The successful candidate will engage in interdisciplinary and industry-relevant research, contribute to curriculum development, and collaborate across the University to strengthen Statistics and Data Science education and research.
Applicants should hold a PhD in Statistics or a closely related field and demonstrate expertise in statistical theory, modelling, inference, and modern computational tools such as R and/or Python. Visa sponsorship and relocation support may be available for outstanding candidates.
Applications close 21 August, 2026 (11:59 pm AWST)
The basics
The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) and its partners, the Mathematical Association of Victoria (MAV) and The Victorian YMCA (The Y) will deliver 24 five-day residential Maths Camps in partnership with the Department of Education Victoria for Victorian government school students from 2026 to 2028.
These fully funded Camps will provide groundbreaking access to mathematics enrichment opportunities for high-ability students in Years 9 and 10.
Our goal
The aim of the Camps is to encourage students to study VCE Specialist Mathematics in Years 11 and 12, and progress to STEM study at university.
The Camps will also support under-represented groups to study mathematics, including girls, First Nations students, and students from low-SES areas and regional Victoria.
Where you come in…
We’re forming a Maths Camps Project Group to provide expert advice to project partners on the development of both the Maths Camps’ curriculum activities and pedagogical aspects of the students’ learning experiences.
You will need to attend at least two meetings (online or hybrid) each year. You can find the Project Group terms of reference here.
Expressions of interest (EOI) are invited from maths educators (university, schools and NFP sectors across Australia) to join the Project Group. EOI should include a brief CV and a short description of your expertise in maths curriculum design, education and/or the delivery of maths camps for high-achieving students.
Please submit your EOI, along with any enquiries, to exec@amsi.org.au by close of business on 11 July 2026.
Media enquiries:
Robbie Byrne
Marketing and Communications Coordinator, AMSI
robbie.byrne@amsi.org.au
Overview
The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) and its partners, the Mathematical Association of Victoria (MAV) and The Victorian YMCA (The Y) will deliver 24 maths camps for Victorian government school students from 2026 to 2028. The fully-funded Camps will provide access to mathematics enrichment opportunities for high-ability students in years 9 and 10, from across Victoria.
The camps will help motivate students to study VCE Specialist Mathematics in years 11 and 12 and progress to STEM study at university. The camps will also support under-represented groups to study mathematics, including girls, First Nations students, and students from low SES areas and regional Victoria.
Purpose and membership
- The Project Group will:
- provide expert advice on the development of the maths camp curriculum activities and the pedagogical aspects of the students’ learning experiences
- attend Project Group meetings as scheduled
- Project Group Members shall also consider requests to
- provide informal advice to the Project Partner members
- support the broad range of AMSI and MAV activities
- support AMSI/MAV advocacy for the mathematical sciences and the benefits of Maths Camps project
- The Project Group will have a Chair and between four and six other members. The members will include experts in maths curriculum design, education and the delivery of maths camps for high achieving students. The members will be selected to ensure gender diversity. The Group will also include a balanced representation from both the higher education and schools sectors, and from Victoria and interstate.
- The Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES) will nominate a member to the Project Group.
- The members will not be employees of the University of Melbourne or MAV.
- Project Group members shall be appointed until March 2029, which represents the end of the Maths Camps Project.
Meetings
- At least two Project Group meetings shall be held each year.
- Project partner staff from AMSI and MAV will attend the meetings.
- The meeting minutes, together with any recommendations, will be shared with the Department of Education, and tabled at AMSI Board meetings.
Confidentiality and conflicts of interest
- Group members will be asked to treat Maths Camps documents and discussions as confidential. They will also be asked to declare any conflicts of interest, that may be relevant to the topic under discussion.
“Friends of mine, who were PhD researchers, struggled to get a foothold in their sector. APR.Intern was my ticket into industry.”
Dr Riya Aggarwal
Meet Riya, an applied mathematics postgraduate and senior artificial intelligence (AI) engineer at Canva. An award-winning AI engineer, she believes that she would not be the industry leader she is today without the support of AMSI and APR.Intern.
Riya believes that we shouldn’t see mathematics as ‘just’ a subject, but the foundation of countless career pathways. “Maths is behind every AI task,” she says. “The models are mathematical models. Optimisation, scaling, inference pipelines — all of these involve maths.”
Winter School
Winter School was Riya’s introduction to AMSI, and the event was critical to her development: “It’s easy to get stuck in your own silo and believe that your research is the best in the world,” she says. “Often, you don’t consider what others are doing.” It was an empowering two weeks at the School: “Ideas learned were incorporated into my work. People are doing phenomenal maths research; sometimes you just have to go beyond your supervisor and learn from others.”
Enter APR.Intern
Like many of you, Riya decided during her PhD that she wanted to work at the intersection of industry and academia. This is where APR.Intern stepped in. By facilitating a valuable internship opportunity with Veris, we enabled her to realise her ambition of working in industry. “That can be difficult for many academics in Australia,” she says.
Riya’s internship was a resounding success, so much so that Veris offered her a full-time role. This was the first time she had an opportunity to apply her AI research to industry, an experience that led to her current position at Canva.
Importance of maths
Riya is keen to emphasise the importance of a maths background in gaining employment in the burgeoning AI industry. “If I did not have that foundation, I would’ve struggled to perform in my current role at Canva,” she notes.
She admits that she “never chose mathematics; it just happened to me”, but with enough talent, hard work and support from organisations such as AMSI and its targeted programs, we can secure Australia’s mathematical talent pipeline from school to industry.
With EOFY fast approaching, please consider donating today to support more stories like Riya’s. Your gift will help create more pathways for maths and STEM postgraduate researchers into industry.
What is the AMSI Foundation?
The AMSI Foundation was founded in 2016 to support AMSI’s mission to champion the mathematical sciences for Australia’s advancement. The Foundation offers a tax-deductible way to support participation in AMSI programs.
APR.Intern
APR.Intern, Australia’s national PhD internship program, is a division of The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI). For over 25 years, AMSI has supported and inspired maths and STEM postgraduate students through its advanced education and industry internship programs. APR specialises in facilitating opportunities, transitioning research students from academia to industry.
Help us strengthen this vital career support for the next generation of postgraduate maths and STEM students.
Media enquiries:
Robbie Byrne
Marketing and Communications Coordinator, AMSI
robbie.byrne@amsi.org.au