Funding Opportunities

A recent report issued by the WWF states that there has been a catastrophic decline in wildlife population in recent years. A large number of species are threatened with extinction due to a number of factors. Certain species have been placed on the IUCN Red List for several years, but further conservation efforts are still urgently required to ensure the survival of the remaining individuals.

The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is looking to fund one doctoral student to work in the area of deep learning and wildlife monitoring. Projects could explore bioacoustics, camera traps, posture estimation, real-time monitoring, and theoretical deep learning ideas etc. The student will share office space with a collaborative and energetic team of researchers in the beautiful city of Muizenberg, South Africa at AIMS, just 50 meters from Muizenberg beach, Cape Town’s #1 surf spot. The student will join the Machine Learning for Ecology Research group. Please visit the link to learn more about us.

If you are excited about the idea of advancing machine learning in Africa for wildlife monitoring, then this PhD is for you!

Application deadline: 1st October 2023 Anywhere on Earth. Preference will be given to previously disadvantaged South African students. Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply, please e-mail the below documents in three pdf files to Emmanuel Dufourq (dufourq@aims.ac.za)

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• Cover letter detailing why you want to do a PhD in deep learning for wildlife monitoring and which topic you would be most interested in (bioacoustics, camera traps, video, posture estimation, real-time monitoring, etc...)

• Proof of masters completion