ARL

Menu

Join Us

We have the following research opportunities at the ARL:

Research Positions

The ARL is a somewhat unconventional research environment for NUS, in that we do very little undergraduate teaching, being 100% research. We are success and goal oriented, rather than task and process oriented. ARL staff enjoy a high degree of autonomy and are expected to be self-motivated and self-disciplined. Generally, we look for enthusiastic, pragmatic and responsible signal processors, acousticians, talented engineers, physicists and oceanographers with skills in at least some of the following areas:
  • Ambient noise and acoustics
  • Underwater positioning
  • Cooperative command & control and behavior of dynamic systems
  • Communication theory, with a focus on underwater communications & networking
  • Geoacoustics
  • Random signal processing and model-based filtering
  • Beamforming and image processing
  • Inversion, search & optimization techniques
  • Numerical modeling and simulation
  • Mechanical, electronics or software engineering skills
At present we do not have any vacancies that we are actively looking to fill. However, we are always keen to bring on-board enthusiastic electronic engineers, scientists and acousticians looking for a challenge. So if you are interested in a position with the ARL, keep an eye out for positions advertised on this page, or get in touch with us (email: jobs.arl@nus.edu.sg) with a strong reason why we should create a new position for you!

Postgraduate Studies

The ARL is a 100% research environment and we do not do any significant undergraduate teaching. However, we do take on research scholars or self-financed students, who undertake a full-time further degree with an NUS faculty department such as the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Physics, etc under joint supervision while working on ARL projects. ARL staff research engineers and scientists can pursue MEng, MSc or PhD degrees part-time while employed by the ARL. Students interested in research projects with ARL may approach us (email studies.arl@nus.edu.sg) with a research proposal to identify a suitable project, and in parallel apply to the appropriate faculty in NUS for postgraduate admissions. Information on postgraduate admissions can be found on the NUS web page on graduate studies. Do keep in mind that you will also need to find a supervisor in the faculty of interest who is interested in the proposed project.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

The ARL supports an active program to give an opportunity to undergraduate students to experience underwater research in the areas of acoustic signal processing, acoustic communications, autonomous underwater vehicles, and other active research areas in the lab. The opportunities could be in the form of internships, final year projects (FYP) or UROP projects. Available FYP and UROP projects are advertised on the appropriate faculty web sites. Details on internship applications are given below.

Summer Internship Guidelines

Although we accept interns throughout the year, the most active period for internships is summer (May-July). In either case, the internship must last no less than 8 weeks. The student will be expected to submit a report on the work carried out at the end of the period. Important dates related to the applications and the internship are given below:
  • Deadline for receiving applications: end-November, for summer the next year
  • Notification of acceptance/rejection of application: end-December
  • Processing of training visit pass: January to April
  • Internship: May to July (8 weeks or more)
Due to time required to process the application and the training visit pass, we are unable to accept any internship applications to start the attachment in less than 5 months. Applications and enquiries should be sent to internships.arl@nus.edu.sg The applications should contain:
  • Detailed CV
  • Proposed start/end date of internship
  • Research area of interest
  • Relevant experience and skills
  • Statement of interest, outlining how you will benefit from the internship, and how you can contribute to the research project (not to exceed 1 page)
  • Description of previous project experience, if any
  • Recommendation letters, if any
Since we get a large number of applications, we will not be able to individually acknowledge the receipt of each application. If you are successful, you will be notified on the result of the application by the stipulated time. Do note that we are only able to support a limited number of interns at any given time and therefore some applications may at times be unsuccessful.

Information for International Applicants

International applicants should note that we do not provide any financial support for airfare to/from Singapore or any other travel costs. However, for internships, we do provide a stipend of approximately S$1000 per month to help the student cover his/her living costs (food, accommodation, transport, etc) in Singapore.

Past interns at the ARL

PankhuriVanjani

Pankhuri Vanjani, Intern, Dec'19 - Jun'20​

"Internship at ARL has been one of the best experience of my life, I got the opportunity to push my boundaries and deal with challenges. With the support of mentors, I learned to have patience and keep doing even if the results are not satisfying. Discussion meetings with mentors here have been the strongest brainstorming sessions I have ever been to. Besides the project, I found the lab culture quite supportive, engaging and interesting. Long conversations involving stories and incidents over lunch and the monthly martini BBQ were the fun part of this internship."

YashdeepThorat

Yashdeep Thorat, Intern, Jan'20 - May'20​

"I really cherish the time I spent at ARL. The internship was a great learning experience for me. There were lots of challenges I faced, but my mentors were really supportive and helpful. We discussed each aspect of the project and found ways to tackle the issues together. Also, I had loads of fun with all the amazing people in the lab. I will miss the Martinis (BBQ parties) and the long conversations over lunch. I'm truly grateful for the opportunity!"

BertrandL

Bertrand L., Intern, Jun'09 - Sep'09

"I had a fantastic time in ARL, I was able to significantly improve my knowledge and skills under the guidance of the people at ARL. In addition, I met loads of amazing people from all over the world. I also took advantage of the proximity to the rest of Asia and discovered many countries and was excited to see different cultures and ways of life. You have to take the first step, but once you do, there is no looking back, it really is the experience of a lifetime!"

DanbeeShin

Danbee Shin, UROP Student, Jan'09 - Jul'09

"I became involved in the project certain of two things: one, I knew next to nothing about this field of research and two, I wanted to learn whatever I could about it. After six months of constantly intriguing challenges and a kinetic and interpersonal learning experience, only the latter of those certainties remains true."

KalyanVaddagiri

Kalyan Vaddagiri, Intern, Dec'08 - May'09

"ARL was like my second home. Everyone is so touching with their human gestures. I was able to learn many academic things only because of ARL. Frankly, I learnt my coding skills and concepts in ARL. The best times were at the BBQ parties where everyone mixes and has lot of fun. I miss ARL really from my bottom of the heart."

SangramRaje

Sangram Raje, Intern, Summer 2006

"At ARL, I got to work on a large project and see the theoretical topics I had learnt being put to use in a practical application. Along with the knowledge that I gained through the project work, getting to work with the researchers at the lab was a very enriching experience. It has gone a long way in making me confident about working in a collaborative environment, on a large project and taking design and implementation decisions independently."

ChimayPendharkar

Chinmay Pendharkar, Intern, Summer 2004

"My internship at ARL was really fun. Not only did I get hands on experience, working with things that I had only studied, but also got to learn about current technologies, their design, implementation and testing. It was exciting and educational to work on the practical projects at ARL."