Computing PhD

The 91抖阴 has an international reputation for research in computing, notably in areas of security systems, heritage technologies, Vetronics (Vehicle Electronics), user-experience and natural language generation.

Our supervisors across the broad scope of PhD Computing include world-leading experts in their subject areas with extensive track records in PhD supervision. The university provides a comprehensive training scheme to support all postgraduate students. Our aim is to train the next generation of computer scientists to produce world-class research that has strong academic, societal, industrial and economic relevance. The skills our students acquire are designed both to support their doctoral research and enhance their future employability.

With employability one of our key objectives, our computing graduates go on to diverse future careers, from AI start-ups, data science jobs in industry and the public sector, to academic careers at UK and international universities.

Key information

benefit from a supervisory team comprising two or sometimes three members of academic staff. Depending on your research specialism you may also have an additional supervisor from another school, another research institution, or an external partner from government or industry.
be provided with desk space and access to a desktop PC, either in one of the postgraduate offices on the 6^th floor of the award-winning Cockcroft Building, or within the adjacent Huxley Building.
benefit from access to a range of electronic resources via the University’s Online Library, as well as to the physical book and journal collections housed within the Aldrich Library and other campus libraries.
be able to use various state-of-the-art research facilities on the Moulsecoomb site.

Academic environment

The department offers a range of subject-specific training opportunities (currently undergoing review and development) to complement the University’s more general research skills training programme for doctoral students.

The School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering hosts weekly Computing Research Seminars with a line-up of external and internal speakers, in which PhD students are encouraged to participate, both by attending and presenting seminars. Coming together for these seminars ensures broad knowledge of state-of-the-art research on a variety of topics, and enables staff and students to network and engage with other researchers in a professional context.

We actively encourage students to contribute to our strong and vibrant research community by publishing their research and attending external conferences around the world, for which funding is available. Our research themes include:

3D and 2D visualisation and digitisation: digital fabrication, virtual and immersive environments, visual analytics
Applied data analytics methods for image, text and structured numerical data, in particular for health, business intelligence and remanufacturing applications
Diagrammatic visualisation, logics and reasoning: visual ontology engineering, software and system modelling, usability of diagrams
Knowledge engineering: knowledge-based AI methods, ontology engineering, repository architectures and semantic metadata
Natural language generation: neural-network methods for text generation, data-to-text, automatic image description, evaluation
Security, privacy, and trust engineering: computer security, intrusion detection, cyber situational awareness, blockchain security and privacy
Text analytics: relation extraction, document classification, sentiment analysis, methods for messy user-generated text
User experience: user modelling, user profiling and recommender systems

Some of our supervisors

I am particularly interested in implementation-driven projects that convert theory into practice that draw knowledge from the following areas: Computer Science (AI, Data Visualisation), Software Engineering, and Game Development. Recently, I've been working on hand tracking, gesture and speech recognition to control software and hardware. My current project is building a brain for robots. I'm leading the development of the Robotics AI lab in Computing and would be interested in any projects that contribute to Robotics and/or AI. See our AI Robotics (AIR) Force team: https://almasb.github.io/RAI/

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research projects related to mathematically intensive methods of machine learning. My main area is sequential online forecasting, particularly prediction with expert advice. I am also interested in reinforcement learning (especially as a generalisation of online forecasting), kernel methods and topological data analysis.

My area of expertise is Bibliometrics and Scientometrics. I would be interested in supervising PhD/Master/Undergraduate students at any angle of Bibliometrics and Scientometrics and linking them with data analytics and data science. Some examples of specific potential topics (but are not limited to):

Analyse and examine the relation between economic factors and the amount of scientific productivity within countries, academic institutions, geographic regions and subject areas.
Examine the citation flows between countries or organisations that collaborate.
Analysis of Scientific Research Collaborations (institutional, national, international)
Research on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Cyber Security, theoretical and practical aspects
Bibliometric horizon scanning methodology for identifying emerging topics.
Analyse the relationship between international collaborations and the mobility of researchers.
Conduct gender analyses based on publication data, especially in the context of the SDGs.
Creation and implementation of new scientometric indicators in open research infrastructures.
Examine the open-access citation advantage.
Analysis of predatory publishing as a threat to research integrity.
Understand the research profiles of Higher Education Institutions and their connection with scientific productivity.
Bibliometric mappings of countries, institutions, disciplines, etc.

These topics are general and can be more detailed once the students show an interest in any of them. I will consider any new proposals and discuss any ideas that come up.

In my papers, I analyse the citation increment among collaborating countries. I have also examined how citation patterns of disciplines and bibliographic database coverage may influence the citation flows between subject areas.

The impact of economic factors on countries' research productivity has been the subject of my recent publications. I used data from citation databases, UNESCO, and the OECD for this purpose. I confirmed the relationship between investment in research and scientific results using multiple linear regression.

As well as understanding the scientific contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), I focus my research on the mechanisms to interpret this data, since different databases can produce different results.

If you are interested in a PhD under my supervision and you are willing to work hard with me in my research area (cyber security and privacy), please feel free to contact me with your CV. Several PhD topics, as well as MSc and undergraduate projects, are available.

My research interest includes the documentation and visualisation of collections, embedding intelligence as well as the (re)use to support innovative approaches, for instance, to support the exhibition and conservation of heritage artefacts and creative applications. Research topics for supervising include:

i) data analytics for complex, diverse and linked data resources,

ii) 3D digitisation/imaging and 3D digital collections,

iii) discoverability technologies, including AI-based analysis, large scale visualisation novel modalities for search and browse,聽

iv) community involvement with heritage,

v) design and engineering of objects by digital fabrication technologies.

vi) Sustainability and business aspects, including metaverse, blockchain technologies and NFT

Dr Fotaris's supervisory interests focus on projects exploring the pedagogic potential of games, escape rooms, generative artificial intelligence, virtual/augmented environments, and social media in the context of computing and design education. Additionally, he is interested in projects that combine creative computing with arts, music, and fashion. (e.g., AI-generated visual art and music, projection mapping, data visualisation, wearable technology, immersive media etc.).

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students in machine learning methods, categorical data analysis, multivariate analysis and high-dimensional statistics. Projects are likely to involve development of open-source software to support and disseminate the findings of the research.聽聽

I鈥檓 interested in research聽supervision in: electrical, electronic, automotive, mechanical and aeronautical聽engineering, including computer science - intelligent systems applications. I have聽particular interest in: power and high voltage systems, power electronics, intelligent systems - neural networks and fuzzy logic.

PhD Students:

听狈补尘别

听罢丑别蝉颈蝉

Rama Rahimi (2022-present)

TBA

Bartosz P艂oszaj (2020-present)

TBA

Alan Thomas (2014鈥損resent)

Intelligent optimisation techniques for minimising transient vehicle emissions

Shaun H Lee (2011)聽

Intelligent techniques for improved engine fuel economy

Merrenna Manula De Zoysa (2003)聽

Neural network estimation of air-fuel ratio in internal combustion engines聽

Nicolas Mich茅 (2002)

Gas Flow Analysis of a Uniflow Diesel Aero-engine

I supervise research students exploring human-computer interaction and applied artificial intelligence topics in education, cultural heritage and public engagement.

I am particularly interested in research-through-design [1] projects generating new knowledge through the iterative, user-centred development and evaluation of design prototypes.

For past work and specific research interests please refer to my project pages.聽

---

[1] Stappers, P. J., & Giaccardi, E. (2017). Research through design. In The encyclopedia of human-computer interaction (pp. 1-94). The Interaction Design Foundation.聽

For further supervisory staff including cross-disciplinary options, please visit

Making an application

Once you have prepared a first-rate application you can apply to the 91抖阴 through our . When you do, you will require a research proposal, references, a personal statement and a record of your education.

You will be asked whether you have discussed your research proposal and your suitability for doctoral study with a member of the 91抖阴 staff. We strongly recommend that all applications are made with the collaboration of at least one potential supervisor. Approaches to potential supervisors can be made directly through the details available online. If you are unsure, please do contact the Doctoral College for advice.

Please visit our How to apply for a PhD page for detailed information.

Fees and funding

Funding

Undertaking research study will require university fees as well as support for your research activities and plans for subsistence during full or part-time study.

Funding sources include self-funding, funding by an employer or industrial partners; there are competitive funding opportunities available in most disciplines through, for example, our own university studentships or national (UK) research councils. International students may have options from either their home-based research funding organisations or may be eligible for some UK funds.

Learn more about the funding opportunities available to you.

Tuition fees academic year 2024–25

Standard fees are listed below, but may vary depending on subject area. Some subject areas may charge bench fees/consumables; this will be decided as part of any offer made. Fees for UK and international/EU students on full-time and part-time courses are likely to incur a small inflation rise each year of a research programme.

MPhil/PhD
	Full-time	Part-time
UK	£4,786	£2,393
International (including EU)	£15,900	N/A
International students registered in the School of Humanities and Social Science or in the School of Business and Law	£14,500	N/A

PhD by Publication
Full-time	Part-time
N/A	£2,393

Contact 91抖阴 Doctoral College

To contact the Doctoral College at the 91抖阴 we request an email in the first instance. Please visit our contact the 91抖阴 Doctoral College page.

For supervisory contact, please see individual profile pages.