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Current research degree projects

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Explore our current postgraduate research degree and PhD opportunities.

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80 research degree projects

Electronics and computer science | Photonics and optoelectronics | Engineering | Physics and astronomy

Nanolaser–to–silicon coupling for high-bandwidth optical switching

Join a PhD at the University of BOB体育登录网址_欧宝体育官网平台-APP|下载 to build optoelectronic neural-networks and hardware for neuromorphic computing. You’ll design, fabricate and test III–V-on-silicon photonic circuits for AI inference and ultra-fast data-links. Learn cleanroom, simulation and characterisation skills in a supportive, world-leading silicon photonics group with industry and international collaborators.

Funding: Competition funded

Closing date: 1 February 2026
Electronics and computer science

Adversarial defence for Large Language Models (LLMs)

Large Language Models (LLMs) are powerful but can be tricked - Adversarial Defence protects them. You will improve LLM robustness to prompt-based attack or jailbreaking, exploring novel algorithms for adversarial defence inspired by recent success of adversarial pre-prompt training, reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) and adding safety layers to LLM architectures.

Funding: Competition funded

Closing date: 30 June 2026
Electronics and computer science

Metasurface technology for next-generation automotive sensing and 3D facial recognition

This project will develop metasurface-engineered optical systems for next-generation automotive and biometric sensing. It combines advanced nanofabrication, machine learning-driven optical design, and international collaboration with NTU Singapore and MIT to push metasurface technologies toward real-world commercialisation.

Funding: Competition funded

Closing date: 20 September 2026
Engineering

Investigating urban blast effects and injury risk through numerical and experimental techniques

This project investigates how urban environments influence injury risk during explosions. Using advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling, analytical methods, and small-scale blast experiments, it will reconstruct the 2020 Beirut explosion and extend findings to generic urban settings to develop validated models and guidance that enhance human protection and urban resilience.

Funding: Competition funded

Closing date: 31 March 2026
Engineering

Recovering precipitation strengthening in additive friction stir deposition builds: heat-treatment design for microstructure control and property improvement

This project aims to unlock stronger 3D-printed metals. It pioneers new heat-treatment strategies to recover and even surpass the strength of additively manufactured light alloys. Using advanced microscopy, modelling and mechanical testing, you’ll design process–microstructure-properties maps that transform low-strength printed parts into high-performance components for aerospace, transport and hydrogen technologies.

Funding: Competition funded

Closing date: 30 June 2026
Engineering

The sentient hearing aid: engineering a symbiotic link between mind and machine

Millions struggle with "hidden hearing loss." Pilot data from our lab shows a disconnect between the brain's effort and listening success. This project will engineer a "sentient" hearing aid that reads the user's unique physiological signature of effort to intelligently adapt its sound processing in real-time.

Funding: Competition funded

Closing date: 31 July 2026
Engineering

Crack-to-leak: cryogenic damage mechanisms and fracture toughness of composites for future on-aircraft liquid hydrogen fuel storage

This project aims to understand how carbon fibre composite materials are affected by extremely cold temperatures (around 20 Kelvin, or -253°C), using both experiments and computer simulations. This research is crucial for designing fuel tanks that can safely store liquid hydrogen on aircraft.

Funding: Competition funded

Closing date: 27 February 2026
Electronics and computer science

Using machine learning to model complex biological interactions

This project aims to build an AI-driven system that analyses live-cell microscopy videos showing how immune cells attack cancer cells. The videos are generated in a biology lab where each experiment can be precisely controlled. You will create machine-learning and computer-vision algorithms that can detect, track, and model these cell-to-cell interactions, revealing patterns that explain when and why immune cells succeed or fail.

Funding: Fully funded (UK only)

Closing date: 31 December 2025
Electronics and computer science

Risk management for robust Machine Learning Operations (MLOps)

MLOps refers to the processes for developing and maintaining machine learning systems. Robust MLOps ensure reliability under uncertainty, adversarial conditions, and distributional shifts. Given the massive growth of ML-based projects across scientific fields, effectively managing risks to MLOps robustness has become non-negotiable.

Funding: Competition funded

Closing date: 30 April 2026
Engineering

Mathematically scaling the physical impacts of soil bioturbation on bulk scale water flow, gas transport, and mechanical properties in soil

Unlocking how soil’s hidden ecosystem engineers, such as earthworms and roots, reshape its structure could revolutionize sustainable agriculture. This project develops mathematical models linking tiny biopores to large-scale soil behaviour, improving predictions of water flow, gas transport, and mechanical resilience, with vital implications for combating soil compaction and safeguarding global food security.

Funding: Fully funded (UK only)

Closing date: 2 February 2026