Funding and Finance

EPSRC PhD Studentship - Novel Encryption Technique for Wired and Wireless Communications and Data Storage

  • School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
  • Reference Code: EE006


Closing Date: 31st August 2009

Details:

Supervisor: Professor S Boussakta
School: School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
Funded by: EPSRC
Duration: 4 years

The introduction of computer networks and the widespread use of the internet, coupled with big advances in wireless communications technology, have made it possible to trade and exchange information or send messages from the office or home to most places in the world.

As the variety of data exchanged across a network has increased dramatically over the last decade, so the threat of its interception during transmission or storage has become a major concern. In this age of information technology, it is vital to develop new low-complexity, scalable, low cost and secure encryption techniques that protect the privacy of users, prevent intruders and fraud in e-trading, commercial communications and storage etc.

However, different users, applications, communications media and storage systems need different Quality of Service (QoS) in terms of level of security, delay, speed, power and cost. Flexible and scalable encryption techniques will be vital for meeting these requirements.

Therefore, the aim of this project is to develop new encryption techniques that are scalable, robust and yet relatively simple and cheap to implement. This is an exciting opportunity to develop key expertise in the areas of data encryption and security for communications and storage, digital signal processing, DSP and FPGA implementations which underpin current and future technologies.

Eligibility and Value of the Award
Depending on how you meet the EPSRC’s eligibility criteria, you may be entitled to a full award (covers tuition fees and an annual stipend of £12,940) or a partial award (covers tuition fees only).

Person Specification
Candidates should have, or expect to obtain, at least an upper-second-class Honours degree in communications engineering, electronics, mathematics, computer science or a related subject.

How to Apply
You should complete the University's online postgraduate application form, quoting the code EE006 and selecting 'PhD School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering - Electrical and Electronic Engineering'. A CV including contact details of two referees and a personal statement stating why you are suitable for this studentship should be attached to the application form.

You should also send a copy of your CV and personal statement, quoting the code EE006, to Mrs Gill Webber, gill.webber@ncl.ac.uk, (School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, Merz Court, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 7RU).

Closing date for applications: 31st August 2009

Further Information
For more details, please contact Professor Boussakta, s.boussakta@ncl.ac.uk