PHD Projects
PhD Projects in Computer Science (Sponsored/Self-Funded)
The School of Computing at Newcastle University is advertising a number of PhD projects for self funding students. Prospective Students are encouraged to contact project supervisors directly for more information on specific projects or research topics. Start dates are January, April or September and we recommend allowing 2-3 months for the application process. There are no formal deadlines to apply for a project, projects will be withdrawn once a suitable student has been accepted.
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
COMPSF21: Supervisor: Phil Lord
Project 1: Hyperscale Graphs Models of Life
Project 2: A Computational representation of Gender
COMPSF27: Supervisor: Natalio Krasnogor
Project 1: Generative AI, Monte Carlo Tree Search & Reinforcement Learning for Biosecurity Screening
Project 2: Computation DNA Data Structure for DNA Data Storage
Project 3: Experimental DNA/RNA Data Structures for DNA Data Storage
Project 4: ECC-Backed Genetic Watermarks for Environmental Engineering Biology Bioforensics
COMPSF40: Supervisor: Gizem Buldum
Project 1: Novel strategies for designing synthetic pathways in microbial systems capable of producing cellulose-based materials
Project: 2 Reservoir Computing with Coupled Genetic Oscillators
COMPSF43: Applied AI and System AI (for Science, Health, Engineering and Social Humanity) - Supervisor: Jichun Li
Data Science
COMPSF05: Biomedical Explainable AI - Supervisor: Jaume Bacardit
COMPSF07: AI transparency - Supervisor: Pawel Widera
COMPSF16: Data Visualization for Human-AI Collaboration - Supervisor: Xinhuan Shu
COMPSF17: Data visualization for explainability and data-driven decision-making in health and life sciences – Supervisor: Sara Fernstad
COMPSF26: Artificial Intelligence in bio and Medical Imaging - Supervisor: Boguslaw Obara
COMPSF33: Neural Architecture Search and predicting Depp learning training time - Supervisor: Steve McGough
COMPSF38: AI, Novel Computing, Remote Sensing & Media Security - Supervisor: Deepayan Bhowmik
COMPSF41: Mixture of Experts for Vision-Language Models (VLMs) - Supervisor: Varun Ojha
COMPSF42: Safe Multimodal Large-Language Models - Supervisor: Huizhi Liang
COMPSF44: Constraint Optimisation for Social Impact - Supervisor: Matthew Forshaw
COMPSF45: AI and Machine Learning Explainability for diverse audiences - Supervisor: Daniel Archambault
Human Computer Interaction
COMPSF12: Interfacing Between the Smart Home and the Street - Supervisor: Nick Taylor
COMPSF13: Advancing Human-Centred AI: PhD Research Opportunities in the Haii Lab – Supervisor: Lei Shi
COMPSF31: Supervisor - Marie Devlin
Project 1: Using AI for Personalised Learning Pathways in the UK School Curriculum
Project 2: Ensuring Integrity and Foundational Skill and Knowledge Development in Programming Education in the AI era
Project 3: How AI tools will change the way Software Engineering Teams Work - Implications for Team Projects in Computer Science Education
COMPSF34: Imagining otherwise: The role of Generative AI in collective prefiguration - Supervisor: Vasilis Vlachokyriakos
COMPSF37: Interactive digital technologies for wellbeing and /or mental health - Supervisor: Dave Kirk
Other Computer Science
COMPSF01: Understanding how Quantum Weirdness Could Solve Hard Problems - Supervisors: Nick Chancellor and Jonte Hance
COMPSF11: TinyML for the Internet of Things - Supervisor: Tomasz Szydlo
COMPSF19: Privacy Enhancing Technologies for Cyber-Physical Systems – Supervisor: Shishir Nagaraja
COMPSF22: Operations intelligence for decarbonisation – Supervisor: Wanqing Zhao
COMPSF25: DNA Nanotechnology and Molecular Computing – Supervisor: Harold Fellermann
COMPSF29: Recovery from Cyber Attacks in Cyber-Physical Systems - Supervisor: Mujeeb Ahmed
COMPSF32: Securing the Internet of Things: A Zero-Trust Architecture Framework for Resilient, Adaptive, and scalable IoT Ecosystems - Supervisor: Yinhao Li
COMPSF35: Data Analytics and Co-Simulation for Smarter and More Resilient Rail Systems - Supervisor: Ken Pierce
COMPSF36: Composable security of quantum digital signatures - Supervisor: Ittoop Puthoor
COMPSF39: Edge AI: Building Efficient, Trustworthy and Distributed Intelligence - Supervisor: Rehmat Ullah
COMPSF46: Adaptive Trajectory Optimization of 6G-Enabled Drones Integrating Multi-Access Edge Computing for Border Surveillance - Supervisor: Husnain Sherazi
Eligibility
Please note that these projects are not funded and are available only for applicants who have their own funding or who plan to apply for funding for their studies.
PhD studies are available to all applicants holding, or expecting to receive, a good (2:1 minimum or equivalent) bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related discipline, or an international equivalent. Applicants should have a strong background in Computer Science or related area. High motivation for independent theoretical/computational work is essential. Skills and interest in project specific areas are also desirable. Newcastle University values individual differences and the diversity that this brings. We want to ensure that no-one is at a disadvantage because of who they are. We encourage applications from under-represented groups, and requests for flexible study (e.g., part-time) are welcomed.
Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subsection.
International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme.
How to apply
You should apply through the University's Apply to Newcastle Portal
Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.
Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:
- Search for the ‘Course Title’ using programme code: 8050F
- Research Area: Computing Science
- Select PhD Computer Science as the programme of study
You need to provide the following in ‘Further Questions’ section:
- ‘Personal Statement’ - (this is a mandatory field) upload a document or write a statement statement directly into application form
- When prompted - select ‘Write Proposal’. Type the title of the research project from this advert that you want to apply for. You don’t need to upload a research proposal.
- The code for the project that you want to apply for e.g. COMPSF01 in the 'Studentship/Partnership Reference'
In the ‘Supporting Documentation’ section you should upload:
- A covering letter and your CV
- Degree transcripts and certificates
- If English is not your first language, a copy of your English language qualification if already completed.
You must submit one application per studentship, you cannot apply for multiple studentships on one application.