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PhD topics for research students

Find below a list of currently available self-funded PhD topics.

We encourage all students to contact the supervisor or the alternative contact person for more information and an informal chat to discuss the process of applying and preparing your research statement. For more information on how to apply click here.

Description
Supervisor
Funding
Machine learning for natural language modelling and processing
Text and language processing is of great importance in many applications where an intelligent system is required to understand language and respond to queries. The PhD project will use machine learnin...
Self Funded
Use of Large Language Models (LLM) as a Structural Engineering Design Assistant
This is a self-funded project - please only apply if you have funding to undertake this project Large Language Models such as Chat GPT3 represent a significant development in artificial intelligence ...
Self Funded
Additive manufacturing and sustainability
The Additive Manufacturing and 4D Printing Research group conducts research on novel use of materials, design guidelines and the societal impact of using 3D Printing. This is a self-funded topic and t...
Self Funded
Generative models with diffusion
The powerful engines behind synthetic data generation in AI are diffusion models, aka, stochastic differential equations. A success story that draws a lot of public attention recently is the generatio...
Self Funded
System design to tackle plastic pollution in the plastic-packaging value chain
The PhD project will be linked to the UKRI funded project called PISCES: 'A systems analysis approach to reduce plastic waste in Indonesian societies'. In particular, it will support the 'Design' Work...
Self Funded
Life cycle assessment and circular economy for built environment
Information about the research projects Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has become the standard for environmental performance assessment of the built environment. Currently, a clear and commonly accepted ...
Self Funded
Machine learning for sustainable transportation systems
This is an interdisciplinary position at the intersection of artificial intelligence, deep learning, and transportation systems. The research student will work on research projects focused on developi...
Self Funded
CFD modelling of plasma flow control
Active flow control can be utilised to modify fluid flow in advantageous ways without performance penalties of passive flow control.  For example, to delay boundary layer separation, or alter noise ge...
Self Funded
Next generation electric vehicles
Electric vehicles (EV’s) offer benefits through energy security, energy efficiency, low emissions and precision in their control, hence the great interest in this technology from industry, academia, g...
Self Funded
Low-carbon cementitious composites from brick waste powder
The objective of this PhD is to develop high performing low-carbon engineering products that utilise brick waste from the demolition of buildings in two forms: 1) brick powder to be used as binder in ...
Self Funded