Postgraduate research opportunities Resilience for Digitalised Critical Infrastructure (ReDI) Collaboration
ApplyKey facts
- Opens: Tuesday 22 April 2025
- Deadline: Wednesday 30 April 2025
- Number of places: 4
- Duration: 3.5 years
- Funding: Home fee, Stipend
Overview
The ReDI Collaboration is looking for up to 8 fully funded PhD candidates (based at University of Strathclyde and University of Surrey), across a range of disciplines, to carry out advanced research in building security and resilience in a digitalised world, as part of the ReDI collaboration led academically by the Universities of Surrey and Strathclyde and supported by the Surrey-Strathclyde-NPL strategic partnership and industry partners.Eligibility
Open to Home students. International students may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
We are looking for you to have a first or upper-second class degree in a relevant discipline (or equivalent overseas qualification), or a lower second plus a good Masters degree (distinction normally required). Relevant disciplines include computer science, mathematics, physics, engineering, management, psychology, law and sociology. Applicants should be comfortable with mathematics.
We are keen to consider applicants coming through non-traditional routes such as a return from industry, a change of career, or a period of leave, and will consider candidates with equivalent experience who do not have the formal academic qualifications. We are committed to supporting Diversity Equality and Inclusion and therefore open to discuss alternative modes of study.
Ideally, applicants should be capable of achieving UK clearance or equivalent.
Strathclyde Business School is committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive postgraduate research population. We make decisions on entry by assessing the whole person and not relying solely on academic achievements. On that basis, please ensure that your application (via your CV and covering letter) can evidence your resourcefulness, commitment and resilience as demonstrated by broader professional and life experiences. This evidence should be centred on your ability to undertake and complete a PhD and contribute to a positive PhD community.
If English isn't your first language, you'll need an IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent with no individual element below 5.5.
Project Details
The world is becoming increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. At the same time, our critical infrastructure is becoming increasingly connected and dependent on digital technologies, introducing new strengths and vulnerabilities, as advances in communications, networking, robotics, sensing, data processing, Al and edge and cloud computing are made. All this rapid change gives rise to unforeseen disruptions (originating from human, technology and natural sources) that are increasingly difficult to predict, in part because they cascade through the digitally interconnected fabric of our society.
ReDI research will be driven by the major challenges associated with achieving resilience in critical infrastructure systems, maintaining their ability to function across digital, physical and human aspects in the face of change, disruption and attack. This is a multi-faceted agenda covering many aspects of resilience-building, including: resilience-by-design; understanding, modelling and managing complexity; planning for uncertainty and risk; cyber resilience; trustworthiness and measurement; and the use of data, digital tools and Al.
You will join a multidisciplinary cohort of up to 8 students across the Universities of Surrey and Strathclyde. You will develop your PhD projects in conjunction with the supervisory team and industry partners as part of your initial foundational training, which includes training in resilience-building as well as multi-disciplinary team challenge projects, with the aim of establishing a "resilience mindset" in you - the ability to be self-directed, generate questions, solve complex problems, collaborate across traditional 'silos' and continuously learn and adapt.
Our industry stakeholders will also provide access to facilities across a range of sectors, including communication, timing, power and transport.
Further information
This opportunity is due to start in September or October 2025.
Funding details
The funding provided for this opportunity will include 3.5 years of both tuition fees and monthly stipend payments. Up to £2,000 will also be provided for Research training support.
Fully funded studentships are available at the UK home rate.
Home Students
To be eligible for a fully funded UK home studentship you must:
- Be a UK national or UK/EU dual national or non-UK national with settled status / pre-settled status / indefinite leave to remain / indefinite leave to enter / discretionary leave / EU migrant worker in the UK or non-UK national with a claim for asylum or the family member of such a person, and
- Have ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or British Overseas Territory, at the Point of Application, and
- Have three years residency in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, British Overseas Territory or EEA before the relevant date of application unless residency outside of the UK/ EEA has been of a temporary nature only and of a period less than six years
While there is no funding in place for opportunities marked "unfunded", there are lots of different options to help you fund postgraduate research. Visit funding your postgraduate research for links to government grants, research councils funding and more, that could be available.
Apply
For the preliminary phase of the application, please provide responses of up to 150 words to each of the following five questions, and submit your answers through the Strathclyde Qualtrics website:
- Describe a challenge where you have had to demonstrate personal resilience
- How would you approach the process of applying theory in practice?
- Describe a situation where you had to face a problem not previously encountered - how did you approach it? What did you do?
- Describe a scenario where your work/research led to an impactful outcome.
- What is your approach to career development?
Successful students will be asked to submit formal applications for interview through the relevant university application process.
Number of places: 4
There will be a shortlisting and interview process.
To read how we process personal data, applicants can review our 'Privacy Notice for Student Applicants and Potential Applicants' on our Privacy notices' web page.
Contact us
Any initial enquiries should be submitted to redi-doctorate@strath.ac.uk. Please make sure you indicate that you are applying for the “Resilience for Digitalised Critical Infrastructure" studentship.