Horizon Digital Economy Research Institute - Horizon Centre for Doctoral Training in My Life in Data
PhD Studentships The technologies of digital identity and personal data raise some of the most profound technical and social challenges facing our digital society today. Our digital identities will define the interfaces to the future services that we will use for entertainment, wellbeing, government, transport, energy, retail and finance – indeed for every aspect of our lives. They will be constructed from our personal data, digital records that capture who we are and the histories of our digital, and increasingly our physical and social, interactions. We are at an exciting moment in time where there are a vast range of opportunities for research in personal data. The Horizon CDT offers you the opportunity to shape the future by recognising a growing public awareness of the value of personal data, the exciting opportunities that this presents and addressing concerns over how data are being created, analysed and used.
Our vision is to create digital identity technologies that operate in a fair and transparent manner to empower their users. This is a transdisciplinary challenge, one that needs to bring together expertise in digital technologies with perspectives on digital identity from the social sciences and humanities, with a deep understanding of real-world applications.
The Horizon My Life in Data Centre for Doctoral Training equips a community of PhD students with the transdisciplinary skills to drive the digital identity and personal data agenda for the 21st century. While we do not expect that every student will be an expert in all of the areas mentioned above, our aim is to train people to work in transdisciplinary teams, ready to become future leaders in industry, the third sector and academia.
Our students also work closely with world leading industry and international partners through supervision, internships, access to resources and expertise and sponsorship. You will join an established programme led by Professor Steve Benford, an EPSRC Dream Fellow, Visiting Researcher at Microsoft, the BBC’s first Visiting Professor, and the recipient of four BAFTA nominations; and Professor Sarah Sharples, Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Engineering, who led the Human Factors Research Group to the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors President’s medal in 2013.
We are interested in students from a wide variety of backgrounds including computer science, engineering, mathematics, human factors, psychology, sociology, business, geography, social science and the arts, providing they have an excellent first degree and can demonstrate an enthusiasm for transdisciplinary research. The minimum entry requirement is a 2.1 undergraduate degree and English language IELTS average score of 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any element.
You will benefit from:
• A fully-funded four year PhD programme that integrates a leading-edge research project with research training in transdisciplinary skills.
• At least one internship with one of our partners.
• An enhanced stipend of £16,800 per annum as well as a personal laptop and additional facilities and resources to support your study.
• A cohort of high achieving PhD researchers.
• A world class research environment with a proven track record of successful Horizon CDT graduates.
We have funding for UK/Home and EU students. Places are also available for those in receipt of four year independent funding/scholarships. Application forms are downloadable from http://cdt.horizon.ac.uk/apply/current-opportunities and should be returned by email with a detailed CV, transcript, references and a statement of research interests (personal statement) to lynn.rees@nottingham.ac.uk. Please quote ref HORIZON2, Closing date: 23 February 2018, Shortlisting date: 5 March 2018, Interview date: 12 March 2018.
Posted on Thursday 1st February 2018