Control Systems
University of York
About the Project Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming our world, but its growing computational demands, particularly for edge computing in devices like IoT sensors, require new, energy-efficient hardware solutions. Over the past decade, memristors, a novel class of electronic components that can "remember" the charge that has flowed through them, have been extensively researched.
- Location
- York, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- 28 October 2026
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
Cardiff University
About the Project This project brings together precision laser interferometry and single photon detection quantum technology for the first time and applies this innovative concept to test the hypothesis that space-time is quantized. Precision interferometry has been successfully developed for decades (also by our group) to launch the era of gravitational-wave astronomy.
- Location
- Cardiff, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- 30 October 2026
- Funding
- Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Control Systems
Heriot-Watt University
About the Project Ultrashort laser pulses can be used to directly write structural modifications inside dielectric materials. This modification can manifest itself in a variety of ways, one example of which can be a localised increase in the refractive index. Using this refractive index modification, it is possible to directly inscribe 3D optical waveguides inside materials [1] – a capability which has considerable potential for developing bespoke sensing technologies.
- Location
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- 1 November 2026
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
Control Systems
Cranfield University
About the Project We are seeking a highly motivated candidate to undertake a PhD program titled " 3D Temperature Field Reconstruction from Local Temperature Monitoring in Directed Energy Deposition ." This exciting research opportunity focuses on advancing large-scale additive manufacturing using metal wire as feedstock and electric arc as the heat source.
- Location
- Bedford, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- 18 November 2026
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
Cranfield University
About the Project We are looking for a highly motivated candidate to pursue a PhD programme titled " CFD-informed finite element analysis for thermal control in wire-arc directed energy deposition ." This research opportunity focuses on advancing the field of large-scale additive manufacturing, utilising metal wire as the feedstock and electric arc as the heat source.
- Location
- Bedford, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- 18 November 2026
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
University of Bristol
About the Project The stability of modern life builds on sustainable, continuous operation of large-scale infrastructure, such as power grids, water networks, and transportation systems. However, managing these "systems of systems" presents a profound scientific and logistical challenge that remains largely unsolved. These systems are complex, nonlinear or sometime stochastic, and this means small local failures can trigger massive cascading effects.
- Location
- Bristol, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- 28 February 2027
- Funding
- Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Control Systems
University of Sheffield
About the Project Colorectal cancer is the second most deadly cancer (0.94 million deaths, 9.4% of all cancer deaths) in 2020 worldwide. Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) is a procedure to remove large colorectal cancer tumors by inserting flexible tools into the colon through the anus, without making incisions on the body.
- Location
- Sheffield, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
University of Salford
About the Project This interdisciplinary PhD project aims to explore the intelligent integration of renewable energy sources and Fuel Cells into multi-microgrid systems, with a focus on enhancing resilience, cyber-physical security, and decarbonization.
- Location
- Manchester, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
Edinburgh Napier University
About the Project Renewable energy systems are central to achieving the UK’s Net Zero goals, but their variability and interdependence pose major challenges for reliable operation. Addressing these challenges requires advanced control and optimisation methods that can coordinate generation, storage, and demand under uncertain conditions.
- Location
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
University of York
About the Project Accurate estimation of battery pack states, such as State of Charge (SOC), State of Health (SOH), and State of Power (SOP), is essential for the safe and efficient operation of electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems. Reliable state estimation ensures optimal performance, extends battery life, and enhances safety by preventing overcharging and deep discharging.
- Location
- York, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
Edinburgh Napier University
About the Project About the Project As renewable penetration grows, national and regional power grids face increasing challenges in balancing variable supply with demand, maintaining stability, and ensuring resilience against uncertainty. Traditional deterministic control and optimisation approaches often fail to cope with the scale and variability of modern energy systems.
- Location
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
University of Southampton
About the Project Supervisory Team: Professor Austin Taranta and Dr. Leonard Budd A miles-long glass tube thinner than a human hair enshrouds delicate glass capillaries with sub-micron thickness; this is Antiresonant hollow-core optical fibre, the next generation of fibre technology already creating new fields in data, quantum, sensing and healthcare. This project explores deploying these novel fibres in compact coils for sensing.
- Location
- Southampton, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
Control Systems
Lancaster University
About the Project Develop autonomous underwater inspection systems that combine control of the vehicle with structural assessment to obtain reliable, uncertainty-aware integrity maps.
- Location
- Lancaster, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
Control Systems
University of Reading
About the Project Ports are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions as they commonly move up to 10,000 containers a day from ship to road or rail transport and correspondingly in the reverse direction from land transport onto ships. The aim of the project is to identify sustainable energy solutions which enable ports to manage transient power flows and maintain power quality in a way that will substantially reduce primary energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Location
- Reading, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
University of York
About the Project The adoption of autonomous robots for industrial inspection holds significant appeal, primarily due to their capacity to operate in various environments without concern for safety and health hazards. Moreover, these machines offer cost-effective, continuous operation. Notable examples like Boston Dynamics' Spot have garnered substantial attention in such applications. Nevertheless, persistent challenges persist.
- Location
- York, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
University of York
About the Project Hybrid Robotic manipulators combine soft and rigid components that allow them to be safer and more reliable than their rigid counterparts during their interactions with the world. This has significant potential in applications requiring dexterity and safety when working around humans, especially in a cluttered environment.
- Location
- York, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
Edinburgh Napier University
About the Project The popularity of power electronic drives used to control electrical machines is increasing, pushed by both the surge of renewable energy generation and the ongoing electrification of transport. This trend is expected to continue and rapid developments are happening on multiple fronts; from more efficient wide-bandgap semiconductors, to new materials and design approaches in electrical machines.
- Location
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
University of Sheffield
About the Project Networked systems are ubiquitous in the modern world, for example, smart grids, financial systems, and industrial processes are prime examples of these. As these systems grow in size and complexity, classical control techniques cannot be easily applied because of computational bottlenecks or an absence of suitable prediction models.
- Location
- Sheffield, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
University of Glasgow
About the Project The scope of this PhD has been co-created between SP Energy Networks and the University of Glasgow, as part of the strategic alliance centred on the future of secure cyber physical energy networks.
- Location
- Glasgow, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
Control Systems
University of York
About the Project This project focuses on the design and control of power electronic converters for connecting renewable energy into railway grid. It aims to evaluate solutions to key technical challenges currently facing the rail industry as it transitions towards power electronic converter–based electrification schemes.
- Location
- York, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
University of York
About the Project In contrast to conventional robots, hybrid (soft-rigid) robots offer enhanced interaction safety alongside sensorised, repeatable performance. Unlike purely soft robots, which often face challenges like parametric variation, hysteresis, and nonlinearity, hybrid robots can be equipped with sensors that provide real-time feedback on deformations. This capability enables the use of predictive algorithms for precise control.
- Location
- York, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
Lancaster University
About the Project Develop a shared-autonomy teleoperation framework built on tele-visual-tactile fusion for contact-rich nuclear decommissioning tasks. Lead Supervisor: Dr Ziwei Wang School of Engineering, Lancaster University Second Supervisor: To be confirmed Industry Partner: TG0 Ltd (Confirmed - formal agreement in progress) Project Start: TBC Target Background: 1st or 2:1 / Master's in Robotics, Control Engineering, Mechatronics or Human-Robot Interaction.
- Location
- Lancaster, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
Control Systems
University of Strathclyde
About the Project Electromagnetic scattering is the fundamental mechanism by which light allows us to perceive the world. At the same time, scattering from particles sets a fundamental limit on our ability to transmit and receive information using optical beams. This project addresses this dual role of scattering through two complementary research directions. In the first part, we will develop theoretical tools to determine the radiative properties of complex optical sources.
- Location
- Glasgow, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
Control Systems
University of Portsmouth
About the Project Applications are invited for a self-funded, 3 year full-time or 6 year part-time PhD project. The PhD will be based in the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and will be supervised by Dr Sotirios Spanogianopoulos , Dr Ali Soltani and Dr Andrea Bucchi . The work on this project will: Simulation of liquid-drone dynamics integrating some CFD software (e.g. Fluent or COMSOL) and MATLAB/Simulink.
- Location
- Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only