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PhD opportunities: University of Portsmouth

Compare 34 doctoral research opportunities connected with University of Portsmouth, including project summaries, funding and application deadlines.

Analytical Chemistry

Raman ProLipMet-Omics Sub-cellular Imaging for Real-Time Therapeutic Monitoring

University of Portsmouth

About the Project Applications are invited for a fully-funded three year PhD to commence in February 2027. The PhD will be based in the Faculty of Science and Health, and will be supervised by Dr Priyanka Dey , Associate Professor of Molecular Diagnostics (University of Portsmouth), and Dr Carla Newman, Associate Director in Cellular Imaging (GSK, UK).

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
20 October 2026
Funding
Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Data Analysis

3D Indoor Mapping for Navigation in Complex Environments

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 Salem Aljareh . Navigating complex indoor environments is becoming increasingly vital, from shopping centres to airports, hospitals to huge museums.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Artificial Intelligence

AI Methods for the Design and Optimization of Wide-Bandgap CMOS Power Electronics

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 supervised by Dr Mahsa Mehrad and Dr. Abdul Tawfik . This project will include: AI-enabled CMOS Design Wide-Bandgap Device Optimization Simulation/Modelling-Guided Research Developing and optimising wide-bandgap CMOS power devices using GaN and AlGaN materials.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Artificial Intelligence

AI-Enabled Construction Safety Management: A Governance Maturity Model toward CDM2015 Regulation

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 Civil Engineering and Surveying and will be supervised by Dr Abba Mahmud , Dr Quan Phung and Dr Salem Chakhar . The increasing use of AI-enabled systems in construction safety management is changing how project risks are identified, monitored, communicated, and controlled.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Artificial Intelligence

AI-based Management of FPGA Resources in Computing 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 supervised by Dr Mahsa Mehrad . FPGAs have become a key technology for accelerating computation-intensive tasks, offering unmatched parallelism and energy efficiency. However, designing systems that make full use of FPGA capabilities remains a complex and time-consuming process.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Artificial Intelligence

AI-enabled DfX decision support for early-stage construction project planning

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 Civil Engineering and Surveying and will be supervised by Dr Quan Phung , Dr Salem Chakhar and Dr Sepehr Abrishami . This project is positioned at the intersection of artificial intelligence, Design for X (DfX), and construction project management.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Civil Engineering

Adoption and Impact of Natural Fibre Reinforced Compressed Earth Building Blocks

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 Civil Engineering and Surveying and will be supervised by Dr Muhammad Ali , Prof. Tamsin Bradley , Prof. Hom Dhakal .

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Electrical Engineering

AlGaN Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles: AI-Enhanced Design, Simulation, and Characterization

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 supervised by Dr Mahsa Mehrad . The work on this project will: Develop next-generation AlGaN power electronic devices for high-efficiency electric vehicles (EV). Combine TCAD simulation, electrical measurements, and AI-based optimization to accelerate device design.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Artificial Intelligence

An artificially intelligent micro camera imaging system for monitoring multiscale damages.

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 Civil Engineering and Surveying and will be supervised by Dr Jiye Chen , Dr Shikun Zhou and Dr Zhang Zhongi .

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Biomedical Engineering

Biodegradable Mg alloy scaffolds for musculoskeletal regenerative therapies

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 Roxane Bonithon , Dr Katerina Karali and Professor Gordon Blunn . The work on this project will: Explore the potential of additive manufacturing to create porous magnesium-based scaffolds tailored for musculoskeletal regeneration.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Bioinformatics

Case-specific prediction of BH3-mimetic responses in cancer patients using an integrated experimental and computational quantitative systems pharmacology approach

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 Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences and will be supervised by Dr Gavin Fullstone .

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Electrical Engineering

Curb-side V2G for Neighbourhood-Level Peak Shaving under High EV Penetration

University of Portsmouth

About the Project As EV numbers surge, this work shows how curb-side Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) can turn parked cars into a shared energy buffer, smoothing the sharp neighbourhood demand peak and easing pressure on local networks. By briefly discharging during the evening spike and recharging later, EVs can support grid stability without affecting drivers’ required range, guided by an optimised control algorithm that protects batteries and ensures fair compensation.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Applied Statistics

Data analytics and artificial intelligence to predict length of stay, readmission, and mortality after colorectal cancer surgery

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 Shamsul Masum , Dr Edward Smart and Professor Jim Khan (Consultant from Portsmouth Hospital University Trust).

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Aerospace Engineering

Development of advanced techniques for the improvement of the fracture toughness of sustainable hybrid composites under extreme weathering conditions

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 (SEME) and will be supervised by Dr Antigoni Barouni and Prof. Hom Dhakal .

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Applied Statistics

Development of an AI video-based tool for quality assessment of robotic cholecystectomy

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 Shamsul Masum , Dr John Chiverton and Dr Jennifer Straatman (Consultant from Portsmouth Hospital University Trust). Robotic cholecystectomy is a common procedure, yet variation in surgical technique impacts patient outcomes.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Cancer Biology

Development of new mRNA-based cancer vaccines for breast cancer

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 Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences and will be supervised by Dr Roja Hadianamrei and Dr Sassan Hafizi . The work on this project could involve: Manufacturing different libraries of LNPs and optimising their physicochemical properties.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Bacteriology

Diagnostic biomarkers and mechanistic understanding of biofilm formation in prosthetic joint infection

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 Faculty of Science and Health, and will be supervised by Professor Sam Robson (Professor of Genomics and Bioinformatics, University of Portsmouth), Dr Robbie Baldock (Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth) and Dr Robin Rumney (Lecturer in Musculoskeletal Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of…

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Civil Engineering

Dynamic Soil–Monopile Interaction for Offshore Wind Turbines under Seismic Loading.

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 Civil Engineering and will be supervised by Dr Mehdi Rouholamin , Dr Nikos Nanos and Dr David Begg . Applications are invited for a self-funded PhD project investigating the dynamic soil–structure interaction of monopile foundations for offshore wind turbines.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Data Analysis

Enhancing Emergency Response with Indoor Tracking and Localisation

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 Salem Aljareh . According to recent statistics released by the UK’s Home Office In the year ending June 2025, England's “Fire and Rescue Services 628,764 incidents in the year ending June 2025, an increase of 5.7% compared with the previous year (594,836).

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Bioinformatics

Feasibility and Performance of 3D Printed Cobalt-Chromium Dentures

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 Roxane Bonithon and Professor Chris Louca .

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Robotics

Human–Robot Collaborative Assembly Based on Vision-Language-Action Model

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 Xin Zhang . This project aims to develop an intelligent human–robot collaborative assembly framework that enables robots to understand and respond to human instructions through natural interaction.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Biomedical Engineering

Human–Robot Interaction via Sensorimotor Integration Between Wearable Interface and Supernumerary Robotic Arm

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 Xin Zhang and Prof. Zhaojie Ju . This project aims to develop a supernumerary robotic arm (SRA)—an artificial third arm to augment human manipulation capabilities and address tasks that cannot be effectively handled by the natural limbs alone.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Artificial Intelligence

Hybrid Physics-Informed Machine Learning for Multi-Vector Energy System Optimisation

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 Shamsul Masum , Dr Anton Hettiarachchige Don and Dr Edward Smart . The UK’s shift to net-zero energy requires optimising complex multi-vector networks—electricity, heat, gas, and hydrogen—under high renewable penetration.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Artificial Intelligence

Intelligent Coordination Framework for Residential Energy Assets in Net-Zero Homes

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 Shanker Prabhu , Dr Hongjie Ma and Dr Shamsul Masum . The work on this project will: Literature review on residential energy management systems and machine learning optimisation techniques.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Electronic Engineering

Intelligent Manipulation of Deformed Objects via Visual–Tactile Fusion

University of Portsmouth

About the Project Applications are invited for a self-funded, 3 year full-time or 6 year part-time PhD project. This project investigates intelligent robotic manipulation for deformable or soft objects by integrating visual and tactile sensing. Unlike rigid objects, deformable items (e.g., soft tissues, food products, or packaging materials) present significant challenges for robotic manipulation due to their unpredictable shapes and compliant properties.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Electrical Engineering

Intelligent Optical Monitoring and Adaptive Timing Control for High-Speed Power Electronic Devices

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 undertaken within the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and supervised by Dr. Mahsa Mehrad and Dr. Abdul Tawfik .

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Biochemistry

Investigating Catecholamine Signalling in Human Pancreatic Islets- A New Target for Diabetes Therapy

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 Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences and will be supervised by Dr Despoina Aslanoglou and Dr Tony Lewis . The work on this project could involve: Interdisciplinary research: This project bridges endocrinology, neuropharmacology, and molecular signalling to uncover new mechanisms of hormone regulation in diabetes.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Applied Statistics

Investigation of Intradialytic Hypotension (IDH) in Haemodialysis Patients

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 Shamsul Masum , Dr Edward Smart and Nick Sangala (Consultant from Portsmouth Hospital University Trust). The work on this project will: Aim to identify trends in patients with IDH using routinely collected hospital data.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Applied Mathematics

Meniscus: A biomechanical Investigation

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 Katerina Karali , Dr Roxane Bonithon and Pr Gordon Blunn . Project description The menisci are C-shaped, fibrocartilaginous structures in the tibiofemoral joint that play a crucial role in stabilizing and cushioning during weight-bearing activities.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Communications Engineering

Non-Cooperative Human Identification and Authentication Using Passive Wireless Signatures

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 Salem Aljareh and Prof. Bill Dawber (QinetiQ).

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Energy Technologies

Optimisation and Modelling of Turbomachinery Components

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 James Bull and Dr James Buick . Turbomachinery plays a critical role in modern energy, aerospace, and industrial systems, including gas turbines, expanders, compressors, pumps, and turbochargers.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Applied Statistics

Personalised Survival Prediction and Treatment Optimisation in Oesophageal Cancer

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 Shamsul Masum , Dr Edward Smart and Philip Pucher (Consultant from Portsmouth Hospital University Trust).

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Artificial Intelligence

Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Navigation for Smart Cities

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 Salem Aljareh . In the age of urbanization, cities are the epicentres of human activity, innovation, and progress. According to World Bank data, more than 84% percent of the UK population live in densely populated cities.

Location
Portsmouth, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Deadline
Year-round applications
Funding
Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Control Systems

Trajectory Tracking Control System Design for Liquid-Carrying Quadrotors

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