PhD Scholarship IN AI-ASSISTED PHYSICAL LAYER SECURITY – JOINTLY WITH UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

Future communication systems toward 6G and beyond are expected to be open, secure and resilient integrations of different networks with the goals of overcoming the digital divide, whilst still being economically viable. This requires seamless integrations of space and terrestrial mobile systems into a uniform Network of Networks (NoN). Today’s digital society involves a wide variety of networks, such as public cellular, satellite/UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), optical, WiFi and personal body-area networks. Despite the benefits in their integration for m¬itigating the fundamental digital divide, there remain profound research challenges in terms of interoperability, highly reliable end-to-end performances, seamless cross-network mobility, network automation, security and resilience.

Traditional approaches in research of the physical layer of communication systems and their security rely on rigorous mathematical modelling of the system and environment. Such approaches rely on various simplifications that undermine the fidelity of the models and the efficiency of the designs in highly dynamic wireless environments. As the complexity of the environment, and the demand for more efficient and adaptable/reconfigurable physical layers, increases in the context of 5G and 6G, traditional approaches become less effective. PhD projects in this topic will therefore address emerging AI/ML technology that offers an entirely new framework that is data-driven for use in the ML-based analysis and design of secure physical layers for future networks. In addition, the nature of physical layer security solutions is characterized by increased ambiguity owing to the presence of attackers whose behaviour cannot be readily modelled but can be learned from the available data. Hence, AI-assisted approaches will be investigated to address these research challenges.

Funding Information

Enhanced fully-funded PhD scholarships that include a stipend of ~£21.5k (equivalent to a starting salary of ~£23.7k in industry). In addition, the scholarship includes funding for a laptop, conference travel, a personal training budget, travel and subsistence for industry partner visits and team building activities.

Successful candidates will have the opportunity to enjoy:
• Advancing research in the exciting and emerging areas of wireless communications, cyber security, networking and AI.
• In year 1, a taught programme of modules on topics in cyber security, machine learning and 5G networks, and a group project, offering a wide opportunity to develop your knowledge, shape your research and improve your skills.
• Focus on enterprise and leadership skills
• Joint supervision with academics from University of Surrey and industry partners
• Industry collaborative opportunities, including internship options from 20 industry partners.
• Use of world class facilities including Queen’s University’s Cyber Range, hardware security test platforms and industry standard Wireless labs, and Surrey’s state of the art Future Network testbed.

Funding Eligibility:
Please note that funding is available to candidates who qualify as a ‘Home’ student. To be classed as a Home student, candidates must meet the following criteria and the associated residency requirements:
• Be a UK National,
or • Have settled status,
or • Have pre-settled status,
or • Have indefinite leave to remain or enter the UK.
Candidates from ROI may also qualify for funding.

Academic Requirements:
The minimum academic requirement for admission is normally an Upper Second Class Honours degree from a UK or ROI Higher Education provider in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.

COURSE CONTENT

Research Information

Associated Research
Research within the School is organised into research themes combining strengths by working together on major projects, in many cases in collaboration with key technology companies.
ECIT brings together internationally recognised research groups specialising in key areas of advanced digital and communications technology.

PhD Opportunities
PhD Opportunities are available in a wide range of computer science subjects, aligned to the specific expertise of our PhD supervisors.

Research Impact
Queen’s is a leader in commercial impact and one of the five highest performing universities in the UK for intellectual property commercialisation. We have created over 80 spin-out companies. Three of these –
Kainos, Andor Technology and Fusion Antibodies – have been publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Research Projects
Queen’s has strong collaborative links with industry in Northern Ireland, and internationally. It has a strong funding track record with EPSRC and the EC H2020 programme.

Research Success
The research profile produced by the 2014 UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) graded 80 per cent of our research activity as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, confirming the School’s reputation as an internationally-leading department.

Career Prospects

Introduction
For further information on career opportunities at PhD level please contact the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences Student Recruitment Team on askEPS@qub.ac.uk. Our advisors – in consultation with the School – will be happy to provide further information on your research area, possible career prospects and your research application.

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

Graduate
The minimum academic requirement for admission to a research degree programme is normally an Upper Second Class Honours degree from a UK or ROI HE provider, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Further information can be obtained by contacting the School.

International Students

For information on international qualification equivalents, please check the specific information for your country.

English Language Requirements

Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.0, with not less than 5.5 in any component or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required (*taken within the last 2 years).

International students wishing to apply to Queen’s University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.