Department: Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University College London
Primary supervisor: Dr Sattar Vakili
Study mode: Full-time
Duration: 4 years
Starting date: Available from 1st February 2027
Application deadline: No closing date, the position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.
Applications accepted all year round. Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only).
Project description
Applications are invited for a funded PhD studentship in foundational artificial intelligence at University College London.
The project will investigate fundamental questions in AI, machine learning and sequential decision-making. The research directions include: Reinforcement learning; intelligent data acquisition; generative and foundation models; and applications in communication systems, engineering and scientific discovery.
The research is expected to combine rigorous mathematical development with computational experiments and applications. The precise topic will be developed jointly with the successful candidate.
Funding
This is a fully funded 4-year studentship to cover the Home (UK) student's tuition fees plus a £23,805/year stipend (value for 26/27) for living costs increasing with inflation.
More details about the stipend and fees can be found here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/research-innovation-services/award-services/research-studentships/studentship-budgets.
Person specification
Applicants should have:
- a UK Master’s degree, or at least an upper second-class Bachelor’s degree, or an equivalent international qualification, in computer science, electronic engineering, mathematics, statistics or a related discipline;
- a strong mathematical and analytical background;
- a strong interest in foundational machine learning research;
- programming experience, preferably in Python and modern machine-learning frameworks.
Previous research experience or publications are desirable but not required.
The candidate should pass the entry requirements of PhD programme at UCL EEE: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/research-degrees/electronic-and-electrical-engineering-mphil-phd
How to apply
Applications must be made using the UCL online application system by using the UCL postgraduate study application form. Please mark it to the attention of Dr Sattar Vakili.
Before applying, interested candidates are welcome to send the following to s.vakili@ucl.ac.uk:
- a CV;
- academic transcripts;
- a brief statement—approximately one page—describing their research interests and suitability for the project;
- optionally, a research paper, thesis or other writing sample.
Please use the subject line: PhD Studentship in Foundational AI.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a formal interview.
Equality, diversity, and inclusion
Our research is driven forward by talented researchers and PhD students who come from countries and backgrounds across the globe. We therefore strongly encourage applications from underrepresented backgrounds in engineering, such as women, ethnic minorities, or people with disabilities– EEE is a great place for you to study! We will make reasonable adjustments at interview and/or in the position as requested.
Contact
For informal inquiries please contact Dr Sattar Vakili s.vakili@ucl.ac.uk who will be happy to answer any queries about the project.