A zero-knowledge proof enables a prover to convince a verifier that a statement is true without revealing any other information. Zero-knowledge proofs are widely used in cryptographic protocols; for security reasons it is often necessary to check that somebody is following a protocol honestly and correctly, but this check should not disclose their private data. The goal of the PhD is to develop new and more efficient zero-knowledge techniques. The project is expected to involve both theoretical research and practical work on implementing protocols. Â
The student will be supervised by Dr Jens Groth and will be based in the Computer Science Department at UCL. The project is funded by an ERC Starting Grant supporting also two Research Associates and another PhD student. The studentship provides a tax-free stipend of £21,000 per annum until September 2017. Please note that ERC funding does not cover student fees, which are currently £4,400 for UK and EU nationals that have lived 3 years in the UK or EU and £20,250 for overseas nationals (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/money/2013-2014_fees/2013-14_postgrad_research).
We are looking for someone who has:
⢠A BSc or MSc degree in Mathematics, Computer Science or related field with top marks
⢠Interest in doing cryptologic research involving both Mathematics and Computer Science
⢠Good communication skills; especially in written English
⢠Strong work ethic and the ability to think creatively and independently
How to apply:
Applications submitted before July 15th, 2013 will receive priority attention.
Applications should be submitted through UCL, via the âApplyâ button below, specifying Computer Science as the department and âJens Grothâ as the supervisor.
Start date: The start date is flexible; we suggest October 2013
General enquiries and questions about the application process should be directed to melanie.johnson@ucl.ac.uk.
Questions regarding academic aspects of the project should be directed to Jens Groth. Students should visit his homepage www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/J.Groth/openings.html before applying.