Topic: Efficient Cryptographic Arguments and Proofs
Zero-knowledge proofs enable 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 compromise 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 will provide a tax-free stipend of £19,790, however, ERC funding does not cover student fees, which are currently set at £4,200 for UK and EU nationals that have lived 3 years in the UK or EU and set at £19,200 for overseas nationals (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/current-students/money/2012-2013_fees/2012-13_Postgrad_Research). Overseas applicants must therefore have sufficient financial means to cover living expenses and the higher fees.
We are looking for someone who has:
â¢Â an excellent undergraduate or masterâs degree in computer science or mathematics
â¢Â an interest in cryptologic research involving both computer science and mathematics
â¢Â knowledge of cryptography and preferably also related subjects such as algorithms, computational complexity theory, algebra or number theory
â¢Â good communication skills; especially in written English
â¢Â a strong work ethic and the ability to think creatively and independently
How to apply:Â The deadline for applications is May 10th, 2013. Applications should be submitted through UCL (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate-study/application-admission), specifying Computer Science as the department and âJens Grothâ as the supervisor.
Start date: October 1st, 2013 or earlier.
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.