The studentship is for 3.5 years and includes fully paid UK/EU tuition fees and an annual stipend starting at £16,000. The ideal start date is by 31 March 2014

This defence-funded PhD Studentship will be hosted at Imperial College London and supervised by Professor Michael Huth in the Department of Computing. The aim of this studentship is to assess and demonstrate that formal methods and verification are an effective means of assuring that the processes in place for the processing of treaty-accountable items are indeed compliant with appropriate treaties. A particular emphasis will be placed on processes that model the chain of custody of such items.

A senior scientist from the defence sponsor will serve as non-academic supervisor and technical consultant for this PhD research. The PhD student may also interact with other technical staff at the defence sponsor. The PhD student will first assess a range of formal methods as to their suitability for modelling such processes. This will then lead to the development of proof-of-concept modelling frameworks that will subsequently be evaluated through in-depth case studies.

Entry Requirements:

Applicants should have an MSc/MEng with at least a very good 2.1 degree, or should have equivalent qualifications and demonstrable research skills. A background in information security and in the use of formal methods or verification will be helpful but it not strictly required. Although UK nationality is not a strict requirement for candidates of this PhD Studentship, full interaction with the defence sponsor will require this.

Research Environment:

The Department of Computing has an excellent research environment that is internationally leading in both the foundations of the discipline and in interdisciplinary research. Imperial College London offers award-winning support for student development and career management.

Funding:

In addition to paid UK/EU tuition fees and a stipend, the successful student will get a laptop as well as a desktop machine for exclusive use, and have access to a powerful Linux server. There will also be funds for supporting travel to conferences and workshop, and for visits to the defence sponsor.

How to apply:

For initial enquiries, please contact Professor Huth (m.huth@imperial.ac.uk) directly. Formal applications must be submitted online at

Please also see http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/computing/phd/apply for information specific to applications to the Department of Computing.