Cyber Security

An opportunity to apply for a funded full-time PhD in the College of Arts, Technology and Environment, UWE Bristol. The studentship will be funded by UWE Bristol.

Ref 2627-OCT-CATE02.

The expected start date of this studentship is 1 October 2026.

The closing date for applications is 12 April 2026.

We are delighted to offer two fully funded PhD studentships for October 2026 as part of our continued research investment for growing capacity within our Cyber Security team. Successful candidates would become members of UWECyber, an NCSC-certified Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education (ACE-CSE), along with the Computer Science Research Centre and the School of Computing and Creative Technologies.

For this academic year, we are particularly interested in multi-disciplinary challenges of Cyber Security. We are inviting applications for the two themed projects below:

Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Influence and the Limits of State Governance in the Digital Domain

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping cyber influence and challenging the practical capacity of states to govern effectively in the digital domain. Positioned at the intersection of cyber security, law and governance, the research examines how AI-driven information environments strain existing legal frameworks and regulatory assumptions.

The project is ideal for candidates interested in secure digital technologies, AI governance and the future of state authority in an increasingly complex cyber landscape. This project will be led by Dr Jonathan Lancelot in collaboration with Dr Mike Pollard (College of Business and Law) and Dr Aida Smith.

An LLM-Based Framework for Automated Security and Data Integrity Assessment of Heterogeneous Consumer Wearables in Healthcare Remote Monitoring

Consumer wearables from multiple manufacturers create heterogeneous ecosystems in clinical remote monitoring but lack standardised security assessment frameworks. Existing approaches examine individual devices, not cumulative ecosystem risks, and cannot distinguish between malicious manipulation, manufacturer-specific variations, and device malfunctions. Manual assessment methods fail to scale across rapidly evolving devices.

This research investigates how LLMs can enable automated, scalable security and data integrity assessment of multi-vendor consumer wearable ecosystems, translating vulnerabilities into clinically meaningful risk metrics for healthcare deployment. This project will be led by Dr Faiza Medjek, in collaboration with Professor Richard Luxton (College of Health, Science and Society) and Dr David Western.

About us

Our group is actively involved in cyber security research ranging from cloud, IoT and container-based security, AI for security and security of AI, digital forensics, geopolitics of cyber security and cyber situational awareness. We work with a variety of industry and government stakeholders, across both national and international networks, addressing many of the Knowledge Areas within the Cyber Security Body of Knowledge (CyBOK).

Your application should consist of:

• a covering letter (up to two pages) that explains your suitability for the role.
• a proposal (up to four pages) that should address the key objectives of the proposed research, initial background to position the proposed research, and an initial plan for undertaking the research, making clear which of the two themed projects you are addressing.
• a copy of your current CV.

Queries regarding the two projects can be directed to Jonathan Lancelot: Jonathan2.Lancelot@uwe.ac.uk and Faiza Medjek: Faiza.Medjek@uwe.ac.uk.

All other queries can be directed to Phil Legg, Professor of Cyber Security and Cyber Security Theme Lead: Phil.Legg@uwe.ac.uk.

The studentship is available from 1 October 2026 for a period of three and a half years, subject to satisfactory progress.

It includes a tax exempt stipend, which is currently £20,780 (2025/26) per annum. 

In addition, full-time tuition fees will be covered for up to three years (Home).

Applicants must have an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification in cyber security, computer science, or a closely related discipline.

In addition, we expect applicants to have strong written and spoken communication skills, as well as strong programming skills.

The position is open to both home and international students.

A recognised English language qualification is required.

Please submit your application online. When prompted use the reference number 2627-OCT-CATE02.

Supporting documentation

You will need to upload your research proposal, all your degree certificates and transcripts and your proof of English language proficiency as attachments to your application, so please have these available when you complete the application form.

References

You will need to provide details of two referees as part of your application. At least one referee must be an academic referee from the institution that conferred your highest degree.

Your referee will be asked for a reference at the time you submit your application, so please ensure that your nominated referees are willing and able to provide references within 14 days of your application being submitted.

Apply online

The closing date for applications is 12 April 2026.

It is expected that interviews will take place on weeks commencing Monday 4 May 2026.

If you have not heard from us by Monday 4 May 2026, we thank you for your application but on this occasion you have not been successful.