This is an exciting opportunity to study a PhD as part of a cotutelle arrangement between Coventry University, UK and Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. The PhD Student will graduate with two PhDs, one from Deakin University and one from Coventry University, each of which recognises that the program was carried out as part of a jointly supervised doctoral program.

There are two fully funded Studentships available with a stipend.The successful applicant will spend the 1st year at Deakin University and the following year at Coventry University and then the final 1.5 years at Deakin University.

Project details

The following research topics for this project are:

Securing Political and Governmental Actors from Targeted Cyber Attack
Non-state actors in cyber policing: Assessing the role of private investigators
A framework for data privacy protection in immersive technologies
Enhancing Protective Security in E-Safety: Safeguarding Digital Users in the Online Environment
Enhancing Risk Management and Decision-Making, through Trust-Base Collaborative Systems: Mitigating Uncertainties in Protective Security and Defence
Zero Trust based Continuous Authentication towards Protective Security
Enhancing zero trust control plane resilience to cyberattacks
Improving the Robustness of Deep Learning Models for Tabular Datasets
Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning for Intrusion Detection in IoT Networks

We are open to proposals focusing on any of these topics and are not limiting the type of methodological approach to tackling the problem. We would strongly encourage informal discussions with the lead at Deakin and Coventry when developing proposals.

Funding

Tuition fees and bursary

Benefits

The successful candidate will receive comprehensive research training including technical, personal and professional skills.

All researchers at Coventry University (from PhD to Professor) are part of the Doctoral College and Centre for Research Capability and Development, which provides support with high-quality training and career development activities.

Candidate specification

Applicants must meet the admission and scholarship criteria for both Coventry University and Deakin University for entry to the cotutelle programme.

Applicants should have graduated within the top 15% of their undergraduate cohort. This might include a high 2:1 in a relevant discipline/subject area with a minimum 70% mark (80% for Australian graduates) in the project element or equivalent with a minimum 70% overall module average (80% for Australian graduates).
A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field requiring at least four years of full-time study, and which normally includes a research component which is equivalent to at least 25% of a year’s full-time study in the fourth year, with achievement of a grade for the project equivalent to a H1 standard or 80%

A Masters degree, with a significant research component, in a relevant subject area, with overall mark at minimum Distinction.
• In addition, the mark for the Masters thesis (or equivalent) must be a minimum of 80%.
Please note that where a candidate has 70-79% and can provide evidence of research experience to meet equivalency to the minimum first-class honours equivalent (80%+) additional evidence can be submitted and may include independently peer-reviewed publications, research-related awards or prizes and/or professional reports.
Language proficiency (IELTS overall minimum score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component).

The potential to engage in innovative research and to complete the PhD within a prescribed period of study

How to apply

To find out more about the project, please contact Professor David McIlhatton

All applications require full supporting documentation, a covering letter, plus a 2000-word supporting statement showing how the applicant’s expertise and interests are relevant to the project.

Apply to Coventry University