Dear colleagues,

Edinburgh Center for Robotics has published a fresh call for PhD
scholarship applications. There will be space for verification and
programming language research: see item 3: *" explainable AI,
certification, verification, safety, security, multi-agent interactions;"*

It is an ideal opportunity for PhD students who wish to apply their
knowledge in Programming Languages and Verification to the growing field of
Robotics and Autonomous systems research.

See below the official advert and contact me directly if you need
more information.

***************************************

The Edinburgh Centre of Robotics is offering exciting PhD Studentships
<https://www.edinburgh-robotics.org/projects-list> for September 2021
through the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and Autonomous
Systems (CDT-RAS). A limited number of industry PhD placements may also be
available and information about these opportunities is posted here
<https://www.edinburgh-robotics.org/industry-studentships>.



*Closing date 29**th** January 2021*



Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh are jointly offering
an exciting opportunity to study a PhD through an innovative 4-year PhD
training programme, drawing on our extensive experience with postgraduate
teaching and research supervision in the area of Robotics and Autonomous
Systems.   The Centre's goal is to train
innovation-ready robotics researchers to be part of a multi-disciplinary
team, focusing on *Safe Interaction for Robotics.*  PhD candidates
specialise in one of the following four areas, whilst gaining a deep
understanding of technical aspects and theoretical foundations:

1. *Physical Interactions**: *control, actuation, compliance, sensing,
mapping, planning, embodiments, swarms;

2. *People Interactions*: human-robot interaction, affective robotics,
smart spaces, human-robot teaming, collaborative decision-making, cobots,
multimodal interfaces;

3. *Self-Interactions*: condition monitoring, prognosis, explainable AI,
certification, verification, safety, security, multi-agent interactions;

4. *Interaction Enablers*: vision, embedded and parallel computing, novel
and soft fabrication methods, optimisation, (transparent) machine learning,
deep reinforcement learning and other AI techniques inc. natural language
processing (NLP).



Achieving impact with robotics also requires non-technical skills, for
example an understanding of technology translation, creativity and
entrepreneurial processes. These are an essential component of
the CDT programme, captured in the #Cauldron
<https://www.edinburgh-robotics.org/content/cauldron> training programme.



Why join us?

·  Flexible programme structure allows students to tailor courses to match
research area of interest in year one, ensuring students have a strong
general grounding in responsible research, current theory, methods and
applications as a solid foundation for their PhD research.

·  Cohort approach with activities including group projects and away days
encourages peer support and cross fertilisation of ideas.

·  Opportunity for international placement in prestigious research
laboratory in year three.

·  Bespoke #Cauldron training programme to provide non-technical skills
such as understanding of technology translation, creativity, and
entrepreneurial processes.

·  Gateway seminars with prestigious speakers.

·  Fund to seed innovation.

·  Fully funded posts available paying stipend and Home fees, limited posts
for overseas students



More information on PhD placements and how to apply:

www.edinburgh-robotics.org/apply

***************


Prof. Ekaterina Komendantskaya
Department of Computer Science
School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences
Earl Mountbatten Building  [ building 21, office G26 ]
Heriot-Watt University
Edinburgh, UK, EH14 4AS
+44 (0)131 451 8283
http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/~ek19/
http://www.laiv.ac.uk