Postgraduate Research

Graduate opportunities

Research Degree Finder
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Find the right opportunity for you   

Are you looking for a postgraduate research opportunity?

We offer a wide variety of studentships and other research opportunities throughout the year. As a research student, you'll work with at least one academic supervisor and be given research training to help you gain skills in research methodology. Please check the information on each studentship carefully before applying.

Faculty of Science and Health studentships

Throughout the year departments in the Faculty of Science and Health may advertise studentships and available projects. More information on supervision and applicant criteria can be found on the individual studentship pages.

Please read the adverts carefully as different projects may have different types of funding available.

PhD: Predictive maintenance of a COTS robotic system in Nuclear environments 

The PhD project aim is to develop an on-chip monitoring system that obtains key hardware metrics from a System-on-Chip (SoC) module (e.g. currents, temperatures, voltages, etc.), and design a statistical and machine learning (ML) model to understand and predict when the board is starting to behave abnormally. The advantage of ML algorithms is that it can fine tune and predict failures without the need of exhaustive knowledge of each unique board and irradiation situation, providing some generality to the system. The monitoring can be performed at run-time without requiring a halt to the robot’s mission delivery. This research is also valuable to the research of fault mitigation systems, where error can be detected early and corrected quicker.

Title: Predictive maintenance of a COTS robotic system in Nuclear environments

Based in: School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering

Deadline: 31st May 2023


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PhD: Dementia - Fundamentals of care

This funded PhD studentship will nurse and allied health professionals providing fundamental care within the wider system with a focus on care and factors influencing delivery focusing on nutrition and hydration, positive relationships, and activities of daily living affecting patient safety in the acute sector.

We welcome applications from candidates with a background in health or social care, and an interest in primary or acute health care research relevant to issues of socio-economic inequality, access, and health and well-being.

Title: Dementia - Fundamentals of care

Based in: School of Health and Social Care

Deadline: 20th January 2023.


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PhD: Ecosystem function of key marine habitats in the Mediterranean: shallow seagrasses to deep coralligenous reefs

This fully funded PhD studentship, will explore the benefits of protection and recovery of key Mediterranean marine habitats – from shallow subtidal seagrasses to coralligenous reefs with a focus on biodiversity and fishery enhancement and the role these habitats play in the Blue Carbon economy of the Aegean sea.

The project is largely field-based in the Mediterranean working closely with Archipelagos with opportunity for many days at sea. In addition to funding covering a stipend and Home fees, Archipelagos will provide basic accommodation and board in the Aegean sea field sites.

Title: Ecosystem function of key marine habitats in the Mediterranean: shallow seagrasses to deep coralligenous reefs

Based in: School of Life Sciences

Deadline: 6th March 2023


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PhD: On the purpose of cognitive reflection

This PhD studentship, funded as part of a Leverhulme Trust grant, aims to understand how people use reflection when solving word problems.

We are looking for candidates with at least an undergraduate degree in psychology, as well as experience in experimental research and quantitative analysis.

Title: On the purpose of cognitive reflection

Based in: Department of Psychology

Deadline: 8th February 2023


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PhD: Learning from animal signals: new machine learning applications and development inspired by bioacoustics

This fully funded PhD studentship will achieve new insights into animal bio-acoustic signalling and potential industrial applications, using new development and applications of machine learning, including attentional AI.

We welcome applicants with a 1st class or 2:1 BSc (or equivalent) in biology, computer science or any related field. The project will require strong skills in programming (e.g. Python), machine learning and data analysis, including recent machine learning techniques and computer simulation.

This PhD is based at the University of Essex, but the successful candidate will also undertake a fully funded, 1.5 year placement in Japan with Cross Labs, an AI research institute within the company Cross Compass Ltd.

Title: Learning from animal signals: new machine learning applications and development inspired by bioacoustics

Based in: School of Life Sciences

Deadline: 28th February 2023


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Faculty of Arts and Humanities studentships

Throughout the year departments in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities may advertise studentships and available projects. More information on supervision and applicant criteria can be found on the individual studentship pages, which will be advertised here when available.

 

Faculty of Social Sciences studentships

Departments in the Faculty of Social Sciences may advertise studentships and available projects throughout the academic year. You can find more information on supervision and applicant criteria for individual studentships below.

Please read the descriptions carefully as each studentship will have different criteria and types of funding available.

Student completing her personal statement whilst applying to Essex
Doctoral Training Partnerships

Our Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) offer you skills training and funding for your postgraduate research. Join one of our DTPs and you'll work alongside leading academics in your subject.

Learn about DTPs